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Editorial Reviews:

Album Description
Explicit Version. Grammy Award winning artist Common returns with his unique brand of cutting edge Hip Hop on his 8th album Universal Mind Control. The 2008 album on the G.O.O.D. Music /Geffen label is executive produced by multi-platinum producers The Neptunes & Kanye West and features the Neptunes on the bulk of the production. The lead single, 'Universal Mind Control' is a club hit and a radio add for Urban & Rhythmic Crossover. Common has been an actor on the big screen for the last two years in critically acclaimned films, Wanted, American Gangster & Smoking Aces, plus a co-starring role in the 2009 blockbuster Terminator 4.

Customer Reviews: Read 36 more reviews...

5 out of 5 stars

Expect the unexpected. January 6, 2009
Needless to say, I enjoy every common album. I don't bother going out of my way to compare previous albums to current, because it is always about changing it up. Something fresh to to my aural cavities. If you aren't sure, just listen to clips, youtube the tracks, whatever you do, just be sure to give it a few listens before you make up your own mind.

3 out of 5 stars

Not typical Common, but not bad, 3 1/2 stars January 5, 2009
Whether you like this CD will be determined by what you're looking for. If you want "Be" or "Finding Forever," you're going to be disappointed. If you like the Neptunes and you're OK with hearing some good dance tunes, even if it's a change for Common, you'll like this.

This CD is not totally void of the socially conscious tracks that made Common who he is. "Changes" would fit in on other albums, and so would "Inhale," which is my favorite song on the CD. And Common nails it with two of his other songs -- "Announcement" and "Punch Drunk Love." They're the kind of songs you'd expect from someone else, but Common's ability to rhyme and flow is still on display.

There are other decent songs, like "Make My Day" and "What a World." I really dislike "Universal Mind Control" and "Sex 4 Suga," but all in all, this is a pretty good CD.

3 out of 5 stars

Caught Between Two Worlds...(Rating: 7 out of 10- -3.5 stars) December 31, 2008
I guess you cannot knock Common for trying something new in rap. From the days when he "Used To Love H.E.R." to the moment he just wants to "Be", he's done it all. I've been a fan of his music since I was 14 when he dropped Like Water for Chocolate back in 2000, and has copped all of his albums that he has made throughout his career. One thing I've noticed was that he has attracted a new fan base of alternative rap listeners (those who say they don't listen to rap except Mos Def, Talib, Common, etc...you know, those "real" hip hop artists) when he madeFinding Forever. Since then, I sort of thought he has alienated his original fan base (including myself) from that album on. When he came out with this, it was real hard for me to buy this album, because I kind of know what to expect. One thing I've noticed with this, as well as his last two albums, the replay value has gotten less and less. Also his albums have gotten shorter and shorter.

Universal Mind Control is a short album, only 10 tracks long, with each song averaging around 3 1/2 minutes. Some of the songs I really dug. My favorite one is "Inhale" because that is Common at his best here. The problem is that it is a short track, so I had to keep it on repeat to get the full enjoyment out of it. "Make My Day" with Cee-Lo is another common colab between the two that goes hand and hand here. His lyrics are in full force on "Changes" featuring Muhsinah with high upbeat production.

Songs that I think that don't work are pretty easy to spot. "Universal Mind Control" is one of them (I don't give a DAMN who it was inspired by! It doesn't work!) "Sex 4 Suga" and "What A World" are also forgettable. The rest of the songs not mentioned are neither bad or good, but are not worth mentioning.

The overall work is solid. Many old fans will have to stomach his new style of work. Expect something further beyond Electric Circus with this album here. New fans of his music will like this here because its sort of party type. Older fans, like me, have two options: love it or leave it (as blunt as it sounds). Peace.

Lyrics: B
Production: B-
Guest Appearances: C+
Musical Vibes: C+

Top 5 Tracks:
1. Inhale
2. Make My Day (featuring Cee-Lo)
3. Gladiator
4. Everywhere (featuring Martina Topley-Bird)
5. Announcement (featuring Pharrell)

1 out of 5 stars

horrible December 28, 2008
0 out of 1 found this review helpful

this is trash i thought after the last album him getting with kanye it was a new beginning BOY WAS I WRONG

5 out of 5 stars

1st Time I Actually Bought A Common Album... WeLL Worth It!!! December 24, 2008
I've never been into Common feeling that pure & simply as much "praise" as he gets in the game/respect-wise... His musical sound has just never done it for me. I respect different styles from every which way but to be honest his "soft-approach" if you wanna' call it that and the instrumentals backing ... just was completely nothing that came into tune w/ my ear. I ALSO haven't cared for The Neptunes either w/ almost all their last projects besides The Clipse's first CD... This CD was a surprise to me and is the 1st WHOLE Common album that I would recommend buying if you've felt the same way about Common's style/flow/sound/etc.

Well worth the buy IMO...