Common Finding Forever Grade: C

After a name shortening (from Common Sense to Common), six albums and 15 years in the industry as an "alternative" rapper, Finding Forever could be the cultivation of Chicago's Common. But it's not. \nAll the elements of a classic are here: superb production by Kanye West (who produced pretty much all of 2005's Be) and Will.i.am plus guest vocal appearances by the sensual Lilly Allen and the always-smooth D'Angelo. Common himself is on top of his game -- his rhythmic delivery contrasts well with the aforementioned jazzy production.\nYet the album doesn't bring anything new to the table or to Common's career. Be was a comeback album of sorts, after the '60s psychedelic-inspired Electric Circus alienated some listeners. On Finding Forever, we find Common content with his career one ladder rung from the top.\n"Start the Show" and "The People" get the album started and are the strongest tracks musically. "Start the Show" would have a much better impact on the listener if it opened the album (instead the album starts with a one-minute intro that should have been scrapped). "The People" is infectious and jazzy, reminiscent of '70s soul music that has been updated for the hip-hop generation. Common turned in an impressive live performance of this song with a live band on "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno" last week.\n"Drivin' Me Wild" is the album's most disappointing track. It plays like an excuse to get Lilly Allen on the album. Allen's falsetto is primarily used in the chorus, and in the background of Common's flows about those women he just can't understand. \nCommon is at his best lyrically toward the middle of the album. On "The Game," Common explains his path through the rap industry using a boxing metaphor. "They try to box me in like Cassius Clay/Hey I'm like Muhammad when he fasted/opposing the fascist." Flexing his high-culture muscle, Common compares himself to literary icon James Baldwin on "Southside."\nStill, this is all familiar territory. If you want Common at his very best, download 1994's Resurrection. Better yet, fans of alternative underground rap should wait until Tailb Kweli's Eardrum drops August 21.