October 4, 1994: Chicago’s own Common Sense released Resurrection, his second studio album, on Relativity Records. Thirty-two years later, it’s still the record a lot of heads reach for when they explain why Common belongs in the conversation with the best lyricists of his era.
What It Was
Resurrection was produced mostly by No I.D., the Chicago producer who also handled most of Common’s 1992 debut, Can I Borrow a Dollar? The Twilite Tone and Ynot contributed too. According to Wikipedia, it was recorded at Battery Studios in Chicago, and it was the last album released under the full name Common Sense. The sound leaned on jazz loops and boom-bap drums, with influences from the Native Tongues and the Last Poets, as Albumism points out.
Standout Tracks
The lead single, “I Used to Love H.E.R.,” came out September 27, 1994. Built on a George Benson sample, it tells the story of hip hop as a woman Common grew up loving, then watched change as the culture chased gangsta rap and commercial success. It’s one of the most quoted concept records ever made, and it reached No. 31 on Billboard’s Hot Rap Singles chart.
Beyond that, the title track (the second single, released in April 1995), “Book of Life,” “Nuthin’ to Do” and “Chapter 13 (Rich Man vs. Poor Man)” with Ynot show a young MC getting sharper and more reflective with every verse.
Charts, Reviews and the Ice Cube Beef
Commercially, it started small. The album peaked at No. 179 on the Billboard 200. The Source gave it 3.5 mics at first, then named it one of its 100 Best Rap Albums in 1998. Pitchfork later scored it an 8.7.
“I Used to Love H.E.R.” also started a war. Ice Cube took it as a shot at the West Coast, Westside Connection answered with “Westside Slaughterhouse,” and Common fired back with “The Bitch in Yoo.” The two eventually made peace at a gathering hosted by Louis Farrakhan.
Run the Full Album
Here’s Resurrection front to back, via YouTube Music.
The Legacy
Resurrection helped put Chicago hip hop on the national map and set up the career that followed: Soulquarian classics, Grammys and an Oscar. The Common and No I.D. partnership also ran straight into the next generation. Kanye West referenced the album on “Homecoming,” his own love letter to Chicago.
Where does it rank for you? Is Resurrection Common’s best album, or does Like Water for Chocolate or Be take it? If you’ve ever argued about the GOAT conversation, Common deserves a seat at that table.
