Songs and Music
The album's recording was put on hold for up to a year as Common was busy becoming a father. After the birth of his child, Common returned to finish the album, albeit with a newer sense of responsibility, which he relates to his transformation from bachelor to father. He recorded "Retrospect For Life", with Lauryn Hill, as a dedication to his first child Omoye Assata Lynn. The song became the second single to be released from the album, and was accompanied by a video (directed by Lauryn Hill), as were "Invocation", "Hungry", and the album's first single "Reminding Me (Of Sef)" (a eulogy to a close, deceased friend of Common's). The album's cover is a picture of an 8 year old Common with his mother, Dr. Ann Hines, at an airport in Montego Bay, Jamaica in 1980.
The multi-talented Cee Lo Green, who at the time was still a member of Southern Hip hop group Goodie Mob, provides the vocals for the spiritual "G.O.D." (which stands for "Gaining One's Definition"). Rapper Canibus makes an early career appearance on the track "Making A Name For Ourselves", as do veterans De La Soul on "Gettin' Down At The Amphitheater". Other guests include Black Thought, and Q-Tip on "Stolen Moments" Parts "II" and "III" respectively, and Common's future love interest Erykah Badu, on "All Night Long", which was produced by The Roots. Chicagoan poet Malik Yusef, waxes lyrical about his hometown on "My City", and as usual Common's father Lonnie Lynn closes the album out with some words of wisdom on "Pop's Rap Part 2 / Fatherhood".
Read more about this topic: One Day It'll All Make Sense
Famous quotes containing the words songs and/or music:
“In her days every man shall eat in safety
Under his own vine what he plants, and sing
The merry songs of peace to all his neighbors.”
—William Shakespeare (1564–1616)
“The band waked me with a serenade. How they improve! A fine band and what a life in a regiment! Their music is better than food and clothing to give spirit to the men.”
—Rutherford Birchard Hayes (1822–1893)