Compared to Eminem’s remarkable but wearying Campaign Speech, the song Black America Again is rap’s outstanding call to arms of election month. There’s a comforting 90s feel to its parent album, with the return of Common’s producer, NoID, and several hat-tips to fellow vets such as Public Enemycorrect and Tribe, but the lyrics are all America 2016. Although there’s no hit to rival the Selma soundtrack epic, Glory, and a reunion with its vocalist John Legend is the worst of furrowed-brow, gluten-free beat poetry, this is intelligent, impressive work, breaking down . Common may still struggle to be heard outside the echo chamber, but perhaps it doesn’t matter when it’s this sumptuously upholstered.
