Go backstage with The Music and receive FREE:

  • Exclusive members-only editorial, charts
  • Our subscriber-only newsletter
  • Members only competitions to win tickets, experiences and more
  • Access to our street press archives
  • First access to our exclusive limited edition vinyl variants

Thank you for being a part of our community! Enter your email address as verification and you'll be taken backstage right away.

Please ensure that you provide a valid email address.

Album Review: Common - Nobody's Smiling

Darren Collins
StarStarStarStar

Though not his finest album, it could become Common’s most important.

More Common Common Profile

The shocking recent urban violence in Chicago is behind legendary MC Common’s latest album. A return to his roots on Chicago’s South Side, it’s a reunion with Common’s original producer No I.D. and as much a hard-nosed call for peace as a lamentation. The first half is punctuated by tough, forward-thinking beats, Common giving mic time to a host of unknown Chicago MCs, adding a street-level purity to the message, while the second half relaxes proceedings into familiar soulful territories to explore more emotional and inspirational themes. Though not his finest album, it could become Common’s most important.