Common lightens up with new "Summer" album

Reuters, Apr 30, 2008 8:34 pm PDT
Common's upcoming album is shaping up to be an electro-tinged departure from the Chicago rapper's previous lyric-driven releases.

"I created this music for the summer time, it's about feeling good," Common told Billboard.com during a recent preview of tracks appearing on "Invincible Summer." "This is the type of music I felt was missing from my body of work."

"Invincible Summer," Common's eighth album, is tentatively scheduled for a mid-July release. The high-energy track "Universal Mind Control (U.M.C.)" is likely be the first single, due by the end of May.

The Neptunes and Outkast producer Mr. DJ produced the album. Kanye West, who helmed the production on Common's last LP, 2007's "Finding Forever," did not contribute any tracks this time around. (That album has sold 549,000 units to date, according to Nielsen SoundScan).

"Kanye was focusing on his 'Glow in the Dark' show, so he hasn't been able to make it to the studio to weigh in," Common said. "But it worked out well, organically. The Neptunes & Mr. DJ came up with a fresh sound for me."

"Invincible Summer" features techno-inspired drums on "Universal Mind Control (U.M.C.)," spongy futuristic chords on "Make My Day" featuring Cee-Lo, and fuzzy kazoos on "Punch Love."

Common, currently in theaters with the Keanu Reeves cop drama "Street Kings," co-stars with Angelina Jolie and James McAvoy in the summer thriller "Wanted."

Reuters/Billboard

More Artist News

Big Boi, readying a solo album, drops into SXSW

Mar 19, 2009 5:00 pm PDT

Big Boi is bouncing on the sidewalk. He is pumped. The 34-year-old Atlanta rapper and half of the duo OutKast, has for the first time come to South by Southwest, the annual music conference and festival. In an interview on a downtown Aust...

Outkast to release three records next year

Nov 14, 2008 3:00 pm PST

Outkast are set to release three new albums next year. The duo plan on putting out each of their solo efforts first before regrouping to release an Outkast record later in 2009. Speaking to MTV News, Big Boi said he's planning on getting...

Andre 3000 to play Sammy Davis Jr. in film

Jun 8, 2007 1:00 pm PDT

OutKast's Andre 3000 is apparently confirmed to be playing Sammy Davis Jr. in an upcoming biopic documenting the Rat Pack star's relationship with the actress Kim Novak. Reported by the Kansas City Star, the movie Sammy And Kim will be ba...

OutKast's Big Boi teams up with ballet

May 2, 2007 1:00 pm PDT

OutKast's Big Boi is set to perform an onstage collaboration with the Atlanta Ballet Company. The rapper will perform at the opening of the ballet's new season between April 10-13, 2008. Although only a few details are forthcoming, it is...

OutKast takes creative risk with movie

Aug 24, 2006 11:19 am PDT

OutKast has long been considered a groundbreaking force, their funkadelic sound, rapid-fire rhyming and decidedly Southern flair breathing excitement into a repetitious music world and making them one of the most popular acts in the world....

Photos

Loading...
View All Photos »

Videos

1-6 of 22 videos
Prev | Next
View All Videos »