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- Critic score
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Dec 19, 2011Every song on The Dreamer/The Believer succeeds off the strength of Common and No I.D.'s seasoned chemistry.
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Mar 5, 2012It's a shame the God-bothering pomp of John Legend collaboration "The Believer" spoils it all at the end.
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Feb 2, 2012This isn't an album of 1990's styles brought to 2012 - these are contemporary beats and rhymes that can hang with anything else coming out on the scene
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Jan 26, 2012Based on the strengths of The Dreamer/The Believer, it's simply nice to hear a resurgent Common back on track, doing what he does best, even if he's not the
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Jan 10, 2012For every bit of overcompensation--he actually cracks a bottle over a dude's head in "Raw"--there's something vividly rendered and honest.
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Jan 3, 2012All of the tracks are produced by No I.D., with a fluid, melodic head-bobbing nod to R&B, giving Common plenty of room to weave his dreams.
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Jan 3, 2012The album doesn't really spark until you fold in a few of the harder tracks.
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Jan 3, 2012I spend most of this album confused, disoriented and annoyed, yet as it comes to an end I'm curiously eager to give it one more spin.
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Dec 21, 2011The Dreamer, The Believer reestablishes Common's place in the upper echelon of hip hop.
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Dec 21, 2011The Dreamer/The Believer may be Com's most digestible LP to date.
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Dec 21, 2011He merges his raw lyrical roots with No I.D.'s voluminous soundtrack, resulting in a decent album far more celebratory than his previous work.
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Dec 20, 2011Common can be too, well, common: a nice guy, whose boasts and bromides are too predictable to really inspire.
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Dec 20, 2011He continues to impress and regress.
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Dec 20, 2011This is about as good as a rap album can be while still qualifying as inessential listening.
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Dec 20, 2011Common stands out from the best hip-hop albums of 2011 by doing what he has always done best since the '90s and standing firm in his style.
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Dec 20, 2011It's a passable album of mostly neutral jams and bare-minimum production.
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Dec 20, 2011Together the two vets have created a work that's worthy of some serious recognition.
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Dec 20, 2011Common's latest shows him with his head in the clouds and addressing the same tired crowd with the same speech he's been writing for years.
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Dec 20, 2011The best moments are bathed in a warm radiance that fosters a comforting, uplifting mood.... However, the content isn't exclusively cerebral, uplifting, and/or surreal.
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Dec 19, 2011Between the we-shall-overcome optimism and the get-loose lustiness, Common and No I.D. combine to deliver a knockout track that defines the album.
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Dec 16, 2011That he manages to express such ethical and religious principles without coming across like a sanctimonious buzz-killer is quite remarkable.
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Dec 15, 2011Compared to his earlier work, it's just decent.
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MojoMar 22, 2012The fire is back in his belly. [Apr 2012, p.88]
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Q MagazineMar 14, 2012[Common] delivers something fresh and vibrant by applying his seasoned skills to old-school breaks, classic hooks and a measure of eclecticism. [April 2012, p.104]
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The WireFeb 17, 2012The lyrical intricacy and rhythmic playfulness of old are still there, but an arthritic creakiness creeps in, especially when he indulges in hackneyed poetism and dodgy wordplay. [Feb 2012, p.71]
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Entertainment WeeklyJan 3, 2012Common attacks his ninth album with much intensity. [6 Jan 2012, p.73]
Awards & Rankings
User score distribution:
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Positive: 39 out of 52
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Mixed: 7 out of 52
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Negative: 6 out of 52
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Dec 21, 2011
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Dec 21, 2011
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Jan 9, 2012