Despite sharing its name with the 1989 Laura Esquivel novel, Common’s Like Water For Chocolate is a collection of consciousness whose afrocentric theme makes it a classic.

Released on March 28 of 2000, the album is a trophy to the conscious hip hop scene, which showcases Common’s ability to flip from being boastful to storytelling. With Dilla, DJ Premier, and D’Angelo holding down the production, its soulful instrumentals allowed it to be a blueprint to any conscious album produced.

From questioning the ability of his competition to telling the story of a pimp and his women, the Chicago rapper hit a wide array of topics.

In the songs “Heat,” “Cold Blooded,” and “Dooinit,” Common doesn’t hold back on his ability to deliver and voice his disapproval of his competition. Shifting gears to the art of story telling, Common used his imagination to depict love, self-motives and success in songs like “The Light,” “Questions,” and “Nag Champa (Afrodisac for the World).”

Though Common is known as a conscious artist, Like Water For Chocolate was one of his best projects. Its soulful production backed the poetry in his rhymes, making it an example of how all conscious hip-hop albums should be.

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