Dug Infinite is an unsung hero here, as he provided two of the albums best tracks (“1,2 Many,” “Real N*gga Quotes”). The Roots (err…?uest Love) gave Com a classic with Erykah Badu, and there’s no way we could’ve predicted they’d be lovebirds in just a few short years. The Twilite Tone a.k.a. Ynot laced “Reminding Me (of Sef)” which should’ve been a way bigger single, and has held up as well as anything from 1997.
The features on One Day are also nothing to sneeze at. In the 90s, going platinum was the standard. Gold meant you were barely in the game. Common had neither to his name — no hardware on the wall. But he was so respected and revered, even at 25, that he was able to snag high profile features from the likes of Badu, Lauryn Hill, Cee-Lo, De La Soul, Black Thought and Q-Tip. He even went toe to toe with Canibus (yes Canibus) who was arguably the hottest new rapper in 97, and they both snapped the eff off on that record.
So in conclusion, One Day is a much better album than you’re giving it credit for. I know it’s more revered now than it was in the late-90s, but I hold it up there with Resurrection, Be and Like Water For Chocolate when arguing about Com’s best albums. That’s my story and I’m sticking to it. So on it’s 15th calendar, do yourself a favor and revisit it. Trust me you won’t regret it.
Dope piece. by far my fav common album