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“Like Water for Chocolate” is the fourth studio album by Common, released on March 28, 2000, through MCA Records, his first album for a major label.
The story
Sessions ran through 1999 and 2000 at Electric Lady Studios in New York and a studio in Dearborn Heights, Michigan. The recordings are often cited as the formal starting point of the Soulquarians, the loose collective of Questlove, J Dilla, James Poyser, D’Angelo and others. Questlove served as executive producer, with Common and Derek Dudley as co-executive producers. The cover uses Gordon Parks’ 1956 photograph of a young Black woman drinking from a segregated fountain, underlining the album’s socially conscious themes.
Sound and production
J Dilla handled a large share of the beats, joined by Questlove, DJ Premier, D’Angelo, James Poyser and Karriem Riggins. The result blends warm, live-feeling soul and jazz textures with Dilla’s loose, off-kilter drums across a nearly 78-minute running time.
Legacy
The album opened with about 70,000 copies sold, peaked at No. 16 on the Billboard 200 and No. 5 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart, and was certified gold by the RIAA in August 2000. Singles included “The 6th Sense” and “The Light,” which earned a Grammy nomination for Best Rap Solo Performance. It appears in the book 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die and on Pitchfork’s list of the top albums of the 2000s.
Tracklist & credits
- 1Time Travelin' (A Tribute To Fela)Prod. D'Angelo, James Poyser, Jay Dee, ?uestlove, The Soulquarian's6:37
- 2HeatProd. Jay Dee, The Soulquarian's3:41
- 3Cold BloodedProd. D'Angelo, Kelo, ?uestlove, The Roots, The Soulquarian's4:58
- 4DooinitProd. Jay Dee, The Soulquarian's3:37
- 5The LightProd. Jay Dee, The Soulquarian's4:21
- 6Funky For YouProd. James Poyser, Jay Dee, The Soulquarian's5:55
- 7The QuestionsProd. James Poyser, Jay Dee, The Soulquarian's4:09
- 8Time Travelin' RepriseProd. D'Angelo, James Poyser, Jay Dee, ?uestlove, The Soulquarian's1:33
- 9The 6th SenseProd. DJ Premier5:19
- 10A Film Called (Pimp)Prod. Jay Dee, The Soulquarian's6:05
- 11Nag Champa (Afrodisiac For The World)Prod. Jay Dee, The Soulquarian's5:10
- 12TheloniusProd. Jay Dee, The Soulquarian's4:41
- 13Payback Is A GrandmotherProd. Jay Dee, The Soulquarian's4:30
- 14Geto Heaven Part TwoProd. D'Angelo, James Poyser, ?uestlove, The Soulquarian's, God5:18
- 15A Song For AssataProd. James Poyser, The Soulquarian's6:48
- 16Pops Rap III... All My ChildrenProd. Karriem Riggins5:09
Tracklist and producer credits: Discogs. Gear credits: Breakbeat Archive, sourced on each credit.
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Released March 28, 2000. More from hip hop in 2000.