Common is back in the studio cooking up his next album with producers Kanye West and No I.D., the rapper announced today. He described the project, tentatively titled “The Believer,” as “soulful hip-hop.”
“It’s ‘good’ music,” he said. “The themes are street music and elevation, things that I feel like I always embody when I rap. But here there’s new situations, new solutions.”
As far as production goes, Common says he’s working with No I.D. and Kanye West, both of which have produced a couple of his previous albums — “Be” and “Finding Forever,” “Resurrection” and “One Day It’ll All Make Sense” respectively.
“I’m striving to get it out in the fall,” he said, adding that fans can expect a single by late summer or early fall.
Common is currently promoting his leading role in romantic comedy “Just Wright,” a film in which he plays an NBA player who falls for his physical trainer. He and costar Queen Latifah recorded a song entitled “The Next Time,” produced by Karriem Riggins, that will be featured over its closing credits.
Besides pursuing other acting roles, Common stated that his Chicago-based national nonprofit, the Common Ground Foundation, is taking the front seat for now. “I’m working with Rita Williams and a team of other people empower the youth holistically, mentally, academically, socially, health-wise,” he said. “It shows African American people in such a classic way, in such a beautiful way,” he said, “but appeals to people of all nationalities.”
