While the mainstream rap media may finally be catching up to the genius that is Common Sense, anyone's who kept their ears even slightly close to the fringes of hip-hop knows all about the man behind Ressurection, Like Water For Chocolate, and Electric Circus. Circus, his most recent work, is moreso infamous than legendary though, due to it's complete abandonment of everything that made Common Sense a household name among all those who wore beanies and Pumas through the 90's; inspired by names like Hendrix and Prince instead of ones like Rakim and Big Daddy Kane left Common a backlash that was unheard of, as many of his longtime fans hoped he would return to his roots of raw hip-hop. Because Common, unlike fellow "concious rap" peer Mos Def, cares deeply about his fans' feelings for his records, he quickly annouced he would follow Circus up with a return to what made him semi-famous in his sixth sudio album, B.E.

To be sure B.E was exactly what his fans wanted, Common connected with fellow Chicagoan and current superstar Kanye West to helm his album; West even produced every track outside of two, both of which were handled by Common's old friend and compatriot J Dilla (who has produced the majority of his last two albums). "The Corner" and "The Food" were obvious choices to get back in touch with an underground that barely exists as he once knew it; too bad these were bot h misguided attempts that sound like bad rehashes of past Kanye productions (however, the version of "The Food" performed on the uber-popular "Chappelle's Show" is far superior to this version). Luckliy, Common is not off-track very long, as the title track sounds as powerful as anything Common has ever done, and its jazzy bass intro is the best start of any album this year. "Go" is perfect single material, containing healthy substance for the mind while still being as edible to the masses as any other Com song. He even tackles relationships in "Faithful" and "Testify" in a way he hadn't since the days in which he recorded songs with Lauryn Hill and D'Angelo. Unfortunately, this amazing beginning soon gives way into musical blandness, a charge Kanye West has been accused of before. Thankfully, Com is at the top of his game even with tired production, as songs like "They Say" and "It's Your World/ Pop's Reprise" sound genuinely fresh, even with beats which cannot be described the same way. Whether his producers followed up on his promise, Common certainly delivers a product made specifically for his fans. Luckily, it is also his most accesible, possibly making Common this year's Kanye West.

While Kanye may get trashed for not living up to the standards of NO I.D. or Dilla himself, he still provides enough strong tracks to Com that he can make what may be this year's best hip-hop album so far. Yes, it still has some of the faults of many "concious" albums (such as production that gets mired in the soul it's supposed to be stirring); however, Common also avoids the heavy handed preaching he's practiced before. If it catches on, maybe this album will have been made for more than just his fans.

iPod Worthy: "B.E.", "Testify", "Faithful", "Go", "Love Is", "It's My World/ Pop's Reprise"

Skip 'Em: "The Corner", "The Food"

Overall: 4.5 Out of Six Shots

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