THE LOST TAPE - Common's - "UnAmerican Carvan" [91]

It's been a while now since I dropped that original Nasty NaS demo, so let's get the show on the road again. Back in 1991 a young Chicago emcee called Common Sense appeared in the Unsigned Hype column of the '90s so called "hip-hop bible", The Source. The demo tape that he sent the magazine while shopping it around to various labels featured no less than seven finished songs. The title of the demo, which can almost be seen as an EP was "UnAmerican Carvan". Out of the songs featured only one track ("Take it EZ") would make his actual debut album, "Can I Borrow A Dollar?" a year later, albeit in a new version. One of the things that make this demo stand out as absolutely incredible demo tape is the immaculate sound quality, to be honest it sounds better than lots of vinyl bootlegs.

Not too suprisingly; both production wise and lyrically/vocally the tape is very similiar to what we heard on "Can I Borrow A Dollar?". The beats are muddy, bass-heavy and hard-cooking, very similiar to the type of tracks Com' was rocking on aforementioned album. And although I don't have this confirmed, I would say it's easy to  figure out that production on this tape comes from 2pc.DRK's Immenslope and Twilite Tone - in other words No I.D. and Y-Not. Vocally, Com's performance is obviously more "Can I Borrow..." than "Resurrection". His flow isn't fully developed yet but there is no question whatsoever that this a dope emcee we're listening to right here. Another thing that I found pretty cool while listening is that this demo also features a guest verse by Rayshel who at the time of this and the following album was the rappers girl (she also kicks it on the '92 albums "Tricks Up My Sleeve"). If you haven't head this before, this is essential listening to any Common Sense fan and the fact that it souns so damn good this could've actually been released as an EP if mastered (this is because it was fully recorded in a studio and not some guys bedroom mini-studio as is often the case  with demo tapes). Turn this shit way up  and bang your head til' you break your neck for the almost 30 minutes it last.

01. "First Days of The New School" (Ft. Y-Not)
02. "Take it Easy" [Demo Mix]
03. "2 to the Temple"
04. "Who Stole the Clippers?"
05. "The Caravan"
06. "Divide & Conquer"
07. "A For Effort"

COMMON - "THE UnAMERICAN CARAVAN" [1991]