‘Blue Sky’: The song Common labelled “that good music”
Common is one of the sharpest lyricists in hip-hop and although his conscious music may not be for everyone, he has an undeniable way with words. His songs may not be designed for the club and most probably aren’t suitable for radio. However, his willingness to collaborate with other Chicago natives shone a light on figures like Kanye West, who otherwise may not have succeeded.
Over the years, Common has released some quality hip-hop but has disappointed his fans at times with his experimentation. Common’s 2005 album, Be, which was executively produced by Kanye West, was a huge hit with his followers. On the other hand, his eighth studio album, Universal Mind Control, with its futuristic production, confused many.
In 2011, Common teamed up with Chicago legend No I.D. to release his ninth album, The Dreamer/The Believer, which, surprisingly, entered the top 20 of the Billboard 200 and created some buzz. One track that caused a fair amount of controversy was ‘Sweet,’ on which the lyricist began singing. Many believed it was targeted at Drake.
Furthermore, a year after the song’s release, on ‘Stay Schemin’, a track from Rick Ross’s Rich Forever mixtape, Common addressed Drake directly, rapping, “I’m taking too long with this amateur guy. You ain’t wet nobody, n****, you Canada Dry.”
Irrespective of this confrontational sideshow, The Dreamer/The Believer was a fantastic project, and one song that Common loved from his project was ‘Blue Sky’, the third track on the album.
The No I.D.-produced single makes use of the 1977 Electric Light Orchestra song ‘Mr. Blue Sky’ and in an interview with The Boombox magazine, Common spoke about the positivity behind the track.
Opening up about his reaction to the instrumental upon hearing it for the first time, Common recalled, “I really liked the song when we made it. After myself and No I.D. [talked], he was like, ‘Man, this song is really a song that can appeal to a mass audience. But you’re still being Common. You’re talking about fulfilling a dream, having hope and being inspiring.'”
Common explained how the original ELO song inspired the theme of the song concerning reaching for your dreams. Remembering how the 1977 song guided his lyrics, the lyricist told The Boombox, “I was like, ‘What do I think about when I think of a blue sky?’ When I see a blue sky, that means it’s going to be a good day, and I started thinking about my dreams and saying, ‘Look, this is what I come from to what I’m achieving, and I want to achieve more. It’s truly a journey.”
While speaking with DJ Reflex on Power 106 radio, Common insisted that it’s just good music, asserting, “It’s that good hip-hop, that good music. When you hook up with No I.D. and the type of producer that he is, he can do all types of things, but I think that the best you’ll get out of us [together] is the essence of hip-hop.”