Be (Common album)

2005 studio album by Common

Studio album by

Common

Released| May 24, 2005 (2005-05-24)
Studio|

* Encore (Burbank)
* Pay Jay (Clinton Township)
* Sony Music (New York)

Genre|

* Hip hop
* conscious hip hop[1]
* hip hop soul[2]
* progressive rap[3]
* chipmunk soul[4]

Length| 42:33
Label|

* Geffen
* GOOD

Producer|

* Kanye West (also exec.)
* J Dilla
* James Poyser
* Karriem Riggins

Common chronology
| Electric Circus
(2002)  | Be
(2005)  | Finding Forever
(2007)

|
|

Singles from  Be

1. "The Food"
Released: October 8, 2004
2. "The Corner"
Released: March 1, 2005
3. "Go!"
Released: June 14, 2005
4. "Testify"
Released: September 27, 2005
5. "Faithful"
Released: October 8, 2005

Be is the sixth studio album by American rapper Common. It was released on May 24, 2005, by Geffen Records and GOOD Music. The album is Common's first album under Geffen, following the mediocre performance of 2002's Electric Circus and the July 2003 merger of preceding label MCA Records, which, like Geffen and its sister label Interscope Records, was a division of Universal Music Group.[5]

The album was primarily and executively produced by rapper and GOOD Music founder Kanye West, with additional production from frequent collaborator J Dilla. It debuted at number two on the US Billboard 200, with first-week sales of 185,000 copies in the United States.[6] In 2025, the album was certified Platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA).

Be was also a critical success, receiving acclaim and accolades from several critics and music publications. The album received a perfect "XXL" rating from hip hop publication XXL[7] and was deemed Common's magnum opus by HipHopGoldenAge.[8] In 2022 and 2024, Rolling Stone and Billboard included Be on their lists of the greatest hip-hop albums of all time.[9][10]

## Conception

[edit]

### Background

[edit]

Be was touted as Common's comeback album after the commercially disastrous Electric Circus (2002); the predecessor lacked promotion following MCA Records' absorption into Geffen, which was completed in July 2003.[5] His new alliance with Kanye West helped to spark public interest in the project, as the album was produced by West and released by his own label GOOD Music. "I met Kanye in '96…" he said. "He was still in high school. He used to come around No I.D.'s house, a guy that used to produce for me. The thing I noticed about Kanye was that he could really rap! He had some kind of hunger that I hadn't really seen before."[11]

"He's today's Marvin Gaye of rap," West enthused on a DVD accompanying a deluxe edition of Be. "Buy the album. If you in a situation where you can barely buy groceries, burn the album."

The results show that Common was clearly aware, and perhaps agreeing, with the negative criticisms about Electric Circus. In comparison to that album, Be is lean, immediate, and commanding, yet also restrained in its musical ambitions. Of the reaction to the album, the rapper said: "I don't think [Electric Circus] was as focused. Though I'd done some progressive hip-hop, people know me as the b-boy. When I showed them something different, a different style of b-boy, there were like, "Hold up. You can be Afrocentric, but what's this rock shit that you're doing?"[12] Many of the beats created by West, and which Common rejected for the project, later appeared on West's studio album Late Registration.[13]

### Title

[edit]

In an interview with AllHipHop, Common denied that the album title stood for "Before Erykah."[14] Common explained the concept and the album title in a 2005 interview for SixShot.com:

> I named it Be to be who you are, man, and be able to be in the moment and not try too hard. Be is another way of saying just do without trying hard, like I said, natural and be true to the core of who you are; and this album, I wanted to just be and not just go and exist as just an artist, not worried about the past.[15]

## Singles

[edit]

### "The Corner"

[edit]

Common gave his reasons for featuring controversial spoken word recording artists, the Last Poets, on the album's first official single, "The Corner": "They gifted at writing. They voices is incredible. They took my song to a higher level. And that's what hip-hop was about to me. It would have a message. It would take you to the next place. It was fresh as people say -- something new. They brought newness to what "The Corner" was and they also brought some nostalgia, too. Just them being from the '70s and being used in hip-hop and their spirit brought something pure to it. They gave me a better understanding of the corner after that. I knew those who had been listening to hip-hop would know who the Last Poets were and if they didn't they would feel it in their souls sooner or later. And I also felt good about introducing some of the youth to the Last Poets."[12]

### "Go!"

[edit]

"Go" was the album's third, and highest charting single. The song featured Kanye West and John Mayer, however all the verses are performed by Common with West and Mayer ad-libbing in the chorus. The video for the song included shots of Common surrounded by numerous models.

### "Testify"

[edit]

The album's fourth single, "Testify" received a type of promotional video known as a "mini-movie"; a term coined by Michael Jackson to describe a music video with a complex plot and a suitably long running time, often with intermissions between the song's parts. The video featured acting parts from Taraji P. Henson, Bill Duke, Steve Harris and Wood Harris, and received notable spins on specialist channels such as MTV2. The song samples "Innocent Til Proven Guilty" by Honey Cone.[16]

## Critical reception

[edit]

Professional ratingsAggregate scores

Source| Rating
Metacritic| 83/100[17]
Review scores
Source| Rating
AllMusic| [18]
Blender| [19]
Entertainment Weekly| A−[20]
The Guardian| [21]
NME| 8/10[22]
Pitchfork| 8.6/10[23]
Q| [24]
Rolling Stone| [25]
Spin| A−[26]
Vibe| 4.5/5[27]

Be received widespread acclaim from critics. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream publications, the album received an average score of 83, based on 26 reviews.[17] Andy Kellman of AllMusic said, "Be isn't likely to be referred to by anyone as groundbreaking, but it's one of Common's best, and it's also one of the most tightly constructed albums of any form within recent memory."[18] Andy Greenwald of Blender said, "Be picks up where West's The College Dropout left off."[19] Raymond Fiore of Entertainment Weekly said, "Be's leanness signals awesome growth even without pushing sonic boundaries."[20] Dorian Lynskey of The Guardian said, "Though not quite 2005's best hip-hop album – Kanye West retains that honour for himself – Be is a lean and vibrant masterclass in hip-hop fundamentals."[21] NME said, "Gives hope to a hip-hop stuck in a mire of mediocrity."[22]

Ryan Dombal of Pitchfork said, "The lack of instant-gratification couplets may disappoint at first, but each verse's rewarding intricacies become more evident with multiple listens."[23] Q said, "Common's best album so far, one that proves hip hop can be both smart and mainstream."[24] Nathan Brackett of Rolling Stone said, "West is the producer Common has been waiting for all of his career: He makes Common both catchier and edgier at the same time."[25] Will Hermes of Spin said, "Even when the music flags, Common's remarkably hungry raps push it along."[26] XXL gave the album its highest rating of XXL, writing, "While label support and the times heavily influence whether great music can be crowned a classic, if nothing else Common has created a flawless album. By giving us himself completely and speaking to and for us as complete people, he's birthed the total package. Common has raised the bar. Hopefully, a year from now we'll look back and see that MCs have been rhyming like Common since.[28]

Andrew Simon of Vibe wrote that the album "gets to the root of human experience—all the while staying beautifully soulful and funky."[27] The New York Times' Kelefa Sanneh felt that Be was "certainly a triumph, but if it isn't quite the all-time classic Common was hoping for, that's because it sounds a bit too straightforward."[29] Assigning the album a three-star honorable mention rating, Robert Christgau of The Village Voice wrote that "few of the best moments belong to the main attraction, who's not as wise as they tell him he is."[30]

Common's lyrics on Be earned him the Lyricist of the Year award at the 2006 BET Hip Hop Awards. In 2012 Complex called the album one of the classics of the last decade.[31] The album was also included in the book 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die.[2]

### Accolades

[edit]

Publication  | Country  | Accolade  | Year  | Rank

|
|
|
|

Aftenposten | Norway  | Albums of the Year[32] | 2005  | 18
AllMusic | USA  | Albums of the Year[33] | 2005  | *
Associated Press | USA  | Albums of the Year[citation needed] | 2005  | 7
B92 | Serbia  | Albums of the Year[citation needed] | 2005  | 7
Billboard | USA  | Albums of the Year[citation needed] | 2005  | 5
Dagbladet | Norway  | Albums of the Year[citation needed] | 2005  | 13
Dagsavisen | Norway  | Albums of the Year[34] | 2005  | 18
E! Online | USA  | Albums of the Year[35] | 2005  | 17
Expressen | Sweden  | Albums of the Year[citation needed] | 2005  | 17
Go-Mag | Spain  | Albums of the Year[citation needed] | 2005  | 17
H Magazine | Spain  | Albums of the Year[citation needed] | 2005  | *
Harp | USA  | Albums of the Year[citation needed] | 2005  | 33
Hip Hop Connection | UK  | The 100 Greatest Rap Albums 1995–2005[36] | 2006  | 69
Iguana | Spain  | Albums of the Year[citation needed] | 2005  | 3
Laut.de | Germany  | Albums of the Year[37] | 2005  | 42
Monitor | Croatia  | Albums of the Year[38] | 2005  | 34
Musik-Express/Sounds | Germany  | Albums of the Year[citation needed] | 2005  | 36
Musikbyrån | Sweden  | Albums of the Year[39] | 2005  | 12
Natt & Dagg | Norway  | Albums of the Year[citation needed] | 2005  | 14
The Observer | UK  | Albums of the Year[40] | 2005  | 25
OOR | Netherlands  | Albums of the Year[citation needed] | 2005  | 12
People | USA  | Albums of the Year[citation needed] | 2005  | *
Piccadilly Records | UK  | Albums of the Year[citation needed] | 2005  | 4
PopMatters | USA  | Albums of the Year[41] | 2005  | 12
Prefix Magazine | USA  | Albums of the Year[42] | 2005  | 19
Pure Pop | Mexico  | Albums of the Year[citation needed] | 2005  | 5
Q | USA  | Albums of the Year[citation needed] | 2005  | 42
Rock de Lux | Spain  | Albums of the Year[citation needed] | 2005  | 9
Rolling Stone | USA  | Albums of the Year[43] | 2005  | 21
Spex | Germany  | Albums of the Year[citation needed] | 2005  | 12
Spin | USA  | Albums of the Year[44] | 2005  | 17
URB | USA  | Albums of the Year[citation needed] | 2005  | *
The Village Voice | USA  | Albums of the Year[45] | 2005  | 15
Vibe | USA  | Albums of the Year[citation needed] | 2005  | *
WOXY.com | USA  | Albums of the Year[46] | 2005  | 58
Zundfunk | Germany  | Albums of the Year[citation needed] | 2005  | 22

#### Grammy nominations

[edit]

Be was nominated in four categories at the 48th Grammy Awards: Best Rap Album, Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group for "The Corner" featuring the Last Poets, Best Rap/Sung Collaboration for "They Say" featuring Kanye West and John Legend, and Best Rap Solo Performance for "Testify".[47]

## 20th Anniversary Edition

[edit]

In celebration of the album's 20th anniversary, a deluxe edition of Be was released on May 23, 2025 (2025-05-23) by Geffen Records.[48] The expanded release includes the original 11 tracks, along with remixes, previously unreleased material, and instrumental versions of each song. It was released in both digital and vinyl formats.

The 28-track digital version features new versions such as:

* "The Corner (Remix)" featuring Kanye West, The Last Poets, Scarface, and Yasiin Bey
* "GO! (Jazzanova Remix)" featuring Joy Denalane
* "The Food" (studio version)
* Instrumental versions of all original album tracks

The vinyl edition marked the first time the full album and its instrumentals were bundled together in a special package.[48]

## Track listing

[edit]

All tracks produced by Kanye West, except where noted.[16]

No.| Title| Writer(s)| Producer(s)| Length

|
|
|
|

1.| "Be (Intro)"|

* Lonnie Lynn
* Kanye West
* Albert Jones

|  | 2:24
2.| "The Corner" (featuring Umar Bin Hassan of the Last Poets)|

* Lynn
* West
* Abiodun Oyewole
* Umar Bin Hassan
* Leon Moore

|  | 3:45
3.| "Go!" (featuring John Mayer and Kanye West)|

* Lynn
* West
* John Mayer
* Linda Lewis

|  | 3:44
4.| "Faithful"|

* Lynn
* West
* DeWayne Julius Rogers

|  | 3:33
5.| "Testify"|

* Lynn
* West
* Angelo Bond
* General Johnson
* Gregory Perry

|  | 2:36
6.| "Love Is…"|

* Lynn
* James Yancey
* Anna Gaye
* Marvin Gaye
* James Nyx
* Elgie Stover

| J Dilla| 4:10
7.| "Chi-City"|

* Lynn
* West
* Eddie Cornelius

|  | 3:27
8.| "The Food" (live)|

* Lynn
* West
* Sam Cooke
* Stanley McKenney
* Eugene Record

|  | 3:36
9.| "Real People"|

* Lynn
* West
* Caesar Frazier

|  | 2:48
10.| "They Say" (featuring Kanye West and John Legend)|

* Lynn
* West
* John Stephens
* Thomas Bell
* Linda Epstein

|  | 3:57
11.| "It's Your World (Part 1 & 2)" (featuring "the Kids")|

* Lynn
* Yancey
* James Poyser
* Karriem Riggins
* Lonnie "Pops" Lynn
* Robert Curington
* Willie Lestor

* J Dilla
* James Poyser[a]
* Karriem Riggins[a]

| 8:33
Total length:| 42:33

### 20th Anniversary Edition (Digital)

[edit]

Be (20th Anniversary Digital Edition)No.| Title| Featured artist(s)| Length

|
|
|

1.| "Be (Intro)"|  | 2:24
2.| "The Corner"| Kanye West, The Last Poets| 3:45
3.| "GO!"| Kanye West, John Mayer| 3:44
4.| "Faithful"| Bilal, John Legend| 3:33
5.| "Testify"|  | 2:36
6.| "Love Is..."|  | 4:10
7.| "Chi-City"|  | 3:27
8.| "The Food (Live)"| Kanye West| 3:36
9.| "Real People"|  | 2:48
10.| "They Say"| Kanye West, John Legend| 3:57
11.| "It's Your World (Part 1 & 2)"| Bilal, Lonnie Lynn| 8:33
12.| "The Corner (Remix)"| Kanye West, The Last Poets, Scarface, Yasiin Bey| 4:14
13.| "The Corner (Last Poet Reprise)"| The Last Poets| 3:47
14.| "GO! (Jazzanova Remix)"| Joy Denalane| 3:46
15.| "The Food (Studio Version)"| Kanye West| 4:19
16.| "So Cool"| Sa-Ra| 4:30
17.| "The Movement"|  | 4:24
18.| "Be (Intro) (Instrumental)"|  | 2:26
19.| "The Corner (Instrumental)"|  | 3:47
20.| "GO! (Instrumental)"|  | 3:46
21.| "Faithful (Instrumental)"|  | 3:35
22.| "Testify (Instrumental)"|  | 2:39
23.| "Love Is... (Instrumental)"|  | 4:12
24.| "Chi-City (Instrumental)"|  | 3:29
25.| "The Food (Instrumental)"|  | 3:39
26.| "Real People (Instrumental)"|  | 2:50
27.| "They Say (Instrumental)"|  | 4:04
28.| "It's Your World (Part 1 & 2) (Instrumental)"|  | 8:34
Total length:| 1:47:18

### 20th Anniversary Edition (Vinyl)

[edit]

The 2×LP translucent yellow marble edition includes the original album on Disc 1 and instrumentals on Disc 2.[49]

Disc 1 – Original AlbumNo.| Title| Featured artist(s)| Length

|
|
|

1.| "Be (Intro)"|  | 2:24
2.| "The Corner"| Kanye West, The Last Poets| 3:45
3.| "GO!"| Kanye West, John Mayer| 3:44
4.| "Faithful"| Bilal, John Legend| 3:33
5.| "Testify"|  | 2:36
6.| "Love Is..."|  | 4:10
7.| "Chi-City"|  | 3:27
8.| "The Food (Live)"| Kanye West| 3:36
9.| "Real People"|  | 2:48
10.| "They Say"| Kanye West, John Legend| 3:57
11.| "It's Your World (Part 1 & 2)"| Bilal, Lonnie Lynn| 8:33

Disc 2 – InstrumentalsNo.| Title| Length

|
|

1.| "Be (Intro) (Instrumental)"| 2:26
2.| "The Corner (Instrumental)"| 3:47
3.| "GO! (Instrumental)"| 3:46
4.| "Faithful (Instrumental)"| 3:35
5.| "Testify (Instrumental)"| 2:39
6.| "Love Is... (Instrumental)"| 4:12
7.| "Chi-City (Instrumental)"| 3:29
8.| "The Food (Instrumental)"| 3:39
9.| "Real People (Instrumental)"| 2:50
10.| "They Say (Instrumental)"| 4:04
11.| "It's Your World (Part 1 & 2) (Instrumental)"| 8:34

Notes

* ^[a] signifies a co-producer.
* "The Corner", "Chi-City" and "The Food (Live)" feature background vocals by Kanye West[16]
* "Go!" features background vocals by John Mayer and Kanye West[16]
* "Faithful" features background vocals by John Legend and Bilal[16]
* "Love Is..." features background vocals by Luna E of Cirius B[16]
* "It's Your World (Part 1 & 2)" features background vocals by Bilal and Mr. Lonnie Lynn[16]

Sample credits

* "Be (Intro)" contains a sample of "Mother Nature", written by Albert Jones.[16]
* "The Corner" contains samples of "You Make the Sun Shine", written by Leon Moore and performed by the Temprees.[16]
* "Go!" contains a sample of "Old Smokey", performed by Linda Lewis.[16]
* "Faithful" contains a sample of "Faithful to the End", performed by D. J. Rogers.[16]
* "Testify" contains a sample of "Innocent Till Proven Guilty", performed by Honey Cone.[16]
* "Love Is..." contains a sample of "God Is Love", performed by Marvin Gaye.[16]
* "Chi-City" contains an interpolation of "Since I Found My Baby", performed by Cornelius Brothers & Sister Rose.[16]
* "The Food" contains samples of "I Never Had It So Good and Felt So Bad", performed by the Chi-Lites; and "Nothing Can Change This Love", performed by Sam Cooke.[16]
* "Real People" contains a sample of "Sweet Children", written by Caesar Frazier.[16]
* "They Say" contains samples of "Ghetto Child", performed by Ahmad Jamal.[16]
* "It's Your World (Part 1 & 2)" contains a sample of "Share What You Got", performed by the Modulations.[16]

## Personnel

[edit]

Credits for Be adapted from AllMusic.[50]

* A-Trak – main personnel, scratching, turntables
* Jason Agel – assistant engineer
* Num Amun-Tehu – main personnel, percussion
* Bilal – guest artist, main personnel, vocals (background)
* Cass Bird – cover photo
* Dave Chappelle – introduction
* Common – executive producer, main personnel, primary artist, rap
* Tom Coyne – mastering
* Darren "ROCK" Darnell – engineer
* Andrew Dawson – engineer, mixing
* J Dilla – audio production
* DJ Dummy – main personnel, scratching, turntables
* Taylor Dow – assistant engineer
* Derrick Dudley – executive producer
* Luna E – main personnel, vocals (background)
* Francis Forde – assistant engineer
* Dawn Haynes – wardrobe
* Frank Hendler – mixing assistant
* Derrick Hodge – bass (acoustic), double bass, main personnel
* Charles Hunt – engineer

* Kids – performer, primary artist
* Anthony Kilhoffer – engineer
* Christian Lantry – photography
* The Last Poets – guest artist, main personnel, primary artist, spoken word
* John Legend – guest artist, main personnel, primary artist, vocals (background)
* Lonnie Lynn – main personnel, poetry, vocals (background)
* Mister Lonnie & the Kids Lynn – vocals (background)
* Manny Marroquin – mixing
* Hulis Mavruk – art direction
* John Mayer – guest artist, main personnel, vocals (background)
* Rick McRae – assistant engineer
* Bob Power – mixing
* James Poyser – audio production, instrumentation, keyboards, main personnel, strings, various instruments
* Karriem Riggins – drums, percussion, producer
* Jared Robbins – mixing assistant
* Steve Tolle – assistant engineer
* Kanye West – audio production, executive producer, guest artist, keyboards, main personnel, primary artist, producer, vocals (background)
* Jared Zastrow – engineer

|

## Charts

[edit]

### Weekly charts

[edit]

| Chart (2005)  | Peak
position

|

Canadian Albums (Billboard)[51] | 10
UK Albums (OCC)[52] | 38
UK R&B Albums (OCC)[53] | 25
US Billboard 200[54] | 2
US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard)[55] | 1
US Top Rap Albums (Billboard)[56] | 1

### Year-end charts

[edit]

| Chart (2005)  | Position

|

US Billboard 200[57] | 90
US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard)[58] | 25

## Certifications

[edit]

Region  | Certification | Certified units/sales

|
|

United Kingdom (BPI)[59] | Silver  | 60,000^
United States (RIAA)[60] | Platinum  | 1,000,000‡

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.
‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

## References

[edit]

1. ^ Draper, Jason (May 24, 2021). "'Be': When Common Returned To His Roots". uDiscover. Retrieved July 15, 2021.
2. ^ a b Robert Dimery; Michael Lydon (2014). 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die: Revised and Updated Edition. Universe. ISBN 978-0-7893-2074-2.
3. ^ Darling, Cary (July 24, 2005). "Stylish hip-hop thrives". Fort Worth Star-Telegram. Retrieved July 15, 2021.
4. ^ Ducker, Jesse (May 22, 2020). "Common's 'Be' Turns 15". Albumism. Retrieved July 15, 2021.
5. ^ a b "MCA, GEFFEN TO MERGE". HITS Daily Double. Retrieved October 9, 2023.
6. ^ "Common Scores First No. 1 On Billboard 200 | Billboard". Billboard. Archived from the original on January 24, 2015. Retrieved December 10, 2014.
7. ^ XXL (December 2007). "Retrospective: XXL Albums". XXL.
8. ^ "Top 150 Hip Hop Albums Of The 2000s". Hip Hop Golden Age. Retrieved December 6, 2021.
9. ^ "The 200 Greatest Hip-Hop Albums of All Time". Rolling Stone. June 7, 2022. Archived from the original on June 8, 2022. Retrieved August 5, 2024.
10. ^ "The 100 Greatest Rap Albums of All Time: Staff List". Billboard. Archived from the original on June 28, 2024. Retrieved August 5, 2024.
11. ^ MOBO Awards tenth anniversary brochure, 2006
12. ^ a b "Resurrection: Common Walks". PopMatters. Archived from the original on May 29, 2016. Retrieved January 30, 2016.
13. ^ Billboard Staff (April 22, 2005). "West Shows Off 'Diamonds' With Jay-Z". Billboard. Retrieved May 29, 2024.
14. ^ Hamilton, Tiffany. "AllHipHop Feature – Common: Invocation". Archived from the original on April 5, 2007. Retrieved April 28, 2007.
15. ^ "Common Interview at SixShot.com". Archived from the original on September 28, 2007. Retrieved April 28, 2007.
16. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r Digital Booklet – Be (Media notes). Common. Geffen Records. 2005. Retrieved December 10, 2017.`{{cite AV media notes}}`: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
17. ^ a b "Reviews for Be by Common". Metacritic. Archived from the original on October 13, 2014. Retrieved December 10, 2014.
18. ^ a b Kellman, Andy. "Be – Common". AllMusic. Archived from the original on December 11, 2014. Retrieved December 10, 2014.
19. ^ a b Greenwald, Andy (June 2005). "Common: Be". Blender (37): 113. Archived from the original on September 30, 2007. Retrieved December 10, 2014.
20. ^ a b Fiore, Raymond (May 23, 2005). "Be". Entertainment Weekly. p. 136\. Archived from the original on May 27, 2005. Retrieved January 19, 2013.
21. ^ a b Lynskey, Dorian (December 9, 2005). "Common, Be". The Guardian. Archived from the original on September 20, 2014. Retrieved December 10, 2014.
22. ^ a b "Common: Be". NME: 64. June 18, 2005.
23. ^ a b Dombal, Ryan (May 31, 2005). "Common: Be". Pitchfork. Archived from the original on November 28, 2014. Retrieved December 10, 2014.
24. ^ a b "Common: Be". Q (228): 114. July 2005.
25. ^ a b Brackett, Nathan (June 2, 2005). "Be". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on January 7, 2015. Retrieved December 10, 2014.
26. ^ a b Hermes, Will (June 2005). "Common: Be". Spin. 21 (6): 102–03\. Archived from the original on May 6, 2016. Retrieved December 31, 2015.
27. ^ a b Simon, Andrew (June 2005). "Common: Be". Vibe. 13 (7): 155–56\. Archived from the original on June 10, 2016. Retrieved December 31, 2015.
28. ^ "Common: Be". XXL. June 2005. Archived from the original on February 28, 2012. Retrieved December 10, 2014.
29. ^ Sanneh, Kelefa (May 25, 2005). "Just What Do Fans Want? A Rapper Ponders His Answer". The New York Times. Retrieved December 10, 2014.
30. ^ Christgau, Robert. "Common: Be". RobertChristgau.com. Archived from the original on January 25, 2016. Retrieved December 10, 2014.
31. ^ "Common, Be (2005) -- 25 Rap Albums From the Past Decade That Deserve Classic Status". Complex. Archived from the original on December 9, 2012. Retrieved December 11, 2012.
32. ^ "Årets beste rock og pop". Aftenposten (in Norwegian). December 21, 2005. Archived from the original on September 27, 2007. Retrieved July 25, 2024.
33. ^ "AllMusic Loves 2005". AllMusic. October 14, 2009. Retrieved July 25, 2024.
34. ^ "Årets album". Dagsavisen (in Norwegian). December 13, 2005. Archived from the original on May 20, 2006. Retrieved July 25, 2024.
35. ^ "Replay 2005 – Top 20 CDs". E! Online. Archived from the original on December 17, 2005. Retrieved July 25, 2024.
36. ^ "Top Albums 1995–2005". Hip-Hop Connection. No. 198\. March 2006. pp. 45–74\. ISSN 1465-4407.
37. ^ "Redaktions-Charts 2005 (Alben)". Laut.de (in German). Archived from the original on October 1, 2007. Retrieved July 25, 2024.
38. ^ "Najbolji albumi 2005. godine". Monitor (in Croatian). Archived from the original on October 11, 2007. Retrieved July 25, 2024.
39. ^ "Årets bästa skivor 2005". Musikbyrån (in Swedish). Archived from the original on September 30, 2007. Retrieved July 25, 2024.
40. ^ "Countdown: the OMM top 100 albums". The Observer. December 18, 2005. Archived from the original on January 11, 2006. Retrieved July 25, 2024.
41. ^ "Best 50 Albums of 2005". PopMatters. December 19, 2005. Archived from the original on December 24, 2005. Retrieved July 25, 2024.
42. ^ "The Best Albums of 2005". Prefix. December 21, 2005. Archived from the original on August 16, 2007. Retrieved July 25, 2024.
43. ^ "The Top 50 Records of 2005". Rolling Stone. No. 990–991\. December 29, 2005 – January 12, 2006. p. 112\. Archived from the original on December 19, 2005. Retrieved July 25, 2024.990–991&rft.pages=112&rft.date=2005-12-29/2006-01-12&rft_id=http://www.rollingstone.com/special/8952414&rfr_id=info:sid/en.wikipedia.org:Be+(Common+album)" class="Z3988">
44. ^ Caramanica, Jon (January 2006). "40 Best Albums of 2005". Spin. Vol. 22, no. 1\. New York. p. 63. Retrieved July 25, 2024 - via Google Books.
45. ^ Christgau, Robert (February 7, 2006). "The 2005 Pazz & Jop Critics Poll". The Village Voice. Archived from the original on August 15, 2013. Retrieved February 13, 2013.
46. ^ "The 97 best of 2005". WOXY.com. Archived from the original on December 6, 2006. Retrieved July 25, 2024.
47. ^ "Rock On The Net: 48th Annual Grammy Awards – 2006". www.rockonthenet.com. Archived from the original on September 30, 2007. Retrieved September 23, 2017.
48. ^ a b "Common's 'Be' Gets 20th Anniversary Edition". uDiscoverMusic. May 23, 2025. Retrieved June 26, 2025.
49. ^ "Common – Be (20th Anniversary Edition) Vinyl". Urban Legends. Retrieved June 26, 2025.
50. ^ Be (Media notes). AllMusic. Archived from the original on March 5, 2016.
51. ^ "Common Chart History (Canadian Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved January 30, 2016.
52. ^ "Common | Artist | Official Charts". UK Albums Chart. Retrieved May 9, 2021.
53. ^ "Official R&B Albums Chart Top 40". Official Charts Company. Retrieved May 9, 2021.
54. ^ "Common Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved January 30, 2016.
55. ^ "Common Chart History (Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved January 30, 2016.
56. ^ "Common Chart History (Top Rap Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved January 30, 2016.
57. ^ "Top Billboard 200 Albums – Year-End 2005". Billboard. Retrieved September 22, 2020.
58. ^ "Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums – Year-End 2005". Billboard. Retrieved September 22, 2020.
59. ^ "British album certifications – Common – Be". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved May 8, 2021.
60. ^ "American album certifications – Common – Be". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved May 29, 2025.

## External links

[edit]

* Be at Metacritic
* "XXL Calls 'Be' a Classic". September 19, 2022.
* "Common Hoping To Get Kanye To Work On His New Album Tentatively Titled "Finding Forever"". Archived from the original on June 28, 2006.

* v
* t
* e

Common

* Discography
* Songs
* Awards and nominations

Studio albums|

* Can I Borrow a Dollar?
* Resurrection
* One Day It'll All Make Sense
* Like Water for Chocolate
* Electric Circus
* Be
* Finding Forever
* Universal Mind Control
* The Dreamer/The Believer
* Nobody's Smiling
* Black America Again
* Let Love
* A Beautiful Revolution Pt. 1
* A Beautiful Revolution Pt. 2
* The Auditorium Vol. 1

Compilations|

* Thisisme Then: The Best of Common
* Cruel Summer (with GOOD Music)

Video games|

* Wanted: Weapons of Fate
* Terminator Salvation

Related articles|

* Cocaine 80s
* August Greene (August Greene)
* GOOD Music
* Soulquarians
* J Dilla
* Kanye West
* No I.D.
* Hell on Wheels
* Bluebird Memories
* Man on the Moon: The End of Day

Authority control databases |

* MusicBrainz release group

|

*[No.]: Number
*[v]: View this template
*[t]: Discuss this template
*[e]: Edit this template