Decades before King Von would be revered as one of the most compelling storytellers to come out of Chicago, veteran Hip-Hop artist Common was putting his versatility on full display with his sixth studio album, Be. Executively produced by Kanye West, Be showcased the many facets of Common’s artistry over gorgeous soul sampling beats. On Monday, May 24, Common’s classic will celebrate its 16-year anniversary, so in honor of Be, it’s only right to revisit one of its best tracks.
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Bright singles like “Be (Intro),” “GO!,” and “Faithful” make up a major chunk of Common’s sixth studio album, but songs like the classic storytelling cut “Testify” show just how potent Common and Kanye West‘s 2005 team-up was. Steered by an ingenious sample of Honey Cone’s “Innocent ‘Til Proven Guilty,” “Testify” features a cinematic story told by Common Sense about a woman enduring her husband’s murder trial, and ultimately, it’s cleverly revealed that she’s really the mastermind behind the entire crime.
In honor of the 16-year anniversary of Be this month, revisit the music video for “Testify” below.
Quotable Lyrics
She walk into the court her knees buckle
Saying for a man to survive he needn’t hustle
Seen and been through struggle her whole life
Made a transition from being his h*e to his wife
Stifling, the night upend the ATF bust in
Her daddy was a hustla, so she love them
Looked at the jury how can they judge him, she screamed