Be, the album-opener is like the thesis of an essential term paper, paving the path for the rest of the album, and offering lyrical purity on the way: "The chosen one from the land of the frozen one/Where drunk nights get remembered more than sober ones." The rapper formerly known as Common Sense then perches on The Corner with the Last Poets on his side, where he observes and documents street eccentricities over Kanye West's hard-hitting percussions. One of the reasons Common still commands respect in the Hip-Hop community is that he understands the fundamentals of the game. Testify, the storytelling track needed to make BE the complete package, is a palpable case of a hustler who pays a steep price for his woman.

Common arrays his musical growth throughout BE, combining accessibility with lyrical prowess, without a scintilla of commercial compromise. The radio-ready Go is a carnal discussion blessed by Kanye's unconventional melodic tinge. Jay Dee's riveting guitar licks are gently kissed by the humble insight on Love Is. Sonically, things only get better. The up-tempo jazzy horns on Real People signals a brand new Kanye sound, and a nonchalant broadcast personality on Comm's part ("I be showing niggas lives like UPN").

Not since College Dropout has Hip-Hop witnessed feasibility, coherence, and rawness in a single bundle. BE is impeccable by all standards. According to Comm, "BE means to do without trying hard. BE is about being natural". Common is not only teaching this concept, he's showing us exactly how to BE.