18.12.08

Common-Universal Mind Control



uh ooooooohhhhhh!!!! it's that time! you thought I wasn't going to give my mans a review from [slick] on the good ol blog???? you must be out of your damn mind! Universal Mind Control has been out for the past week and 2 days. sadly it only pushed about 80,000 units. but as a real hip hop artist, Common isn't really worried about sales. and as a real as listener and fan I wont worry about sales either...so let's get this shit started!

Intro/Universal Mind Control
the intro is simply a lady speaking french saying something about Universal Mind Control...yoo I dead ass need to find out wtf she is saying! anyways the track gets crackin after she is done speaking. if you don't know what track this is then there is seriously a problem. i hated it at first, i really did. but now i have to jam to this track. like if people looked Com like they are supposed to look at him, this would be the ideal track for the club. shit is catchy with Pharrell with chorus. the beat is trans with them wood choppin sticks that P always lays on the track. a quick way to no that he laid his production.

Punch Drunk Love
hands down my favorite track off the CD and hands down my #2 favorite song from Common after The Light. you can't tell me that this track is not fly and fit for the club. Common goes in on a lyrical dub bar after bar after bar talking about his sexual grind with a female. "We exchange like students because study abroad, and listen to your body and low key partying, I keep pushin and pushin you pump the volume up". What?!?! The chorus is fly by itself, I pray for the day i'm at the club and I hear this track come on. the beat has this hard ass bounce that sounds happy with a clapped snare. Through out the track it you hear little keyboard sounds that sounds like fairies flying around the track..lol..genersously giving the track that happy feeling. there is also that old school string plucking sound that comes up every two bars.favorite track on the CD.

Make My Day
initially this sounds like a Pharrell produced track but this is definitely a Mr.DJ slide. Com goes off on this track chilling on the beach with this dime that he ran into. This chick sounds ultra dope if you ask me, "She was at barbeque, pretty painted nails she took her shoes". this track sounds wild happy and something i could listen to driving in spring air or sitting on the beach. it gives you that feeling that makes you want to do the carlton to it. i really like this track and it definitely makes me feel good. the bass is scratchy along with snare, it also has a little ringing bell that goes along with the beat. love this track

Sex 4 Sugar
this track is definitely a head bobber if you are a fan of neptunes production. Com is talking to a stripper who dances at Magic City. According to the track it sounds like he is getting work done in from this stripper."We can do what you want to do, i'm just glad i'm infront of you, but I don't mind being behind, cause I'MA TOUCH YOU WHERE THE SUN DON'T SHINE!". lol that boy is a ruthless i swear. The beat has these low trumpet blows along with these drums that sound like they come from the army.

Announcement
if you think Com is not abusing these chumps on that lyrical shit, get the fuck out of here. he gives Biggie that tribute with some of his lyrics, and surprisingly Pharrell goes in on this shit too. P went in "And all the little bitties from ugly to pretty, I was the magician, mesmerized them, and made them missin..my dick is like a blow pop baby, and it get stiffer than some botox baby!" The beat is slow but the bass is heavy with that clappy snare. the horns come in heavy and low..definitely a drive slow track that both artist goes in on.

Glaidiator
don't tell me Com will not abuse you bitches with the flow. COMMON KILLS THIS TRACK! i couldn't believe my ears when I heard this shit. like the beat and the flow meshes together to give you this blow out song. "They say he's a radical, and he don't fit the game, a heart full of glory and a fist of pain, a couple of battle scars..but shit is the same...are you not entertained?!". the beat is by far the most complex beat off the whole album. it comes in loud and crazy with a loud ass keyboard and a hard ass bass with the lightest crashing snare. then this trumpet comes in blowing short blast of tones. the beat takes twist and turns and keeps your head thrashing back and fourth.

Changes
now this track is a straight banger too. Mr.DJ ain't fake on the head bob on this one. this is like top down caddy music. Com takes it back to what people know him for, political and positive upbringing. this track sounds like an ode to Obama and his victory with the change he will break. Com also talks to the children of the future through out this track encouraging them to perservere regardless. he has his daughter lay some wisdom words down at the end.

Inhale
this is definitely a get light track lol. i need to see marc tear shit up on this track. this is another positive upbringing track that has a feel good keyboarded vibe layed down by pharrell. you have to know it's P on this track with that damn cowbell that is just settin shit off this whole track..fuck with it! you definitely can't ignore the damn Tribe Called Quest "Sucka Nigga" sample with the dj scratch in it.the song is definitely feel good.

What A World
this song takes a bit of a more rock turn with chester french featured on it. the beat is the most simple beat on the album. it has that "clap...clap...clap" feel to it with a regular sounding bass and a bassline that sounds like it's doing the most work. I can't forget that groovy sounding air guitar handed down by chester french. one half of the C.F. is on the chorus. i was soo shocked to hear these guys because it sounded like they have been doing this shit for years..like they're the beatles or somthing...look out for them.

Everywhere
SPACEE TRAVEL, that's all the feeling i get from this song lol...it's good though! this is the final Mr.DJ production on the track. first off i have no idea what the song is about, i really have to give it a good listen again. but it is smooth with the lady who sounds like a moon lady who is singing on it. the beat is fast spaced with a soft snare and bass..it's like a song that you jump into a pool and just float away into lol..

Common succeeded on what he wanted to do with this album..to make this music that makes you feel good, music that is made for the summer..like when it was supposed to fucking come out. it's hard to think about sales when the album has such a good vibe and good music coming out of it. i am in love with this album and i am happy that i bought it..i bought it a day early at that! lol..by this album Arien!

already know im too fllyyyy,

-joshua[slick]

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Just so you know the french part for the intro is

"salut à tous, ceci est une introduction, un nouvel espace, une nouvelle era (which is wrong because french says actually "ere") , un nouveau son, bienvenue! vous entrez à universal mind control"

which can be translated by

"hi everybody, this is an introduction, a new space, a new era, a new sound, welcome! you're entering universal mind control"

[ROUND]n[ROUND]