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Universal Mind Control
by Common
The rapper's eighth album features Pharrell Williams, Cee-Lo Green, and Kanye West as guests.
| LABEL: |
Geffen |
| RELEASE DATE: |
09 December 2008 |
| DISCS: |
1 disc |
| GENRE(S): |
Rap |
All critic scores are converted to a 100-point scale. If a critic does not indicate a score, we assign a score based on the general impression given by the text of the review. Learn more...
80
Uncut
Tough and determinedly sexed-up, here you'll find talk of beefs, booty and bitches, rather than brotherhood. Producers Neptunes and OutKast's Mr DJ oversee this exercise in alluringly moderne hip hop. [Oct 2008, p.83]
80
The Guardian
His eighth LP is most compelling where these themes collide, such as on 'Punch Drunk Love,' where the salacious production meets its match in imaginative innuendos.
72
Filter
It's both disjointed and jarring, but it's unlike anything the Chicago legend has done before. Drop your booty if you enjoy such things. If not, try and appreciate those who do. [Holiday 2008, p.91]
70
Spin
While we're used to Common in the role of poetic prophet or self-righteous rhyme slayer, Universal Mind Control is primarily a rhythmic celebration, paying tribute to Afrika Bambaataa and Jonzun Crew jams.
63
Los Angeles Times
Too much of Universal Mind Control falls conceptually flat.
60
Rolling Stone
Huh? A Common album without a soul-jazz opener? Well, rap's deep thinker wanted to make club bangers. So he got the Neptunes to shape this sexed-up set.
60
Billboard
As was the case with John Legend, who beamed into the club on his latest, the initial effect is jarring, even in its star's capable hands. But it also settles in nicely.
60
Dot Music
His flow remains arguably one of the greatest out there; it would just be nice for him to have a bit more faith in his own mind, rather than those of our uber-producers.
60
Prefix Magazine
We're approaching the dead of winter and are in the middle of a recession, and Universal Mind Control isn't helping.
60
Mojo
The first side's carnal workouts are muscular of beat, but let down by Common's awkward dirty-talk....The more 'conscious' ssecond half plays better. [Feb 2009, p.106]
58
The Onion (A.V. Club)
On his eighth solo album, Common stops trying to save the world and uplift the human spirit, and gets in touch with his inner freak, with results that are often more bewildering than sexy.
55
RapReviews.com
[comon] managed to record a whole ten scenes, I mean tracks, over the course of the year, and at least three of them are listenable.
53
Paste Magazine
Common’s inability to sound sincere about a man he spent two years championing is the most telling part of this consciously shallow caricature of hip-hop’s dregs.
50
Entertainment Weekly
Universal Mind Control seems to move Common backward instead of forward, which for a lyricist of his caliber is truly disappointing.
50
All Music Guide
Common's here to have a good time, no strings attached, with uneven results.
50
Hartford Courant
Universal Mind Control gets stuck in the same rut as so many other booty-jam records do: It's not all that memorable.
40
Boston Globe
Not many of the Neptunes' beats really challenge Common, and his rhymes seem uncharacteristically empty.
40
Slant Magazine
Although Universal Mind Control represents a serious step backward from the successes of his recent projects with Kanye, it would be remiss to say the album is the death knell for Common's career or that he has fallen off in any significant way.
40
The New York Times
It’s a blatant mismatch, Mr. Williams’s blunt-force id with Common’s casual gravity. The Neptunes, who produce seven of the 10 songs here, treat Common as an obstacle to be worked around, which, in fairness, he is.
40
Blender
The MC turns largely to the Neptunes for music, and their lithe, bombastic space-porno sonatas provide a vitality and playfulness he’s still capable of matching. But a string of increasingly awkward and thoroughly ludicrous sex jams finds him slapping asses, and may leave his devotees smacking their foreheads.
40
Vibe
In fact, the flair that is championed on most Common albums is absent, leaving a vapid display of good ideas with unenthused delivery. This nonchalance has placed Universal Mind Control’s release, regardless of its intentions, in poor form, doing little for progressing Common’s ability.
40
NOW Magazine
So there’s no shortage of sick beats, but Common’s decision to dumb down his rhymes to a rude and rudimentary level comes off horribly crass at best and at worst downright embarrassing.
40
Under The Radar
He is a mimic of fine abilities, but he has always sounded like whatever group he’s glommed onto.
30
Sputnikmusic
Universal Mind Control is offensively bad.
30
PopMatters
Pharrell and his Neptunes exert a svengali-like control over the record helping Common release his most contrived and banal album to date.
28
Pitchfork
Universal Mind Control is a painful misstep from a talented rapper who's decided to be as nasty as he wants to be--which turns out to be much, much nastier than we'd like.
The average user rating for this album is 6.5 (out of 10) based on 11 User Votes
Note: User votes are NOT included in the Metascore calculation.
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