Common - 'I Am Music'

YO! TUNEDR RAPS

Yes Yes Y'all, would you like some Charleston with your Hip Hop?

Common - 'I am Music' feat Jill Scott (2002)

The debauchery filled, Scott Fitzgerald love fest classic, The Great Gatsby, was released last year with plenty of fanfare, courtesy of a re-working by Baz Lurhmann. I love the romantic idea the book depicts of the roaring twenties, with all the Art Deco architecture, 'anything goes' attitude and the Jazz age music from the era, particularily the Charleston and the Lindy Hop (a distant relative to B-Boy 'Locking'?).

Hence this track, the amazing 'I Am Music', for me the standout from Common's 2002 album, Electric Circus. With the legendary late beat maker J-Dilla pulling the strings, he creates something utterly unique by effortlessly marrying Hip Hop and Charleston, the perfect soundtrack for Jay Gatsby to woo back his Daisy. Although, as far as I'm concerned she's not worth all the fuss - it's the Jordan Baker character he should have gone after....I'd definitely learn to 'flap' for her.

Common...not a flapper.

Incidentally (this should be a 'Nerd Alert' if I can borrow from our Cover Nerd) the cover to Electric Circus was inspired from The Beatles' Sgt Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band. See who made it on it here....


Check out my other Common post, the Curtis Mayfield inspired ode to Serena Williams, 'The Loving I Lost'. Or for more Yes Yes Y'all Hip Hop posts, click here. Word!