Retrospect for Life
| "Retrospect for Life" | ||||||||||||||||||||
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| Single by Common featuring Lauryn Hill | ||||||||||||||||||||
| from the album One Day It'll All Make Sense | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Released | July 29, 1997 | |||||||||||||||||||
| Format | 12-inch single, Vinyl | |||||||||||||||||||
| Recorded | 1996 | |||||||||||||||||||
| Genre | Hip hop Chicago hip hop | |||||||||||||||||||
| Length | 6:23 | |||||||||||||||||||
| Label | Relativity Records | |||||||||||||||||||
| Writer(s) |
Lonnie Lynn James Poyser Ernest Wilson Stevie Wonder Syreeta Wright |
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| Producer(s) |
James Poyser No I.D. |
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"Retrospect for Life" is the first single from rapper Common's third album One Day It'll All Make Sense. It features production from James Poyser and No I.D., vocals from Lauryn Hill and bass guitar playing by Vere Isaacs. Its autobiographical lyrics weigh the choices of abortion and birth for a woman impregnated by Common. The lyrics as well as a "mellow, piano-driven beat" has caused Dan Menella to call it the most memorable track on Common's third album. Kevin Powell of Rolling Stone considers it to be the centerpiece of its album, and Leo Stanley of Allmusic similarly boasts of its significant emotional impact. Lauryn Hill's verse embodies portions of "Never Dreamed You'd Leave in Summer" by Stevie Wonder, while the song's beat samples "A Song for You" by Donny Hathaway. A music video directed by Lauryn Hill was made for it. Two of its b-sides, "Invocation" and "Hungry," received low budget music videos.
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