SAMPLE SUNDAY----DREAMER EDITION

It has been long----too long.  During this unexpected sabbatical from Sample Sunday (and my blog for the most part), I have still been in tune to hip hop, samples, production, lyricism, you name it.  I guess it is only right for Wisdom to go back to the roots (not The Roots, my favorite hip hop group) and unveil some musical gems for the Wisdom Seeker contingent.  I was excited to see one of the dopest MCs EVER to release his 9th studio album at the end of 2011.  His career is one filled with longevity and creativity, something that few MCs can claim in this industry.

The Dreamer/The Believer is almost a throwback within the realm of hip hop, because it was solely produced by longtime Common collaborater and friend No ID, who happened to be the musical mentor for the incomparable Kanye West.  No ID created a sonic backdrop throughout The Dreamer/The Believer that complimented the expert lyricism of Lonnie Rashid Lynn, Jr.  After the somewhat lukewarm reception for the 2008 release Universal Mind Control (in my humble opinion the worst Common album), I hoped that Common would find his footing again, and be that hungry MC he is known to be.  It happened with The Dreamer/The Believer.  One of the standouts on this dope album is Track 3-----"Blue Sky".



When listening to "Blue Sky", The Beatles-like sample stood out, but knowing how protective the powers that be are of that prized catalog, I had to dig deeper to find out the true source that No ID mined.  Look no closer than "Mr. Blue Sky" (how creative).

"Mr. Blue Sky" is an offering from the 1977 album entitled Out Of The Blue, by English rock group Electric Light Orchestra (hence The Beatles influence).  Jeff Lynne was the mastermind and main creative force behind this spacey, yet orchestral, song. 



At approximately 54 seconds into "Mr. Blue Sky", you can hear the basis for the No ID production.  It serves its purpose very well.  Common floats along with the sample, allowing his metaphoric imagery to invade the senses of the listener.  Common has been very successful painting vivid pictures through his poetry since '92, and he shows no signs of slowing down (ask Mr. Canada Dry himself Drake for proof).  Elecric Light Orchestra enjoyed a very successful run within the rock realm from 1970 through 2001, with various changes in group composition.  As of now, there doesn't appear to be any future releases for the rock outfit, with Zoom being the most recent album in 2001.  Be thankful that No ID culled his vast collection to unearth this sonic gem, bridging the proverbial gap with hip hop and English rock.  It has allowed me the opportunity to locate other joints that Electric Light Orchestra birthed during that golden musical period that was the 1970s.  I hope you are able to enjoy the musicality that both hip hop and rock have, not just on the surface, but on a deeper aural and sensory level. 

KEEP DREAMING, KEEP BELIEVING!

http://www.thinkcommon.com/
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