Articles tagged "common"

The PopMatters Summer 2009 Movie Preview Feature

Summer of Same: May 2009

by Bill Gibron

[27.Apr.09] :. May's titles include the fourth films in two aging franchises, more Pixar perfection, and the reboot of a TV series from 40 years ago. And they say there are no new ideas.

The PopMatters Summer 2009 Movie Preview

 

Music Review

Various Artists: Dillanthology Vol. 1

by Andrew Martin

[31.Mar.09] :. Although it offers nothing new, this is a fine introductory piece for new or unacquainted J Dilla listeners.

Recent Music reviews

 

News

Hip-hop star is an un-Common artistAudra D.S. Burch

by Audra D.S. Burch [McClatchy Newspapers (MCT)]

[27.Mar.09] :. Well before the government declared the country to be in recession, Common - the Chicago hip-hop artist - was already chronicling its pain. He took pen to paper, offering a synthesized,...

PopWire

 

Film Feature

Superheroes Versus Comics

by shathley Q

[27.Jan.09] :. There can be no doubt that the summer of 2008 stands as a high-water mark for superheroes. But in the wake of a superhero renaissance and the growing cultural legitimacy of the genre, the question must be posed: Has the superhero genre evolved beyond the comics medium?

Recent features

 

PopMatters Picks: The Best Music of 2008 Feature

The Best Albums of 2008

by PopMatters Staff

[19.Dec.08] :. PopMatters presents our 60 best albums of 2008, highlighted by the return of British trip-hop legends and some infectious American indie rock by way of the Cascade Mountains.

PopMatters Picks: The Best Music of 2008

 

Music Review

Common: Universal Mind Control

by Thomas Hauner

[16.Dec.08] :. Pharrell and his Neptunes exert a svengali-like control over the record, helping Common release his most contrived and banal album to date.

Recent Music reviews

 

The Best Hip-Hop of 2008

by Quentin B. Huff

[12.Dec.08] :. A return to the mic nine years in the making, a hip-hop supergroup of sorts, and Tom Waits beatboxing: this year's top-shelf hip-hop is equal parts anticipation, teamwork, and wha?!

 
Featured Article

Short Ends and Leader

Wanted, and the Art of Ass-Kicking Self Actualization

by Bill Gibron

[1.Dec.08] :. Screw Abraham Maslow! According to this so-called philosopher, the route to self-actualization - you know, the ultimate realization of one’s own value and worth within the context of social and...

Short Ends and Leader

 

Wanted

by Cynthia Fuchs

[27.Jun.08] :. Angelina Jolie has evolved. As of Wanted, she is no longer merely mortal, but her own sublime creature.

 
Featured Article

Short Ends and Leader

Wanted: The Fight Matrix Club

by Bill Gibron

[23.Jun.08] :. Hollywood is notorious for repeating ideas. When something is successful, you can guarantee studio suits are desperate to find a way of copying it. With this Friday’s release of Wanted,...

Short Ends and Leader

 

The Roots, in new album, tangle with the big issues

by Dan Deluca [The Philadelphia Inquirer (MCT)]

[1.May.08] :. The Philadelphia band the Roots has always made socially aware, stylistically varied music that’s kept it on the leading edge of left-of-center hip-hop. But the collective led by drummer Ahmir...

 

The Roots: Rising Down

by Zeth Lundy

[29.Apr.08] :. Eighth studio album from Philly's legendary hip-hop crew, a minor-key rush of synthesizer-heavy vamps and distrustful rhymes, features cameos from Mos Def, Talib Kweli and more.

 

The Return of the Popcorn Circus: June 2008

by Bill Gibron

[29.Apr.08] :. If May almost tent-poled itself out of existence, June will be even worse. After all, are audiences really ready for 13 major release in less than two months -- with more to come?

 

Common: Thisisme Then

by Dave Heaton

[27.Nov.07] :. Herein lies another industry rule. Record companies count on us to buy the same music (at least) twice.

 

American Gangster

by Cynthia Fuchs

[2.Nov.07] :. As much as American Gangster loves Frank's intelligence and charisma, it must also condemn his criminality.

 

Common: Finding Forever

by Jeff Vrabel

[30.Jul.07] :. As good as Finding Forever is -- and it's very good -- it's hard to imagine it vaulting Common into superstar status. It's the curse of being sly and thoughtful.

 

Smokin Aces (2006)

by Cynthia Fuchs

[26.Jan.07] :. Smokin' Aces mashes together at least four movies, with all plots and characters spinning around a Vegas card trickster.

 

Dave Chappelles Block Party (2006)

by Dante A. Ciampaglia

[3.Mar.06] :. Block Party sustains a balance between good-natured light-heartedness social commentary.

 

Common: Be

by Mark Anthony Neal

[31.May.05] :. Electric Circus pushed the boundaries of hip-hop -- a psychedelic trip to hip-hop's great beyond -- Be just finds a world-wide Common back home standing on the corner. But you can't go home again and no matter how much he wishes, the Common of Can I Borrow a Dollar? is not the same Common of Be -- and thank God for that.

 

Common: Like Water for Chocolate

by Marc L. Hill

[17.Mar.04] :. When the opportunity to write about my favorite album was first presented to me, I immediately started rummaging through my mental catalogue of classic hip-hop, jazz, R&B, reggae, and soul...

 

Common: Electric Circus

by Mark Anthony Neal

[10.Jan.03] :. So here’s the burden—you’ve been heralded as this generation’s Celebrity Gramscian. You know, the kind of brotha given to counter hegemonic flossin’ in OneWorld...

 

Common: Like Water For Chocolate

by Colin Ross

[27.Mar.00] :. Who is the greatest MC of all-time? Invariably the reply to this question would be one of the following: Tupac, Biggie, Nas or Jay-Z. However, in a world where both Biggie and Tupac are dead, and...