Bleep

“Music to go with a movement”; that’s how Common thinks of A Beautiful Revolution. It’s easy to overlook Common’s enormous impact on hip-hop, and this LP comes off as his most ambitious and clear-minded release yet, packing the run-time with gorgeously laid-back neo-funk instrumentals — backed by an all-star band featuring Robert Glasper, Karriem Riggins and PJ — and urgent bars exploring the resonances of injustice brought upon Black Americans. ‘Say Peace’ pulls it off with a swaggering power.