Food

Common

About 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, DJ Dummy scratches on the song and Dave Chappelle introduces the live version of it. The song was originally performed live on Chappelle's Show on March 3, 2004. This live version is featured on Be, although a studio version does also exist. It received mostly positive acclaim, but was not promoted heavily and did not chart. IGN.com writer Spence D. describes it as a "nice and mild burner that showcases the Chi-town duo's symmetry." Nathan Brackett of Rolling Stone states that it is one of the "hardest-rocking tracks of Common's career." 


Year:
2005
74 
#3

 Watch: New Singing Lesson Videos Can Make Anyone A Great Singer

[Chorus - Kanye West]
I walked in the crib, got two kids
And my baby mama late (uh oh! uh oh! uh oh!)
So I had to did, what I had to did
Cause I had to get (duh-ough! duh-ough! duh-ough!)
I'm up all night, getting my money right
Until the blue and white (po po! po po! po po!)
Now the money coming slow, but a least a nigga know
Slow motion better than (no-oh! no-oh! no-oh!)

[Verse - Common]
You love to hear the story, again and again
About these young brothers, from the City of Wind
Like juice and gin, in the city we blend
Amongst the hustle, titties and skin, fifties and rims
Y'all know the Sprewells and trucks that's detailed
Heartless females that wanna ride in em
Felt the southside venom in raw hides and denim
Pimp minds collide wit em, a system that tries victims
We living in, my man in the fast lane pivoting
On the block white is selling like Eminem
On the block it "Jump Off" like Kim and them
On the block it's hot, you can feel it, in your skin and then
Shorties get the game but no instructions to assembling
Eyes bright, it seems like the fight is dimming them
Call my man cuzo, like I'm kin to him
He trying to stay straight, the streets is bending him

[Chorus]

[Verse - Common]
It's all good in the hood, like raps and gems

Throwbacks and Timbs, blacks and rims
Whether on ball courts, attires of all sorts
We never fall short, wit us it's our Force like And 1's
Some waves, some air guns, the days of the fair one is over for
Cats is colder than four below, wit self I go toe to toe
Wondering if it's for the art or for the doe
Though I know to grow a nigga gotta learn to let go
Though I know the doe I got to bring back to the ghetto
Arrows on Terot cards pointing to the grind
Po' livin in more prisons, pointing to my mind, shine the light up
Clench my fists tight, holding the right up
Freedom fight in dark gear for the years to get brighter
Situations, and jobs get tighter
My man trying to get his weight and height up, c'mon!

[Chorus]

[Bridge - Kanye West]
I - I know I could make it right
If I could just swallow my pride
But I can't run away or put my gun away
You can't front on me
I - no I can't let it ride
No no not tonight
See I can't run away or put my gun away
You can't front on me

[Verse - Common]
I break bread wit thieves and pastors, OG's and masters
Emcees and actors that seize and capture
Moments like the camcorder
You ain't killin it, yo that's man-slaughter
Though paper can't change a man's aura
It can feed a man's daughter
I stand for the blue collar, on the side making a few dollars
Like Sam Jack they maneuver through drama like

[Bridge - repeat 2x]

 Watch: New Singing Lesson Videos Can Make Anyone A Great Singer


Common

Lonnie Rashid Lynn, Jr. (born March 13, 1972), better known by his stage name Common (formerly Common Sense), is an American rapper and actor. more »

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Written by: Lonnie Rashid Lynn, Kanye Omari West, Sam Cooke, Stanley Wayne McKenney, Eugene Record

Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Abkco Music Inc., Warner Chappell Music, Inc.

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind


11 facts about this song

Album
"Food" is featured on Common's sixth studio album titled "Be," which was released in 2005.
Production
The track was produced by Kanye West who also produced the majority of the album.
Sample
"Food" features a sample from "I Never Had It So Good" by The Sylvers, a popular American R&B/Soul group from the 70s.
Live performance
The song is particularly noted for its live performance on "Chappelle's Show," a popular American sketch comedy TV series.
Lyrics
The lyrics delve into various topics such as social issues, personal experiences, and the rapper's love for food and music, keeping in line with Common's reputation for conscious hip hop.
Collaboration
Kanye West also provides the chorus for "Food," resulting in a popular rapper-producer collaboration.
Critical reception
The song, along with the album, received wide critical acclaim for its soulful sound, socially-conscious lyricism, and top-notch production.
Album success
After the release of "Be" featuring "Food," the album peaked at No. 2 on the Billboard 200 and is often regarded as Common's comeback.
Impact
The song has left a significant impact on the hip hop culture, often being cited as a classic example of soul-sampling in hip hop.
Public appreciation
Even though it wasn't released as a single, neither did it chart, "Food" has always been one of the fan-favorite tracks from this highly celebrated album.
Live instrumentation
Like many other songs on the album, "Food" features live instrumentation which was a characteristic style of its producer Kanye West at that time.

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