Portland observer. (Portland, Or.) 1970-current, December 28, 2011, Page 13, Image 13

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D ecem ber 28, 2011
ÿortlanb (Obstruer
Page 13
Arts
A E
NTED1
ENEEDEAINMENE
Advertise
with diversity
in
t 110 Portland
Observer
Call 50S288-0033
ads@portlandobservei.coin
To Place Your
Classified
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Contact: Kathy Linder
Phone: 503-288-0033
Fax: 5031288-0015
West
The powerful, poignant and timely-as-ever love story and musi­
cal ‘West Side Story, ” presented by Fred Meyer Broadway
Across America, plays at Keller Auditorium Tuesday, Jan. 3
through Sunday, Jan. 8. The Bernstein and Sondheim score is
considered to be one of Broadway's finest, featuring such clas­
sics as Something's Coming, Tonight, America, I Feel Pretty
and Somewhere.
Dentures Worth
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Melanie Block, L.D.
Rapper says he’s got his mojo back
Common finds inspiration with longtime friend
(AP) — Most people are ex­
cited before recording a new
album, but Common didn't par­
ticularly feel that way.
He says before making his
ninth album, "The Dreamer, the
Believer," he was at a low point
musically.
"I hadn't figured out what I
was going to do, what label I was
going to work with," he said. "I
wasn't inspired."
Common had major success
with 2OO5's "Be" and "Finding
Forever," which came two years
later. The albums reached gold
status and each earned multiple
Grammy nominations, including
a win for best rap performance
by a duo or group for "Southside"
with Kanye West. Both albums
were mainly produced by West.
But 2008's "Universal Mind
C o n tro l," p ro d u c e d by the
Common
Neptunes, was a com mercial
disappointm ent, only selling
245,000 units, according to
Nielsen SoundScan, the CD,
however, did earn a Grammy
nomination for best rap album.
But Common parted ways
with Universal Music, where
he's released five of his nine
albums.
N ow , on W arn er B ros.
Records, the rapper said he's got
his mojo back, mainly thanks to
producer and longtime friend No
I.D.
"He was willing to be like, 'Yo,
let's go! Let's get it. Let's go get
on this hip-hop,'" Common re­
called. "So I think that meant a
lot to me, and from there, we just
continued to grow."
The album, released Tues-
d ay , fe a tu re s N as, M aya
A ngelou, John L egend and
Makeba Riddick. The 39-year-
old says the disc embarks on
"real, traditional, new hip-hop."
D entvrist
503-230-0207
200 NE 20th Ave., Suite 100
Portland OR 97232
Free parking
Sweet Street Food Cart
Winter on the eorner of M |K and Lombard
Special ) call 503-995-6150 to place order
Monday - Saturday, 11:00am - 7:00pm
W ednesday S p ecia l: 3 W ings $ 2 .00
F rid a y S p ecia l: R ib S an d w ich , B e e f o r P ork, $4 .0 0
Buy 1 Dinner and get I fo r half price Wednesday & Friday
Expires January 31, 2012