This is one of my favorite Hiphop albums for so many different reasons, but I just want to share what I remember the day I bought this on CD.
Something interesting happened. I was living with my AML fam off Old Bergen Rd in Jersey City, New Jersey. I had a couple things to do earlier that day, but I couldn't wait to put my headphones on, close my eyes, lay down and listen. That was my ritual when listening to anticipated new albums. Sometime that evening, I finally got a chance to listen.
I pressed play and I LOVED everything I was hearing - The rhythms, the beats, the soul, the rhymes, the freedom, the blackness ✊🏾 When I got to "The Light ", I was excited cause I almost immediately recognized THAT was the beat Common was listening to when I had met him on a flight from Detroit to Newark July 1999! In the same moment, I opened my eyes and the electricity went off in our apartment and in the whole neighborhood. Still not sure why the electricity went out, but it was a crazy moment.
To this day, this is still my fav album from Common. Plus it had DILLA, Slum, Cee Lo, D'Angelo, Mos Def, DJ Premier and alot of my other favorites on here too. This album made me even watch the original international film it got it's name from so I could have a better understand of what the phrase Like Water For Chocolate meant. I enjoyed the original movie too.
About to listen to this album again now.