Be (album)
Encyclopedia
Critical response
QQ (magazine)
Q is a popular music magazine published monthly in the United Kingdom.Founders Mark Ellen and David Hepworth were dismayed by the music press of the time, which they felt was ignoring a generation of older music buyers who were buying CDs — then still a new technology...
considers Be to be Common's best album. Common's lyrics on Be earned him the Lyricist of the Year award at the 2006 BET Hip Hop Awards
BET Hip Hop Awards
The BET Hip Hop Awards are an annual awards show, airing on BET, showcasing hip hop performers, producers and music video directors. The awards ceremony began in 2006, was held on November 12, 2006 at the Fox Theatre in Atlanta, Georgia, was first aired November 15 and was hosted by comedian Katt...
.
Grammy Nominations
Be was nominated for four 2006 Grammy Awards:- Best Rap AlbumGrammy Award for Best Rap AlbumThe Grammy Award for Best Rap Album is an award presented to recording artists for quality albums with rapping at the Grammy Awards, a ceremony that was established in 1958 and originally called the Gramophone Awards...
, for Be
- Best Rap Performance by a Duo or GroupGrammy Award for Best Rap Performance by a Duo or GroupThe Grammy Award for Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group was awarded between 1991 and 2011, alongside the Grammy Award for Best Rap Solo Performance. Previously a single award was presented for Best Rap Performance....
, for "The Corner" (featuring The Last Poets) (from Be)
- Best Rap/Sung CollaborationGrammy Award for Best Rap/Sung CollaborationThe Grammy Award for Best Rap/Sung Collaboration is an honor presented at the Grammy Awards, a ceremony that was established in 1958 and originally called the Gramophone Awards, to recording artists for quality songs on which rappers and singers collaborate...
, for "They Say" (featuring Kanye WestKanye WestKanye Omari West is an American rapper, singer, and record producer. West first rose to fame as a producer for Roc-A-Fella Records, where he eventually achieved recognition for his work on Jay-Z's album The Blueprint, as well as hit singles for musical artists including Alicia Keys, Ludacris, and...
and John LegendJohn LegendJohn Roger Stephens , better known by his stage name John Legend, is an American singer, musician, and actor. He is the recipient of nine Grammy Awards, and in 2007, he received the special Starlight award from the Songwriters Hall of Fame.Prior to the release of his debut album, Stephens' career...
) (from Be)
- Best Rap SongGrammy Award for Best Rap SongThe Grammy Award for Best Rap Song was first awarded in 2004. It is a songwriting award given to all who wrote the lyrics and music of the song. Years reflect the year in which the Grammy Awards were presented, for works released in the previous year...
, for writing "Testify" (from Be)
Track listing
| # | Title | Songwriters | Producer(s) | Featured performer(s) | Sample | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | "Be (Intro)" | L. Lynn K. West J. Poyser |
Kanye West Kanye West Kanye Omari West is an American rapper, singer, and record producer. West first rose to fame as a producer for Roc-A-Fella Records, where he eventually achieved recognition for his work on Jay-Z's album The Blueprint, as well as hit singles for musical artists including Alicia Keys, Ludacris, and... |
J. Poyser James Poyser James Poyser in Sheffield, England is a multi-Grammy winning songwriter, musician and multi-platinum producer.Poyser has written and produced songs for various legendary and award-winning artists including Erykah Badu, Mariah Carey, John Legend, Lauryn Hill, Common, Anthony Hamilton, D'Angelo,... (keyboards) D. Hodge Derrick Hodge Derrick Hodge is an American bassist, composer, and music producer. He is also the founder of Son of Knowledge Music and Son of Knowledge Entertainment.- Biography :... (acoustic bass) |
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2:24 |
| 2 | "The Corner The Corner (song) "The Corner" is the second single released by rapper Common on his sixth album, Be. It features a chorus and production by Kanye West as well as spoken word lyrics by The Last Poets. The song's lyrics deal with street corners in poor neighborhoods. The song's beat contains samples from "You Make... " |
L. Lynn K. West A. Oyewole Abiodun Oyewole Abiodun Oyewole , is a poet, teacher and founding member of the American music and spoken-word group The Last Poets that developed into what is considered the first ever hip hop group.... U. Hassan Umar Bin Hassan Umar Bin Hassan is an African-American poet associated with The Last Poets. He sold his younger sister's record player to purchase a bus ticket to New York City, where he joined the Last Poets... L. Moore |
Kanye West | Kanye West Kanye West Kanye Omari West is an American rapper, singer, and record producer. West first rose to fame as a producer for Roc-A-Fella Records, where he eventually achieved recognition for his work on Jay-Z's album The Blueprint, as well as hit singles for musical artists including Alicia Keys, Ludacris, and... The Last Poets The Last Poets The Last Poets is a group of poets and musicians who arose from the late 1960s African American civil rights movement's black nationalist thread... |
The Temptations The Temptations is an American vocal group having achieved fame as one of the most successful acts to record for Motown Records. The group's repertoire has included, at various times during its five-decade career, R&B, doo-wop, funk, disco, soul, and adult contemporary music.Formed in Detroit,... |
3:45 |
| 3 | "Go!" | L. Lynn K. West J. Mayer L. Lewis |
Kanye West | J. Mayer John Mayer John Clayton Mayer is an American pop rock and blues rock musician, singer-songwriter, recording artist, and music producer. Born in Bridgeport, Connecticut and raised in Fairfield, Connecticut, he attended Berklee College of Music in Boston. He moved to Atlanta in 1997, where he refined his... Kanye West Kanye West Kanye Omari West is an American rapper, singer, and record producer. West first rose to fame as a producer for Roc-A-Fella Records, where he eventually achieved recognition for his work on Jay-Z's album The Blueprint, as well as hit singles for musical artists including Alicia Keys, Ludacris, and... DJ A-Trak (scratches) N. Amuntehu (percussion) |
Linda Lewis Linda Lewis is an English vocalist, songwriter and Guitarist. Lewis is the oldest of six children two of whom also had singing careers... |
3:44 |
| 4 | "Faithful Faithful (Common song) "Faithful" is the fifth and final single from rapper Common's sixth album Be. It is produced by Kanye West, who samples DJ Rogers' "Faithful to the End" for the song's beat. The sample was recreated by percussionist Ken Lewis. The song also features keyboard playing by James Poyser as well as guest... " |
L. Lynn K. West D. Rogers |
Kanye West | Bilal Bilal (musician) Bilal Sayeed Oliver , better known by his stage name Bilal, is an American neo soul/jazz singer-songwriter, musician and producer. He is also a core member of the loose collective, the Soulquarians. Bilal started out by singing in small clubs until he began classical training in jazz and big-band... J. Legend John Legend John Roger Stephens , better known by his stage name John Legend, is an American singer, musician, and actor. He is the recipient of nine Grammy Awards, and in 2007, he received the special Starlight award from the Songwriters Hall of Fame.Prior to the release of his debut album, Stephens' career... J. Poyser (keyboards) K. Lewis (sample recreation) |
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3:33 |
| 5 | "Testify Testify (Common song) "Testify" is the fourth single from rapper Common's 2005 album Be. Clocking in at just above two and a half minutes, it is the second shortest track on Be . It is produced by Kanye West, whose beat heavily utilizes vocal samples from "Innocent Til Proven Guilty" by Honey Cone. Spence D... " |
L. Lynn K. West A. Bond G. Johnson G. Perry |
Kanye West |
Honey Cone Honey Cone was an American R&B and soul all girl vocal group, who are best remembered for their Billboard #1 hit single, "Want Ads". They were the premier female group for Hot Wax Records, operated by Holland–Dozier–Holland after they had departed from Motown Records.-Career:Honey Cone comprised... |
2:36 | |
| 6 | "Love Is..." | L. Lynn J. Yancey A. Gaye M. Gaye J. Nyx E. Stover |
J Dilla J Dilla James Dewitt Yancey , better known by the stage names J Dilla and Jay Dee, was an American record producer who emerged from the mid-1990s underground hip hop scene in Detroit, Michigan... |
Luna E J. Poyser (all instruments) |
Marvin Gaye Marvin Pentz Gay, Jr. , better known by his stage name Marvin Gaye, was an American singer-songwriter and musician with a three-octave vocal range.... |
4:10 |
| 7 | "Chi-City" | L. Lynn K. West E. Cornelius |
Kanye West | Kanye West Kanye West Kanye Omari West is an American rapper, singer, and record producer. West first rose to fame as a producer for Roc-A-Fella Records, where he eventually achieved recognition for his work on Jay-Z's album The Blueprint, as well as hit singles for musical artists including Alicia Keys, Ludacris, and... DJ A-Trak (scratches) DJ Dummy (scratches) |
Cornelius Brothers & Sister Rose Cornelius Brothers & Sister Rose was a family soul singing group from Dania Beach, Florida, that attained brief popularity in the early 1970s. The original members were the siblings Carter Cornelius, Eddie Cornelius, and Rose Cornelius. Another sister, Billie Jo Cornelius, was added later... |
3:27 |
| 8 | "The Food The Food "The Food" is the first single by rapper Common released on his sixth album Be. Kanye West appears on the song's chorus and also produces the track. West samples "I Never Had It So Good" by The Chi-Lites and interpolates "Nothing Can Change This Love" by Sam Cooke for the song's beat. In addition,... (Live)" |
L. Lynn K. West S. Cooke S. McKenney E. Record Eugene Record Eugene Record was the American lead vocalist of the Chicago, Illinois based band, The Chi-Lites, during the 1960s and 1970s.He was born Eugene Booker Record in Chicago... |
Kanye West | Kanye West Kanye West Kanye Omari West is an American rapper, singer, and record producer. West first rose to fame as a producer for Roc-A-Fella Records, where he eventually achieved recognition for his work on Jay-Z's album The Blueprint, as well as hit singles for musical artists including Alicia Keys, Ludacris, and... DJ Dummy (scratches) |
The Chi-Lites The Chi-Lites are a Chicago-based smooth soul vocal quartet from the early 1970s, one of the few from the period not to come from Memphis or Philadelphia... Sam Cooke Samuel Cook, , better known under the stage name Sam Cooke, was an American gospel, R&B, soul, and pop singer, songwriter, and entrepreneur. He is considered to be one of the pioneers and founders of soul music. He is commonly known as the King of Soul for his distinctive vocal abilities and... |
3:36 |
| 9 | "Real People" | L. Lynn K. West C. Frazier |
Kanye West |
|
2:48 | |
| 10 | "They Say" | L. Lynn K. West J. Stephens T. Bell Thom Bell Thomas Randolph "Thom" Bell is an American songwriter and producer, best known as one of the creators of the Philadelphia style of soul music in the 1970s. He moved to Philadelphia as a child.-Biography:... L. Epstein |
Kanye West | John Legend John Legend John Roger Stephens , better known by his stage name John Legend, is an American singer, musician, and actor. He is the recipient of nine Grammy Awards, and in 2007, he received the special Starlight award from the Songwriters Hall of Fame.Prior to the release of his debut album, Stephens' career... Kanye West Kanye West Kanye Omari West is an American rapper, singer, and record producer. West first rose to fame as a producer for Roc-A-Fella Records, where he eventually achieved recognition for his work on Jay-Z's album The Blueprint, as well as hit singles for musical artists including Alicia Keys, Ludacris, and... |
Ahmad Jamal Ahmad Jamal is an innovative and influential American jazz pianist, composer, and educator. According to Stanley Crouch, Jamal is second in importance in the development of jazz after 1945 only to Charlie Parker... Stanley Turrentine Stanley William Turrentine, also known as "Mr. T" or "The Sugar Man", was an American jazz tenor saxophonist.-Biography:Turrentine was born in Pittsburgh's Hill District into a musical family... |
3:57 |
| 11 | "It's Your World (Part 1 & 2)" | L. Lynn J. Yancey J. Poyser K. Riggins L. Lynn R. Curington W. Lestor |
J Dilla J Dilla James Dewitt Yancey , better known by the stage names J Dilla and Jay Dee, was an American record producer who emerged from the mid-1990s underground hip hop scene in Detroit, Michigan... James Poyser (co) Karriem Riggins Karriem Riggins Karriem Riggins is a jazz drummer, hip hop producer, dj, and sometime rapper. He is a former member of the Ray Brown Trio and Mulgrew Miller trio and currently appears in the Diana Krall quartet.... (co) |
Bilal L. Lynn Lonnie Lynn Lonnie Lynn, nicknamed "Pops" , is a retired American basketball player.At 6'7" and 215 lb, he was a forward and played basketball at DuSable High School on Chicago's south side before moving on to Wilberforce University and Upper Iowa University.Lynn was drafted by the St... "The Kids" K. West (keyboards) J. Poyser (keyboards and strings) K. Riggins (percussion) |
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8:33 |
Charts
| Chart (2005) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Canadian Albums Chart Canadian Albums Chart The Canadian Albums Chart is the official album sales chart in Canada. It is compiled every Wednesday by U.S.-based music sales tracking company Nielsen Soundscan, and published every Thursday by Jam! Canoe and Billboard, along with its sister charts the Canadian Singles Chart and the Canadian BDS... |
1 |
| U.S. Billboard 200 Billboard 200 The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists... |
2 |
| U.S. Billboard Top R&B/Hip Hop Albums | 1 |
| U.S. Billboard Top Rap Albums | 1 |
Singles
| Year | Single | Chart | Position |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2005 | "GO!" | Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles and Tracks | 31 |
| Hot Rap Tracks | 21 | ||
| The Billboard Hot 100 | 79 | ||
| "Testify" | Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles and Tracks | 44 | |
| "The Corner" | Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles and Tracks | 42 |
(*) designates lists that are unordered.
Accolades
The information regarding accolades attributed to Be is adapted from AcclaimedMusic.net.| Publication | Country | Accolade | Year | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aftenposten Aftenposten Aftenposten is Norway's largest newspaper. It retook this position in 2010, taking it from the tabloid Verdens Gang which had been the largest newspaper for several decades. It is based in Oslo. The morning edition, which is distributed across all of Norway, had a circulation of 250,179 in 2007... |
Norway Norway Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million... |
Albums of the Year | 2005 | #18 |
| Allmusic | USA | Albums of the Year | 2005 | * |
| Amazon.com Amazon.com Amazon.com, Inc. is a multinational electronic commerce company headquartered in Seattle, Washington, United States. It is the world's largest online retailer. Amazon has separate websites for the following countries: United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Japan, and... |
USA | Albums of the Year | 2005 | #37 |
| Associated Press Associated Press The Associated Press is an American news agency. The AP is a cooperative owned by its contributing newspapers, radio and television stations in the United States, which both contribute stories to the AP and use material written by its staff journalists... |
USA | Albums of the Year | 2005 | #7 |
| B92 B92 B92 is a radio and television broadcaster with national coverage headquartered in Belgrade, Serbia. The network's key demographic is chiefly urban and young audience. Its programs, including the news cover topics with fairly liberal political painted attitudes... |
Serbia Serbia Serbia , officially the Republic of Serbia , is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeast Europe, covering the southern part of the Carpathian basin and the central part of the Balkans... |
Albums of the Year | 2005 | #7 |
| Billboard Billboard (magazine) Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis... |
USA | Albums of the Year | 2005 | #5 |
| Dagbladet Dagbladet Dagbladet is Norway's second largest tabloid newspaper, and the third largest newspaper overall with a circulation of 105,255 copies in 2009, 18,128 papers less than in 2008. The editor in chief is Lars Helle.... |
Norway | Albums of the Year | 2005 | #13 |
| Dagsavisen Dagsavisen Dagsavisen is a daily newspaper published in Oslo, Norway. The former party organ of the Norwegian Labour Party, the ties loosened over time from 1975 to 1999, and it is now fully independent... |
Norway | Albums of the Year | 2005 | #18 |
| E! E! E! Entertainment Television is an American basic cable and satellite television network, owned by NBCUniversal. It features entertainment-related programming, reality television, feature films and occasionally series and specials unrelated to the entertainment industry.E! has an audience reach of... Online |
USA | Albums of the Year | 2005 | #17 |
| Expressen Expressen Expressen is one of two nationwide evening tabloid newspapers in Sweden, the other being Aftonbladet. Expressen was founded in 1944; its symbol is a wasp and slogans "it stings" or "Expressen to your rescue", always on the reader's side.... |
Sweden Sweden Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund.... |
Albums of the Year | 2005 | #17 |
| Go-Mag | Spain Spain Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula... |
Albums of the Year | 2005 | #17 |
| H Magazine | Spain | Albums of the Year | 2005 | * |
| HARP HARP (magazine) Harp was a print and online magazine that provided in-depth information on current music, mainly the adult album alternative genre, which encompasses a large variety of music... |
USA | Albums of the Year | 2005 | #33 |
| Hip Hop Connection Hip Hop Connection Hip Hop Connection is the longest running monthly periodical devoted entirely to hip hop culture. HHC has earned international recognition and was described by Chuck D as "the best magazine in the world".-History:... |
UK | The 100 Greatest Rap Albums 1995-2005 | 2005 | #69 |
| Iguana | Spain | Albums of the Year | 2005 | #3 |
| Laut | Germany Germany Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate... |
Albums of the Year | 2005 | #42 |
| Monitor | Croatia Croatia Croatia , officially the Republic of Croatia , is a unitary democratic parliamentary republic in Europe at the crossroads of the Mitteleuropa, the Balkans, and the Mediterranean. Its capital and largest city is Zagreb. The country is divided into 20 counties and the city of Zagreb. Croatia covers ... |
Albums of the Year | 2005 | #34 |
| Musik-Express/Sounds | Germany | Albums of the Year | 2005 | #36 |
| Musikbyrån | Sweden | Albums of the Year | 2005 | #12 |
| Natt & Dagg | Norway | Albums of the Year | 2005 | #14 |
| OOR | Netherlands Netherlands The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders... |
Albums of the Year | 2005 | #12 |
| People.com People (magazine) In 1998, the magazine introduced a version targeted at teens called Teen People. However, on July 27, 2006, the company announced it would shut down publication of Teen People immediately. The last issue to be released was scheduled for September 2006. Subscribers to this magazine received... |
USA | Albums of the Year | 2005 | * |
| Piccadilly Records | UK | Albums of the Year | 2005 | #4 |
| PopMatters PopMatters PopMatters is an international webzine of cultural criticism that covers many aspects of popular culture. PopMatters publishes reviews, interviews, and detailed essays on most cultural products and expressions in areas such as music, television, films, books, video games, comics, sports, theater,... |
USA | Albums of the Year | 2005 | #12 |
| prefix Magazine | USA | Albums of the Year | 2005 | #19 |
| Pure Pop | Mexico Mexico The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of... |
Albums of the Year | 2005 | #5 |
| Q Q (magazine) Q is a popular music magazine published monthly in the United Kingdom.Founders Mark Ellen and David Hepworth were dismayed by the music press of the time, which they felt was ignoring a generation of older music buyers who were buying CDs — then still a new technology... |
USA | Albums of the Year | 2005 | #42 |
| Rock de Lux | Spain | Albums of the Year | 2005 | #9 |
| Rolling Stone Rolling Stone Rolling Stone is a US-based magazine devoted to music, liberal politics, and popular culture that is published every two weeks. Rolling Stone was founded in San Francisco in 1967 by Jann Wenner and music critic Ralph J... |
USA | Albums of the Year | 2005 | #21 |
| Spex Spex (magazine) Spex is a prominent German rock and pop culture magazine located in Berlin, Germany. Besides music news, Spex also covers literature, cinema, fashion and contemporary social trends... |
Germany | Albums of the Year | 2005 | #12 |
| Spin Spin (magazine) Spin is a music magazine founded in 1985 by publisher Bob Guccione Jr.-History:In its early years, the magazine was noted for its broad music coverage with an emphasis on college-oriented rock music and on the ongoing emergence of hip-hop. The magazine was eclectic and bold, if sometimes haphazard... |
USA | Albums of the Year | 2005 | #17 |
| The Observer The Observer The Observer is a British newspaper, published on Sundays. In the same place on the political spectrum as its daily sister paper The Guardian, which acquired it in 1993, it takes a liberal or social democratic line on most issues. It is the world's oldest Sunday newspaper.-Origins:The first issue,... |
UK | Albums of the Year | 2005 | #25 |
| The Village Voice The Village Voice The Village Voice is a free weekly newspaper and news and features website in New York City that features investigative articles, analysis of current affairs and culture, arts and music coverage, and events listings for New York City... |
USA | Albums of the Year | 2005 | #15 |
| URB | USA | Albums of the Year | 2005 | * |
| Vibe | USA | Albums of the Year | 2005 | * |
| WOXY WOXY (internet radio) WOXY.com was an alternative, independent, and freeform rock and roll radio station based in Austin, Texas. WOXY.com relied mainly on its own website to reach its listeners... |
USA | Albums of the Year | 2005 | #58 |
| Zundfunk | Germany | Albums of the Year | 2005 | #22 |
Unused Tracks
- So Cool (produced by Sa-RaSa-RaSa-Ra is a hip-hop group based in Los Angeles, California, also known by its full name, The Sa-Ra Creative Partners. The group is composed of Om'Mas Keith, Taz Arnold, and Shafiq Husayn...
) appears on the import version of the album. - My Way Home (produced by Kanye WestKanye WestKanye Omari West is an American rapper, singer, and record producer. West first rose to fame as a producer for Roc-A-Fella Records, where he eventually achieved recognition for his work on Jay-Z's album The Blueprint, as well as hit singles for musical artists including Alicia Keys, Ludacris, and...
) appears as a CommonCommon (rapper)Lonnie Rashid Lynn, Jr. , better known by his stage name Common , is an American hip-hop artist and actor....
solo track on Kanye West's album Late RegistrationLate RegistrationLate Registration is the second studio album by American hip hop artist Kanye West, released August 30, 2005, on Roc-A-Fella Records. Recording sessions for the album took place over the course of a year at various recording studios located in New York City and Hollywood...
. - Be (Intro) (produced by J DillaJ DillaJames Dewitt Yancey , better known by the stage names J Dilla and Jay Dee, was an American record producer who emerged from the mid-1990s underground hip hop scene in Detroit, Michigan...
) appears on the mixtape Laced With Gems by DJ Eves. - Pimpin' (produced by J DillaJ DillaJames Dewitt Yancey , better known by the stage names J Dilla and Jay Dee, was an American record producer who emerged from the mid-1990s underground hip hop scene in Detroit, Michigan...
) appears on the mixtape Laced With Gems by DJ Eves.