With all of the recent buzz surrounding young Windy City talent and Kanye West, its easy to forget about the incredible contributions that Common has made to the Chicago and its hip hop scene. However, his twenty year long resume, countless classic tracks, and number one albums make it impossible to not pay attention to him when  he speaks, rightfully so. 2014 already has had a number of high profile releases confirmed, which has everyone in the rap world excited; now, Mr. Sense himself is throwing his hat into the ring, promising to make this one of his best years musically.

Titled, Nobody Smiling, Common hopes to tackle many of the issues plaguing the Second City, especially the rampant gun violence. The tragic and horrific conditions that breeds the violence and keeps the drug machine churning, leaves one with little positive prospects, hence the lack of smiling. It seems like a narrative that will allow Common to exploit his vast wisdom and lyrical ability, and teaming up with his longtime collaborator, producer No ID should excite fans everywhere. You can here him speak about the album to Revolt down below.

No ID also gave fans their first taste of what they can expect from the project, with the brand new track: “War”. It is a high octane, revolutionary song that brings the terrible plight of  some youths in Chicago to everyone’s attention. If the entire album sounds like this, we will be in for an thrilling and enlightening journey that will cause a lot of self-reflection and reexamination of the current state of political and social structures.

Jimi (@Nativejimi)