First video off the new Common Market album, Tobacco Road
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Common Market – Tobacco Road
September 21, 2008
Recently I heard about this group Common Market who hail from Seattle, Washington. Now this a city more famous for it’s Grunge Rock’n’Roll than it’s Hip Hop but emcee RA Scion and producer Sabzi(of Blue Scholars fame) look set to change that.
The album Tobacco Road came out on September 9 on Massline records which is also Blue Scholars label. Now myself being familiar with the work of Blue Scholars previously thought it would be well worth checking out these guys.
It kicks off with the sound of a preacher talking about finding no greater happiness in life than by doing God’s work. The second track Trouble Is kicks in with sliding organ sounds and fast paced rhymes by RA Scion who talks about trying to get labels to promote and distribute their release. The following track Gol’ Dust is an anthem like number which goes into not everything that glitters being gold and how we are judged in the next life by what we do in this one. Slow Cure is more laid back with a nice little loop running through it while the rhymes again explore living with morals and sets the scene for most of the album’s subject matter. The chorus borrows lines from De La Soul and Mos Def’s Big Brother beat.
The next track to catch my attention is Winter Takes All which is about striving for positivity amongst self doubt and trying to offer advice despite sometimes losing faith in the goodness of others. It also goes into finding inspiration for rhyming. This is one of the best tracks on the album and the production from Sabzi really compliments RA Scion’s delivery. Track 9 Weather Vane goes into soul searching and trying to find positivity while using the image of the seasons to illustrate positivity and depression in the struggle to provide for your family in an often unpredictable world. The natural and political environment is also the common theme through the next track 40 Acres.
The following song Spits is curiously titled since there is no rhyming whatsoever and it is a strange little instrumental which sounds somewhere between The Clash and Pink Floyd. Distorted Guitars panning back and forth behind a dub beat. My favourite track on the album follows this Nina Sings featuring Funklove it has the best chorus of any on the release in my pinion and the rhymes talk about people’s stories. The trend flowing through the album is all about living life right and striving for positivity amongst the struggles of life. This is again reiterated in the two final tracks Swell and the title number Tobacco Road.
The Crucible which is the only one to feature Geologic of Blue Scholars was also on the Soundtrack to Pineapple Express which I have yet to check out but have heard good reports about.
Overall the production of this album is of top quality and the lyrics are complex enough to require several listens to digest. If you like your Hip Hop laced with positivity and nice samples then this would be a great pick up. I for one am definitely going to have to check out their back catologue with their self titled debut album from 2005 and an EP called Black Patch War being released on May 20 this year. This one gets my vote for one of the freshest and best releases of the year so far.
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