Nobody’s Smiling is defiant, as full of commanding musicality as it is of Common’s own provocation. Of his recent output, it deserves to be the most touted since that 2005 darling.
Artistically, it’s a new and deeply concentrated side of the veteran MC we haven’t seen and, as a result, it comes off as one of his best albums yet.
Sounds dangerously like a genuine hip-hop album.
On Nobody’s Smiling, a rejuvenated Common returns to the war-torn streets of Southside Chicago as a wise and focused veteran.
While not flawlessly executed, Common arguably regains some of the relevance he may have lost from his last couple of albums with the focus of Nobody's Smiling.
Fervent throughout, Common deals out some of his hardest and heaviest rhymes.
Nobody's Smiling is one of Common's most personal records in quite some time, reflecting on the ups and downs of his relationship with producer No I.D. and meditating on the loss of J Dilla.
Nobody’s Smiling is a well-rounded discourse on gang violence and inner city plight in Chicago that translates to almost every urban city in America. It is a triumph for conscious rap in a city that could use more self-awareness.
Nobody’s Smiling—a Common record in 2014 about Chicago’s gun violence problem—falls deep into that trap, turning in a collection of mostly forgettable tracks that tries far too hard and has little to show for it.
2 notable things about this album:
1. The whole album is produced by No I.D., who also did the beats for 2 of his best albums, as well as some classic Common songs outside of that.
2. Nobody's Smiling is arguably the closest Common got to a full concept album. Most tracks here are related to the dilapidated conditions in his hometown of Chicago. On some tracks he talks about street stories and the points of view of criminals, and on others he's talking about all the violence and drug ... read more
Ooooh, now I'll tell you something, guys: this is some good shit right here. No ID and Common coming together again over some sensational sounds, grooves, and moods. So far, this is my favorite post-Be project from Common yet. The features on this thing are stellar, too - I never thought I'd see a G Herbo x Common collab in my life. But Jhene brings some pretty soul and Vince brings some bleak, hard-hitting minimalist bars, and Big Sean exists. And the Dilla-tribute Rewind That might be one of ... read more
Common just doesn't have his greatest performance here. Beats hit and miss as well. Ideas are there but executed poorly.
1 | The Neighborhood 3:58 feat. G Herbo, Cocaine 80s | 59 |
2 | No Fear 3:12 | 49 |
3 | Diamonds 3:53 feat. Big Sean | 53 |
4 | Blak Majik 3:19 feat. Jhené Aiko | 48 |
5 | Speak My Piece 3:51 | 47 |
6 | Hustle Harder 3:58 feat. Snoh Aalegra, Dreezy | 42 |
7 | Nobody's Smiling 4:16 feat. Malik Yusef | 43 |
8 | Real 3:22 feat. Elijah Blake | 52 |
9 | Kingdom 6:32 feat. Vince Staples | 65 |
10 | Rewind That 5:21 | 79 |
#14 | / | Vibe |
#91 | / | Wondering Sound |
/ | HipHopDX |