Common’s Let Love is a hip hop legend’s reflective masterpiece.
Opening with soft piano keys that transition into hard drums, crash cymbals and sauntering keyboards Let Love takes you into the mind of a father and hip hop godfather who seems more focused on making beautiful art than a hip hop statement piece.
Although Let Love likely won’t be Common’s highest selling record or most critically acclaimed, it may be his best record to date. Produced with a trio of jazz specialists—percussionist Karriem Riggins, composer and pianist Samora Pinderhughes, and upright bassist Burniss Earl Travis II it is understand and hypnotic from start to finish.
“Show Me That You Love Me” with Jill Scott is the stand out on the record where Common open’s dialogue with his daughter Omoye. The track references Common’s relationship with singer Erykah Badu who also had a child of similar age to his daughter.
Common’s verse ends powerfully;
Inside I’m sad, dustin’ off my pride
I thought that I did protect and provide, and I’m a father that’s live
What about them rides with you in the backseat?
You tellin’ me if it’s a wack beat, I came to a few track meets
Weekend movies, I got you tickets to Lil’ Uzi
Truly I try, she said
“It’s the things that you didn’t do, not what you did”
It hurt her spirit when she saw me with another woman’s kid
Peeled back and thought, to love her, I gotta listen
Now love and action is the new vision, she said
“Dad, let your actions be your loudest speaker”
And now my daughter is now my teacher, with love
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