Common‘s decorated discography has no shortage of quality, and his new album with Pete Rock is up there with the best of ’em — according to the man himself, anyway.
Appearing on a MusiCares panel alongside Lupe Fiasco in Santa Monica, California on Monday (April 22), the Chicago rap veteran was asked to name his top three albums from his catalog.
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He quickly named 2000’s Like Water for Chocolate and 2005’s Be as his favorites, before boldly claiming his upcoming project with the Soul Brother Number One belongs in the third spot.
“Y’all gon’ think I’m just talking, but this new Pete Rock joint. I’ma see y’all when I come back, whenever I’m back, and y’all can tell me if I’m bullshittin’ or not. It’s in my top,” he said. “I’ve had a couple people coming in saying, ‘Yo, this is one of your best albums.’ So I’m excited about it.”
However, because the album has yet to be heard by the public, Common ranked Resurrection, his 1994 breakout project, as his third best album for the time being.
Common first revealed he was working on an album with Pete Rock in September during an appearance on MSNBC’s The Beat with Ari Melber.
“I been listening to a lot of ’90s Hip Hop because I been creating a new project,” he said. “I’m working on a new album with Pete Rock and just, the energy of that music, whether it’s Brand Nubian, A Tribe Called Quest, or De La Soul because they just got their music on streaming, it’s been inspiring to hear.”
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Pete Rock has also set the bar high, claiming the project will bring excitement back to Hip Hop.
“You ever miss that feeling of a good release in Hip Hop?” he wrote on Instagram. “Remember how exciting that felt??? We both excited as a mafugga. i always feel like i got something to prove but its just fun to me to make music.
“Competing to make good music with all the different personalities involved today just gotten dry. We love Hip Hop and you will know just how much. stay tuned!!!”
The pair are no strangers to collaborating having worked together on songs such as “The Bitch in Yoo” and “Verbal Murder 2.”
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The as-yet-untitled album will serve as the follow-up to Common’s A Beautiful Revolution Pt. 2 which arrived in 2021 and was entirely produced by Karriem Riggins.
