Common has reflected on the transformative influence of Like Water For Chocolate while commemorating the album’s near quarter-century anniversary.
On Thursday (March 28), the Chicago rap icon took to Instagram where he thanked everyone who played a role in bringing the project to life, as well as those who continue to treasure it.
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“24 years ago today I released an album that would change my life. Like Water for Chocolate,” he began. “Thank you to everyone who created and contributed to this piece and everyone who inspired and cultivated me during that time.
“And for all those who supported this album and to this day come up to me and say it was their favorite album of mine…thank you. I receive that with Love and Gratitude.”
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He continued with a “supreme thanks” to “QuestLove, J Dilla, James Poyser, Bilal, Black Thought, D’Angelo, MC Lyte, Monie Love, Lonnie Pops Lynn, Roy Hargrove, Jill Scott, Rahzel, Slum Village, DJ Premier, Macy Gray, Vinia Mojica, CeeLo Green, Karriem Riggins, Femi Kuti, Kenny Gravillis, and Yasin Bey.”
In closing, Common poked fun at that chapter of his life by saying: “Funny enough, my friends and people I don’t know always joke about my crochet Like Water For Chocolate days. Well…by divine happenings I bought a crochet hat today. Haha. Blessings.”
Released in March 2000, Like Water For Chocolate served as Common’s fourth album and represented a new commercial peak for the Windy City MC, becoming his first to crack the top 20 on the Billboard 200.
It also earned him his first Billboard Hot 100 thanks to the J Dilla-produced, Bobby Caldwell-sampling “The Light,” which peaked at No. 44.
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Creatively, Like Water For Chocolate was primarily recorded at New York City’s famed Electric Lady Studios where the likes of Questlove, D’Angelo and J Dilla converged in the late ’90s and pioneered the “Soulquarians” movement.
Other like-minded classics like D’Angelo’s Voodoo, The Roots’ Things Fall Apart and Erykah Badu’s Mama’s Gun also came out of those sessions.
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In an interview with Grammy.com around Like Water For Chocolate‘s 20th anniversary in 2020, Common described the making of the album as a “one of the greatest times in my life.”
“I feel very happy and grateful for the artists I was around,” he said. “That was such a joyful, creative experience, moments like Jay Dee creating ‘Nag Champa (Afrodisiac for the World)’ or me hearing ‘Heat’ on a beat CD or just him playing ‘The Light’ for me.
“Flying back and forth to Detroit, getting to spend that time with Dilla, then going to Philly to work on stuff and having Ahmir [‘Questlove’ Thompson] oversee the whole thing, being around Tariq [‘Black Thought’ Trotter], going to Electric Lady and being able to walk into a D’Angelo session, and Erykah! Man, this was one of the greatest times in my life.”
Looking ahead, the Be MC is hoping to add another beloved installment to his decorated catalog in the form of an upcoming collaborative project with Pete Rock
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Common first announced the project last September, revealing its inspired by ’90s Hip Hop like Brand Nubian, A Tribe Called Quest and De La Soul.
He later spoke about his excitement for the project during an appearance on Late Night with Seth Meyers in January, raising the bar even higher.
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“I’m working on a new album with the legendary Pete Rock as the producer and man, I’m so enthused and inspired about this project,” he gushed. “And Seth, I’m already plugging and saying, can I come back and perform some of this music?”
