By The Hip Hop Writer
Hip Hop Vibe Staff Writer
In many ways, Common has been compared to Nas throughout his career. Since the 1990s, hip hop has been more about commercial appeal and less about the issues of the world. As hip hop shifted to the “bling bling” era, Common and Nas were two of the few rappers still willing to speak on the issues. With so much in common, many often wished Common and Nas would collaborate.
Both rappers had spent nearly twenty years in the rap game, yet they had never collaborated. This would all change when Common prepared to release The Dreamer, The Believer. Common recruited Nas for the lead single, “Ghetto Dreams.” For longtime hip hop fans, the collaboration was a dream come true, as Common and Nas began making appearances together.
Last year, Common released his long-awaited comeback album and this year it is Nas’ turn. The Queens emcee recently released the third single from his much-discussed Life is Good album, “Daughters,” which has been met with critical acclaim. While critics were impressed with Nas’ narrative about his daughter sending riqsue photos to a man in prison, his daughter’s mother was not.
Common has stepped into Nas’ defense, saying hip hop is all about speaking on the issues one is going through. The Chicago rapper went on to say he feels hip hop should be personal, citing Marvin Gaye writing an entire album about his ex-wife and said the listeners may be going through the same thing. Throughout his career, Common has also rapped about personal subjects, leading to the women in his life calling him out, also.
