Wise guys
Chicago MC and Bronx beat-master team up for inspired mature rap LP. By Stevie Chick.
Common knowledge:
Lonnie Rashid Lynn (left) and Pete Rock come of age with a warm, joyful and nostalgic set.
Monaris
Common & Pete Rock
★★★★
The Auditorium Vol. 1
LOMA VISTA. CD/DL/LP
FOR CAREER LONGEVITY, productivity and consistency alone, few in hip-hop can match Lonnie Rashid Lynn, AKA Common. In the early ’90s, as the genre was engulfed by bloody East Coast/West Coast beefs, he rose from the Midwest as Chicago’s conscious-rap standard bearer. He’s played many roles – activist, lover man, eclectic soulquarian, guardian of hip-hop’s integrity – always bringing a humble ‘Everyman’ wisdom to bear.