Universal Mind Control
{{short description|2008 studio album by Common}}
{{For-multi|the lead single|Universal Mind Control (song)|other uses|Mind control (disambiguation)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=May 2025}}
{{Infobox album
| name = Universal Mind Control
| type = studio
| artist = Common
| cover = Universal Mind Control.png
| border = yes
| alt =
| released = December 9, 2008
| recorded = 2008
| venue =
| studio =
| genre = Hip hop
| length = 38:00
| label = {{hlist|GOOD|Geffen}}
| producer = {{hlist|Pharrell Williams (exec.)|The Neptunes (also co-exec.)|Kanye West (also co-exec.)|Common (co-exec.)|Derek Dudley (co-exec.)|Mike Chavez (co-exec.)|Mr. DJ}}
| prev_title = Finding Forever
| prev_year = 2007
| next_title = The Dreamer/The Believer
| next_year = 2011
| misc = {{Singles
| name = Universal Mind Control
| type = studio
| single1 = Universal Mind Control
|single1date=July 1, 2008
|single2= Announcement
| single2date=July 1, 2008
}}}}
Universal Mind Control is the eighth studio album by American rapper Common. Originally scheduled to be released on June 24, 2008 under the name Invincible Summer, the release date was pushed back to September 30, 2008 due to Common's acting gig in the film Wanted.[http://www.hiphopdx.com/index/news/id.6846/title.common-readies-invincible-summer-for-july-release Common Readies "Universal Mind Control" For July Release | Hip Hop News > HipHopDX.com] However, on September 10, 2008, it was announced that the title would be changed to Universal Mind Control and the release date was set for November 11, 2008. Later, the release was pushed back to December 9, 2008.{{cite web |url=http://www.djbooth.net/index/news/entry/common-changes-album-title-shoots-video-with-hype-williams-0910083/ |title=Common Changes Album Title, Shoots Video With Hype Williams |publisher=DJBooth.net |date=2008-09-10 |access-date=2008-09-17}}
The album's first single, titled "Universal Mind Control", was officially released on July 1, 2008 via the US iTunes Store as part of the Announcement EP (sold as "Universal Mind Control-EP" in the UK). The Announcement EP included an additional track titled "Announcement". The album features executive production and extensive creative involvement from The Neptunes, namely Pharrell Williams. The album is Common's third and final project released under Geffen Records and Kanye West's record label GOOD Music, as well as his final album to feature any involvement from West.
The video for "Universal Mind Control" was filmed in September by director Hype Williams. The album was sold for 79 points (roughly $.99) on Zune Marketplace to help promote the album. In 2010, the album was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Rap Album but lost to the Eminem album Relapse.
Reception
{{Music ratings
| rev1 = AllMusic
| rev1Score = {{Rating|2.5|5}}{{cite web|url={{AllMusic|class=album|id=r1456202|pure_url=yes}} |title=Universal Mind Control - Common |last=Kellman |first=Andy |website=Allmusic}}
| rev2 = Entertainment Weekly
| rev2Score = C{{cite magazine |url=http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,20243983,00.html |title=Universal Mind Control Review |last=Compton |first=Josette |magazine=Entertainment Weekly |date=December 12, 2008 |access-date=December 6, 2008 |archive-date=December 7, 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081207094709/http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,20243983,00.html |url-status=dead }}
| rev3 = The Guardian
| rev3Score = {{Rating|4|5}}{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2008/dec/05/common-universal-mind-control |title=Common: Universal Mind Control |location=London |first=Angus |last=Batey |newspaper=The Guardian |date=December 4, 2008}}
| rev4 = Los Angeles Times
| rev4Score = {{Rating|2.5|4}}{{cite news|url=http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/music_blog/2008/12/album-review-co.html |title=Album review: Common's 'Universal Mind Control' |last=Wappler |first=Margaret |newspaper=Los Angeles Times |date=December 8, 2008}}
| rev5 = Pitchfork
| rev5Score = 2.8/10{{cite web|url=http://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/12508-universal-mind-control |title=Common: Universal Mind Control |last=Howe |first=Brian |publisher=Pitchfork Media |date=December 10, 2008}}
| rev6 = PopMatters
| rev6Score = 3/10{{cite magazine|url=http://www.popmatters.com/pm/review/66941-common-universal-mind-control/ |title=Common: Universal Mind Control |last=Hauner |first=Thomas |magazine=PopMatters |date=December 16, 2008}}
| rev7 = RapReviews
| rev8 = Rolling Stone
| rev8Score = {{Rating|3|5}}{{cite magazine|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/albumreviews/universal-mind-control-20081211 |title=Universal Mind Control |last=Hermes |first=Will |magazine=Rolling Stone |date=December 11, 2008 |access-date=January 30, 2013}}
| rev9 = Sputnikmusic
| rev10 = Vibe
| rev10Score = {{Rating|2|5}}{{cite magazine|url=http://www.vibe.com/music/revolutions/2008/12/common_universal_mind_control/ |title=Common: Universal Mind Control |last=O'Neal |first=Eavvon |magazine=Vibe |date=December 9, 2008 |access-date=January 20, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081210204654/http://www.vibe.com/music/revolutions/2008/12/common_universal_mind_control/ |archive-date=December 10, 2008 |url-status=dead}}
}}
Billboard magazine has described the sound as "electro-tinged" and "techno-inspired." The album has largely divided critics and fans, with Pitchfork awarding just 2.8 out of 10, yet The Guardian gave it 4 stars of out 5; USA Today gave it three-and-a-half out of four stars;{{cite news|url=http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/life/music/2008-12-08-common-listen-up_N.htm |title=Common's 'Universal Mind Control' is anything but |first=Steve |last=Jones |newspaper=USA Today |date=December 9, 2008}} Spin gave it seven out of ten;{{cite magazine|url=http://www.spin.com/reviews/common-universal-mind-control-good-musicgeffen |title=Common, 'Universal Mind Control' (G.O.O.D. Music / Geffen) |last=Gonzales |first=Michael |magazine=Spin |date=December 4, 2008}} and XXL gave it three out of five stars.{{cite magazine|url=http://www.xxlmag.com/reviews/2009/01/common-universal-mind-control/ |title=Common: Universal Mind Control |last=Kennedy |first=John |magazine=XXL |date=January 22, 2009 |access-date=January 20, 2013}} Metacritic, the score aggregator, calculated a score of 53 out of 100, indicating "mixed or average reviews".{{cite web|url=http://www.metacritic.com/music/universal-mind-control/common/critic-reviews |title=Critic Reviews for Universal Mind Control |website=Metacritic |access-date=January 20, 2013}}
Uncut gave it a score of four out of five stars and said, "Tough and determinedly sexed-up, here you'll find talk of beefs, booty and bitches, rather than brotherhood. Producers Neptunes and OutKast's Mr DJ oversee this exercise in alluringly modern hip hop." The A.V. Club gave it a C+ and said, "Common stops trying to save the world and uplift the human spirit, and gets in touch with his inner freak, with results that are often more bewildering than sexy."{{cite news|url=http://www.avclub.com/articles/common-universal-mind-control,17104/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100116080712/http://www.avclub.com/articles/common-universal-mind-control,17104/ |url-status=dead |archive-date=January 16, 2010 |title=Common: Universal Mind Control |last=Rabin |first=Nathan |newspaper=The A.V. Club |date=December 17, 2008 |access-date=January 20, 2013}} Paste gave it a score of 5.3 out of 10 and said, "Common's inability to sound sincere about a man he spent two years championing is the most telling part of this consciously shallow caricature of hip-hop's dregs."{{cite magazine|url=http://www.pastemagazine.com/articles/2008/12/common-universal-mind-control.html |title=Common: Universal Mind Control :: Music :: Reviews |last=Saba |first=Michael |magazine=Paste |date=December 8, 2008 |access-date=January 20, 2013}} Slant Magazine gave it a score of two stars out of five and said that although the album "represents a serious step backward from the successes of his recent projects with Kanye, it would be remiss to say the album is the death knell for Common's career or that he has fallen off in any significant way."{{cite magazine|url=http://www.slantmagazine.com/music/review/common-universal-mind-control |title=Common: Universal Mind Control |last=McBee |first=Wilson |magazine=Slant Magazine |date=December 8, 2008 |access-date=January 20, 2013}} Canadian magazine Now also gave it a score of two out of five and said it had "no shortage of sick beats, but Common’s decision to dumb down his rhymes to a rude and rudimentary level comes off horribly crass at best and at worst downright embarrassing."{{cite news|url=http://www.nowtoronto.com/music/story.cfm?content=166359 |title=Common: Universal Mind Control |last=Perlich |first=Tim |newspaper=Now |date=December 10–17, 2008 |access-date=January 20, 2013}}
=Commercial performance=
In its first week, Universal Mind Control sold 81,663 in the United States.
As of December 31, 2008, the album has sold 211,781.
Track listing
{{Track listing
| extra_column = Producer(s)
| title1 = Intro / Universal Mind Control
| note1 = featuring Pharrell
| writer1 = {{hlist|Lonnie Lynn|Pharrell Williams|Chad Hugo}}
| extra1 = The Neptunes
| length1 = 3:34
| title2 = Punch Drunk Love (The Eye)
| note2 = featuring Kanye West
| writer2 = {{hlist|Lynn|Williams|Hugo|Kanye West}}
| extra2 = The Neptunes
| length2 = 4:15
| title3 = Make My Day
| note3 = featuring Cee-Lo Green
| writer3 = {{hlist|Lynn|Thomas Callaway|Jeff Bowden|Jason Boyd|David Sheats|Dukes Of Daville}}
| extra3 = Mr. DJ
| length3 = 3:59
| title4 = Sex 4 Suga
| writer4 = {{hlist|Lynn|Williams|Hugo}}
| extra4 = The Neptunes
| length4 = 4:03
| title5 = Announcement
| note5 = featuring Pharrell
| writer5 = {{hlist|Lynn|Williams|Hugo}}
| extra5 = The Neptunes
| length5 = 3:46
| title6 = Gladiator
| note6 = featuring Pharrell
| writer6 = {{hlist|Lynn|Williams|Hugo}}
| extra6 = The Neptunes
| length6 = 4:07
| title7 = Changes
| note7 = featuring Muhsinah and Omoye Assata Lynn
| writer7 = {{hlist|Lynn|Sheats|Bowden}}
| extra7 = Mr. DJ
| length7 = 3:58
| title8 = Inhale
| writer8 = {{hlist|Lynn|Williams|Hugo}}
| extra8 = The Neptunes
| length8 = 3:12
| title9 = What a World
| note9 = featuring Chester French
| writer9 = {{hlist|Lynn|Williams|Hugo}}
| extra9 = The Neptunes
| length9 = 3:58
| title10 = Everywhere
| note10 = featuring Martina Topley-Bird
| writer10 = {{hlist|Lynn|Sheats|Martina Topley-Bird}}
| extra10 = Mr. DJ
| length10 = 3:15
}}
{{Track listing
| headline = iTunes bonus track
| extra_column = Producer(s)
| title11 = Break My Heart
| note11 = Live
| writer11 = {{hlist|Lynn|West}}
| extra11 = Kanye West
| length11 = 3:26
}}
{{Track listing
| headline = UK bonus track
| extra_column = Producer(s)
| title11 = Punch Drunk Love
| note11 = Booty Shake Remix) (featuring Pharrell
| writer11 = {{hlist|Lynn|Williams|Hugo}}
| extra11 = The Neptunes
| length11 = 4:33
}}
Charts
{{col-begin}}
{{col-2}}
=Weekly charts=
| class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center" |
| scope="col"| Chart (2008)
! scope="col"| Peak |
|---|
| {{album chart|Billboard200|12|artist=Common|rowheader=true|access-date=December 30, 2020}} |
| {{album chart|BillboardRandBHipHop|4|artist=Common|rowheader=true|access-date=December 30, 2020}} |
| {{album chart|BillboardRap|1|artist=Common|rowheader=true|access-date=December 30, 2020}} |
{{col-2}}
=Year-end charts=
| class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center" |
| scope="col"| Chart (2009)
! scope="col"| Position |
|---|
| scope="row"| US Billboard 200{{cite magazine|url=https://www.billboard.com/charts/year-end/2009/top-billboard-200-albums|title=Top Billboard 200 Albums – Year-End 2009|magazine=Billboard|access-date=December 30, 2020}}
| 149 |
| scope="row"| US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard){{cite magazine|url=https://www.billboard.com/charts/year-end/2009/top-r-and-b-hip-hop-albums|title=Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums – Year-End 2009|magazine=Billboard|access-date=December 30, 2020}}
| 39 |
{{col-end}}
Release history
| class="wikitable" |
| Country
! Date |
|---|
| United States
|rowspan="2"|December 9, 2008 |
| Canada |
| United Kingdom
|rowspan="2"|March 6, 2009 |
| Poland |
| Mexico
|December 24, 2008 |
| Spain
|April 7, 2009 |
| Brazil
|May 12, 2009 |
| China
|rowspan="2"|December 10, 2008 |
| Russia |
| Japan
|January 6, 2009 |
| New Zealand
|rowspan="3"|November 17, 2008 |
| Europe |
| Australia |
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- {{Metacritic album}}
- [https://archive.today/20130129072635/http://www.mtv.com/movies/news/articles/1595986/20080930/story.jhtml MTV.com on "Universal Mind Control"]
{{Common (rapper)}}
{{Authority control}}
Category:Albums produced by the Neptunes
Category:Common (rapper) albums