The follow-up to his Gold album Finding Forever, platinum recording star and big screen actor Common returns with his unique brand of cutting-edge hip-hop on his 8th album, Universal Mind Control. With every new release, Common is able to gain the eyes and ears of an entirely new audience. The artist began his career with stimulating lyrics in his 1992 debut, Can I Borrow a Dollar?, and subsequent release Resurrection. One Day It'll All Make Sense introduced Common to the neo-soul/bohemian crowd, Like Water for Chocolate solidified his position with the next generation of soul musicians, and the adventurous Electric Circus saw Common expand his horizons even more. Be and Finding Forever resulted in classic, soulful albums that would garner four Grammy nominations for Be and a Grammy Award for Finding Forever. The techno-inspired club banger, Universal Mind Control, presents a fresh sound and change of direction for the Chicago-bred musician. Common created Universal Mind Control because he felt the feel-good music was the only music missing from his body of work.

Produced by The Neptunes and Mr. DJ (of Outkast fame), Universal Mind Control hosts a number of fun-filled tracks including "Make My Day," a sunny hip-hop version of "California Girls" with a Cee-Lo hook, and "Everywhere," an upbeat duet that draws its guitar riff from Pat Benatar's "Love Is A Battlefield." The Chicago MC manages to remain true to his roots with "What A World," a story that is based on Common's journey of overcoming long odds to find success that features a catchy hook by pop duo Chester French and "Changes," an optimistic look at the future that pays homage to President Elect, Barack Obama. The first single, the title track and Afrika Bambaataa-influenced "Universal Mind Control" has been ruling Urban radio and is featured in a Zune commercial that Common appears in alongside Bambaataa. The brand-savvy rapper and actor has joined forces with Microsoft Zune to offer a download of the entire album for only 99 cents on the release week on zune.net/common. Also, to complement the new release, Common has launched a new website, thinkcommon.com. Designed and developed by Fishbucket, the site will serve as the main hub for any fan who wants to keep up-to-date on Common's life, music, films, and beyond.

"I've always been passionate about what I do," says Common. "I put my heart into Universal Mind Control, and I think it'll reach audiences I've never touched before."

Common will be performing his new material on TV shows such as BET’s Hip Hop Awards (10/23), Leno (12/4), 106 & Park (12/8), Jimmy Kimmel (12/9) and a performance on Ellen (12/10).

"Universal Mind Control"


Common personally previews Universal Mind Control