"Universal Mind Control" is the first single released by Common from his 2008 album of the same name. The single features vocals from Pharrell Williams, who co-produced the song with Chad Hugo under their production team The Neptunes. The music video premiered on Common's official YouTube channel on October 6, 2008.[1] In a 2008 Microsoft Zune commercial, Common tells Afrika Bambaataa that, when writing this song, he was influenced by Bambaataa's song "Planet Rock", which the song samples. It is Common's second highest-charting single in the U.S. as it peaked at #62 on the Billboard Hot 100. Common uses an interpolation from Gil Scott-Heron's song "No Knock" at the end of his first verse.
| "Universal Mind Control" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Single by Common featuring Pharrell | ||||
| from the album Universal Mind Control | ||||
| Released | July 1, 2008 | |||
| Recorded | 2008 | |||
| Genre | Hip hop | |||
| Length | 3:33 (album version) 2:52 (radio edit) | |||
| Label | ||||
| Songwriter(s) | ||||
| Producer(s) | The Neptunes | |||
| Common singles chronology | ||||
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| Pharrell singles chronology | ||||
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Music video
editThe music video, directed by Hype Williams, premiered on October 6, 2008 on Common's official YouTube account. The music video features Common in black and white clothes with a metal background. Pharrell, wearing a white Billionaire Boys Club T-shirt, is featured in the video, although his head is replaced with a robot skull. In the beginning and end of the video, a red Zune 80 can be seen. The song was featured in the video game DJ Hero.
An alternate official version of the video leaked on September 30, 2008.[2]
Chart positions
edit| Chart (2008) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| US Billboard Hot 100[3] | 62 |
| US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs (Billboard)[4] | 60 |
| US Hot Rap Songs (Billboard)[5] | 13 |
References
edit- ^ Archived at Ghostarchive and the Wayback Machine: "Common ft Pharrell - Universal Mind Control Official Video". YouTube. 11 January 2009.
- ^ "- YouTube". YouTube.
- ^ "Common Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved January 12, 2015.
- ^ "Common Chart History (Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved January 12, 2015.
- ^ "Common Chart History (Hot Rap Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved January 12, 2015.
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