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Common Interview w/ OkayplayerTV

Posted on 10/30/2008
In Episode 7 of OkayplayerTV, Common takes a moment to discuss his new album, Universal Mind Control, what it means to represent Chicago, and being a part of the Soulquarian, okayplayer, and G.O.O.D. Music families. In the second clip,Common expresses his opinions on politics and why he endorses Barack Obama.  Finally, he shares some thoughts on 2002's Electric Circus after being asked about how many fans are just now discovering the album's brilliance.






Once again, thanks to GregTheDude for shooting and editing this edition of OkayplayerTV.

OkayplayerTV Series
Episode 1: Janelle Monae
Episode 2: J*DaVey
Episode 3: The Roots Picnic Webisodes
Episode 4: Pac Div
Episode 5: The Roots
Episode 6: Erykah Badu
Comments (28)add comment
Gilead7: ...
You know what...You have to understand classic rock to understand Electric Circus. See, I was bumpin hip-hop when I was an early teen, but I got tired of it and went way back into the Doors, Beatles, Jimi Hendrix, Pink Floyd, the Who, etc. I eventually got back into hip-hop and started rhyming. I was making beats. Did one called 'Flower Child-Neo Hippie.' Made it within weeks of hearing Electric Circus. I had no idea that he was gonna do that on that record. As soon as I saw the cover, it clicked. And when I heard it, I saw exactly where he was going. That lick on 'Electric Wire...', that's from Status Quo's 'Pictures of Matchstick Men,' That cover is a Sargent Pepper's Bite. I'm like, I remember this (cus Sargent Pepper's was my favorite Beatles album)! When I heard Aquarius, I was taken back as well, it sounded like some Doors/Phil Ochs/Peter, Paul and Mary shit, not to mention the chorus sounds just like the 5th Dimension. That Neptunes shit was dope. You can't hear the music of that period without being changed.

Pick up what I did with some of these same ideas (well, aside from Flower Child-Neo Hippie I was on some Celtic shit by the time the label dropped it, so it's more of that than the rock shit) on my 1st record The Darkroom:

http://sphereofhiphop.myshopify.com/products/gilead7-the-darkroom

http://www.myspace.com/gilead7
1

April 19, 2009 - 06:21:00 PM
Bigg Mo: ...
Fully Agree with 2lani... It is sad to see the great pillars of Hip Hop succumbing to this new so called electrified sound. Lack of creativity. Q-Tip gets much respect from me for his latest offering. It is within his known style but he made the effort of making it dynamic and in synch with today's trends if not surpassing them in some instances. I suggest the Okayplayer folks take a leaf from this. In my opinion, all the Okayplayer members can achieve lifetime achievement AWARDS only if they don't conform to standards - U sang/ wrote and freestyled about being different THEN...Y change NOW??!!!

BRING IT BACK!!!!
2

February 20, 2009 - 04:29:48 AM
2lani-Mix: ...
I have great respect for Common and a true fan but i must say electric circus
should have been released as mixtape not a major album project. Effort was poor even though the concept to reinvent himself is profound.
He drifted too far from a familiar sound only D'angelo got it right with Voodoo to reach deeper than the norm.
Common has expanded his fan base across the world since the release
of Like water for chocolate. When i bought the album at CD warehouse
Sandton South Africa the were 4 dudes listining to Common's
like water for chocolate all imported discs i was lucky to find a last copy and it was encouraging to sample the album as i had just bought Slum-Village fantastic vol 2.
With the release of E.C .He lost his new found fan base and damage
control was done with the release of BE which if it had another 5 tracks on it
would have been his best album. Its not value for money when you buy an albums that are
less than 65mins long its a rip off period. I recommend the following producers to
ressurect Common's jazz conscouis groove. Vidal davis, Adre Harris,
,Dwele. Rapheal Saadiq,J-Rawls, Erykah badu, Omar,Pete Rock, Eric Robertson, Davina ,Roy hargroove,use a beat from J-Dilla beats, Dr Dre Colaborations - it would be cool to feat N.dambi,Floetry,
Platinum pied pipers,Ledisi,Qtip ,Vinia Mojica, Talip kweli,Mike phillips, Alecia keys done before its too late.
3

February 20, 2009 - 02:32:22 AM
Teboho Moshoeshoe: ...
Common is the Voice of Hip Hop no doubt!!!
4

January 21, 2009 - 07:27:37 AM
rbgwarrior: ...
fuck electric circus and universal mind control! he was doin fine by growin up from ressurection to one day it'll all make sense to like water for chocalate to be to finding forever! i'm a com fan too, but i'm willing to admit when he don't drop dope shit....e.c & u.m.c ain't dope!!!

ps. thats why he already talkin about the new one(forgot title?)
5

January 19, 2009 - 06:51:50 PM
Glad to See: ...
Com's growth in realizing that Electric Circus was a classic and bold and fresh to death move in a stale fishbowl of music. I still bump it! It is all over the place in a great way! More so called MCs should be more bold in their musical choices. It's okay to step outside the formula(the club banger, the bedroom banger, etc) and create your own formula for your OWN project for a change. I listened to him listen to his naysayers when EC dropped and shook my damned head like "Why this cat lettin them dictate what's fresh?" Heads get it..your fanbase rode and will ride because dude is talented. I appreciate his presence in the game..it's needed! Music is supposed to inspire..how come we ain't gettin no higher?
6

December 22, 2008 - 02:40:29 PM
daeniel: ...
TOLD YA SO! hahaha. Electric Circus, my friends, was the foreshadow to the future.
7

November 27, 2008 - 04:23:07 PM
Chicagowriter: ...
Big Up Rashied!!! Whatever he drop, I'ma cop! Get it?! However BE is definitely his best album since Resurrection, because it is so seamless!! No songs that I could do without! ALL DOPE!!!! And that UMC....so PLANET ROCK!!!! Stay up Com!
8

November 21, 2008 - 08:33:31 AM
dub 34: ...
LIKE WATER and BE were hip-hop classics. EC very far from it in my opinion, but hey "if i dont like I dont like it that dont mean that Im hatin"
9

November 20, 2008 - 01:28:43 PM
leelee: ...
i am glad that he talks about Electric circus....i t was a great and it is tru..ppl look back on it now and say..you no what that shit wasnt so bad.......i dunno if im feelin what he has pu tout now...but as we have seen with artists these days you gotta explore every part of the spectrum....much love common...do yur thing!!!!!
10

November 15, 2008 - 10:41:15 PM
Soultapes: ...
E.C was the truth. Mary J. Prince. Pharrell. Sterolab. Mojica,I mean are you serious. I remember when that album came out I was blown away.
11

November 13, 2008 - 09:51:14 PM
CB3: ...
I'm glad to see Common's grown up. I remember always thinkin' he was the freshest mc but was often bothered by his sexist, homophobic, almost racist lyrics on his first joint "Can I borrow...". He's definitely addressed this since and has become not only a force on the mic, but also an open-minded, inclusive poet.

Big up Common for always growing and not being scared to show a vulnerable side.
12

November 13, 2008 - 11:00:14 AM
Harlem2g53: ...
Too many folks slept on and are still sleeping on Electric Circus. This album is a masterpiece. I'm glad to hear Common's comments on it.
13

November 10, 2008 - 04:06:32 PM
vaughn terrell ll: ...
Big ups to Common on staying true to the hip hop game for years.Common's music help is a inspiration to all generations,and many more to come.Common made me feel good coming out of chicago,because we always knew that there was some great artist coming out of Chicago.STAND UP WORLD AND CHICAGO REAL HIP HOP IS ALIVE PLEASE UNDERSTAND THIS AMERICA....
14

November 08, 2008 - 05:26:32 PM
The Def: ...
Man... Electric Circus. In 2002 I wasn't ready for this kinda stuff. Honestly I was wonderin' what to do with the Cd, cos listening seemed impossible.
In 2003 I was on my way home from somwhere and it happened to be that the only Cd left in the car I was drivin was EC. Better than radio was what I thought. Better than everything was what I thought after the first run through the album.
I dunno what changed, I guess it was me. Now I still think it's Common's best joint. After that moment my understanding of music was different.
Keep doin stuff like that!
15

November 06, 2008 - 03:31:29 PM
creole soul rebel: ...
i love common... he gives all people the feel of "light" with true hip hop... he is genuine and very educated. he is a poet and emcee. he has all the characters a emcee needs to be successful. i love everything from "can i borrow a dollar?" to "finding forever." thank you common for being my light.
16

November 05, 2008 - 08:05:18 PM
I Are Conscious: ...
Hmmmmmmm
17

November 04, 2008 - 04:40:21 AM
Dee Dizzle From The LA Fizzle: ...
I like Common, he speaks like not just a emcee/actor or dude in the industry but as a genuine person, I always will admire that..Electric Circus was sick, I just remember zoning out after tearing off the shrink wrap to the cd, and hearing vinia mojica on the intro, and on to soul power, and on, and just hearing the album all the way thru, the album was magical..Aint mad at em for UMC, still want to hear that joint, and then THE BELIEVER...Oh, I was just wonderin if Com has any rare tracks or throwbacks that he didnt throw into electric cirus? I heard questo had some instros that didnt make it? Maybe we can hear something in the near future, 2012? A deluxe edition on EC..that would be ill...Peace
18

November 03, 2008 - 09:55:57 PM
Johnny Boy: ...
I enjoyed EC, I think as an artist you have to explore. There was some brilliance and sometimes it went too far for some. Every great artists pushes the envelope - Depeche mode, Prince, Tribe called guest,Madonna, and a lot of old skool cats. Keep pushin on Common. Turks and Caicos forever!
19

November 02, 2008 - 04:41:00 PM
black mikado: ...
Always felt like EC was one of his best albums lyrically. I have been on that since day one and the Cool Kids bump hard son, big ups. Common is a legend.
20

November 02, 2008 - 08:46:55 AM
psssh: ...
should have asked him how bill gates is doin and how many times hes gonna have to say "I a am a pc" in his next video!!
21

November 01, 2008 - 01:27:47 AM
DDDemonte: ...
Still in rotation. E.C.
22

October 31, 2008 - 06:41:28 PM
Gianni Cash: ...
Electric Circus is one of my favorite albums. some of those songs are classics specially aquarius, new wave, star 69, electric wire. Its always dope when artist can show some diversity within the spectrum. Not to mention i love the cover! it was fun seeing who everybody was.

G.
23

October 31, 2008 - 04:30:15 PM
lonnielynn2: ...
i was wondering why i loved E.C so much and everyone hated it back then.. I guess i was ahead on my time.....catch up ninjas!
24

October 31, 2008 - 08:19:57 AM
Joel the Guitar Playa: ...
Greg The Dude is the truth to infinite!! And I guess Common is cool too ;)
25

October 30, 2008 - 11:24:47 PM
Ill Prophet: ...
Mos definitely appreciated. Rock steady

myspace.com/illprophetic
26

October 30, 2008 - 07:46:19 PM
Mika Muyo: ...
Greg, as usual you do the damn thing. Much love

_Tamika
27

October 30, 2008 - 03:59:32 PM
djseano: ...
greg the dude is the truth - thanx player
28

October 30, 2008 - 03:48:18 PM

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