Common - Be

By the mid-2000s, Common needed a reset, and Be was it: a lean, focused return to what made him one of Chicago's most respected voices, built largely with fellow Chicagoan Kanye West, who served as executive producer and handled most of the beats at the height of his own rise.

The record moves fast and says a lot. "The Corner" stares down the block with a poet's eye, while "Go!" and "Faithful" show off the warm, soul-driven production that defined West's early work. J Dilla, a longtime collaborator, adds "Love Is..." and closes the album alongside James Poyser and Karriem Riggins on "It's Your World (Part 1 & 2)." At eleven tracks, there isn't a wasted moment.

Be peaked at number two on the Billboard 200, topped the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart and earned four Grammy nominations, including Best Rap Album. It is routinely named among his finest work and has since gone platinum.

This edition presents the album as a double LP on black vinyl, spreading its eleven tracks across four sides.