Common Speaks To The Next Generation of Chicago Youth On a New Track With Lil Bibby (Audio)
For more than 2 decades, Common has been Hip-Hop’s Chicago ambassador. From Kanye to Lupe, Common has sought to support not only the MCs from the City of Wind, but Chicago’s youth, generally. So, while some might not expect him to team with Lil Bibby, whose subject matter varies greatly from the themes Common typically covers, the pairing is not strange to those who have seen how the veteran moves with fellow Chicagoans.
Seizing the opportunity on “Speak To Em,” Bibby is deeply reflective on the track, desirous of sharing his learnings but not in a preachy manner. Instead, he gives game to those who want to listen from the perspective of a battle-worn peer. Common maintains the theme but goes back further in the past. He talks of his evolution over time “I was that nigga that rolled up and smacked niggas. Now I yell ‘free Allah, bless the trap niggas.'” In part, he acknowledges the role his generation played in shaping the Chicago youths of today whose violence and aggression against one another has made the city one of the most dangerous in the country. In the end, he reinforces the notion of multigenerational unity with an explicit co-sign of Bibby.
The track will be featured on Lil Bibby’s Free Crack 3, Which will be released on November 27.
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