The Source |Today In Hip Hop History: Common(Sense) Released His Debut Album ‘Can I Borrow A Dollar?’ 32 Years Ago

On this day in 1992, Chicago Hip-Hop legend Common, who was known as “Common Sense,” released his debut LP Can I Borrow A Dollar? Common delivered a debut that can be set apart from any other album he’s released. As one of Chicago’s first mainstream Hip Hop albums, this album exhibits an unorthodox approach to conscious rap. With very little connection to the boom-bap scene thriving in New York, Common was able to forge his unique style and stand out among a sea of Afrocentric, for-the-cause MCs, subsequently putting Chi-Town on the map. It was Common’s isolation and hunger that drove this project to be as prolific as it is. After winning the title of ‘Unsigned Hype’ from The Source Magazine, Common quickly rose to the ranks of new artists. His unique status brought him a record deal and the ability to take his out-of-pocket flow and poetic wordplay to the mainstream. The simple production from his four-headed beat machine of No ID, Twilite Tone, and The Beatnuts was the perfect alley-oop for Common to showcase his lyrical prowess. In no way could the instrumental outshine anything Common was saying, creating a full album. Along with the lack of any...