Studio Album · No. 6

Be Songwriting Credits by Common

2005 GOOD Music / Geffen 11 tracks 42:33

Produced by Kanye West, J Dilla, James Poyser, Karriem Riggins  ·  Engineered by Andrew Dawson, Jason Agel, Tom Coyne

GOOD Music / Geffen Conscious Hip HopSoul
100%
Authorship
Complete Artist

Holds writing credit on 11 of 11 tracks

Authorship Breakdown 11 / 11 documented

Who wrote the songs?

Scored across the 11 tracks with documented writers, by whether Common carries a lyricist or composer credit.

100%
11 trackswritten by Common 0 tracksoutside writers
Common's roles on this album

Share of the 11 tracks where a band member is credited, by role.

Lyricist100%
Composer100%
Producer0%
Performer100%

By the Numbers

11
Tracks
29
Lyricists
1
Producers
2005
Released
Data Insight

Kanye West writes on nine of the 11 tracks and produces all but two, which is the tightest single collaboration in the catalogue. Common is on everything and alone on nothing. The record that rebuilt his career is also the one with the fewest people on it.

Be came out on GOOD Music and Geffen in May 2005, produced almost entirely by Kanye West, and is certified platinum. At 42 minutes across 11 tracks it is the shortest of his first eight albums.

Track Listing & Credits 11 tracks

Written by the artist Written by outside writers
#TitleLyricist(s)Composer(s)Producer(s)Performers
1
Be (Intro)
CommonKanye WestAlbert Jones Lonnie Rashid LynnKanye WestAlbert Jones Kanye West Common (Performer)
2
The Corner
CommonKanye WestAbiodun OyewoleUmar Bin HassanLeon Moore Lonnie Rashid LynnKanye WestAbiodun OyewoleUmar Bin HassanLeon Moore Kanye West Common (Performer)Umar Bin Hassan (Featured Vocals)
3
Go! #79
CommonKanye WestJohn MayerLinda Lewis Lonnie Rashid LynnKanye WestJohn MayerLinda Lewis Kanye West Common (Performer)John Mayer (Featured Vocals)Kanye West (Featured Vocals)
4
Faithful
CommonKanye WestD. J. Rogers Lonnie Rashid LynnKanye WestDeWayne Julius Rogers Kanye West Common (Performer)
5
Testify
CommonKanye WestAngelo BondGeneral JohnsonGregory Perry Lonnie Rashid LynnKanye WestAngelo BondGeneral JohnsonGregory Perry Kanye West Common (Performer)
6
Love Is…
CommonJ DillaAnna Gordy GayeMarvin GayeJames NyxElgie Stover Lonnie Rashid LynnJames YanceyAnna GayeMarvin GayeJames NyxElgie Stover Kanye West Common (Performer)
7
Chi-City
CommonKanye WestEddie Cornelius Lonnie Rashid LynnKanye WestEddie Cornelius Kanye West Common (Performer)
8
The Food
CommonKanye WestSam CookeStanley McKenneyEugene Record Lonnie Rashid LynnKanye WestSam CookeStanley McKenneyEugene Record Kanye West Common (Performer)
9
Real People
CommonKanye WestCaesar Frazier Lonnie Rashid LynnKanye WestCaesar Frazier Kanye West Common (Performer)
10
They Say
CommonKanye WestJohn LegendThom BellLinda Creed Lonnie Rashid LynnKanye WestJohn StephensThomas BellLinda Epstein Kanye West Common (Performer)Kanye West (Featured Vocals)John Legend (Featured Vocals)
11
It's Your World (Part 1 & 2)
CommonJ DillaJames PoyserKarriem RigginsRobert CuringtonWillie Lestor Lonnie Rashid LynnJames YanceyJames PoyserKarriem RigginsRobert CuringtonWillie Lestor Kanye West Common (Performer)"the Kids" (Featured Vocals)

Songwriter & Credit Spotlight 37 contributors

C
Common
Writer · Performer
On this album11 written
LR
Lonnie Rashid Lynn
Writer
On this album11 written
KW
Kanye West
Writer · Producer · Vocals
On this album9 written
JD
J Dilla
Writer
On this album2 written
JY
James Yancey
Writer
On this album2 written
AO
Abiodun Oyewole
Writer
On this album1 written
AJ
Albert Jones
Writer
On this album1 written
AB
Angelo Bond
Writer
On this album1 written
AG
Anna Gaye
Writer
On this album1 written
AG
Anna Gordy Gaye
Writer
On this album1 written
CF
Caesar Frazier
Writer
On this album1 written
DJ
D. J. Rogers
Writer
On this album1 written

More from Common

1992 n/a
Can I Borrow a Dollar?
Relativity
13 tracksProd. Peter Kang
1994 n/a
Resurrection
Relativity
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1997 94%
One Day It'll All Make Sense
Relativity
17 tracks
2000 100%
Like Water for Chocolate
MCA
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2002 100%
Electric Circus
MCA
13 tracksProd. Questlove
2007 92%
Finding Forever
GOOD Music / Geffen
12 tracksProd. Kanye West
2008 100%
Universal Mind Control
GOOD Music / Geffen
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2011 100%
The Dreamer/The Believer
Think Common / Warner Bros.
12 tracksProd. No I.D.
2014 100%
Nobody's Smiling
ARTium / Def Jam
10 tracksProd. No I.D.
2016 80%
Black America Again
ARTium / Def Jam
15 tracksProd. Executive producer#Music
2019 91%
Let Love
Loma Vista
11 tracksProd. Karriem Riggins
2020 78%
A Beautiful Revolution, Pt. 1
Loma Vista / Concord
9 tracksProd. Burniss Travis
2021 82%
A Beautiful Revolution, Pt. 2
Loma Vista / Concord
11 tracksProd. Karriem Riggins

Frequently Asked Questions Be

Who wrote Be?
Common is credited on all 11 tracks. Kanye West is on nine of them.
Who produced it?
Kanye West produced nine tracks and J Dilla the other two.
How did it sell?
It is certified platinum by the RIAA and silver by the BPI. No sales figure is published on the cited pages.
Which single charted?
"Go!" reached number 79 on the Billboard Hot 100.
Why is it so short?
42:33 across 11 tracks, against 77 minutes for Like Water for Chocolate five years earlier.
Who engineered it?
Andrew Dawson and Jason Agel, with Tom Coyne mastering.
Was it nominated for anything?
Best Rap Album at the Grammy Awards, along with Finding Forever two years later. Neither won.

Sources

Wikipedia: Be Wikipedia: Common discography Cover Art Archive: Be by Common