Common, Robert Glasper & Karriem Riggins Form Group, Drop "Optimistic" Ft. Brandy

Common, Karriem Riggins & Robert Glasper form August Greene.

BYAron A.Jan 18, 20183.5K Views

We haven't got new music from Common in a good minute. His last release was 2016's Black America Again and followed that with a remix of the project's title track featuring Pusha T and Gucci Mane. Over a little bit a year later and Common introduces his new side project with Karriem Riggins and Robert Glasper as "August Greene." Today, they release their first effort as a group with "Optimistic" featuring Brandy.

August Greene deliver an incredible rendition of Sounds Of Blackness' single "Optimistic" except they bring Brandy along for it. With Robert Glasper and Karriem Riggins on board, there's a strong jazz influence that meets 90's R&B on the song. Brandy's contributions compliment Glasper and Riggins work on the production. Common comes through with a short but uplifting verse later on the song. It's an incredible rendition and a promising glimpse to what August Greene has for their future endeavors.

Quotable Lyrics
Livin in the glory of the story of a warrior
Victoria to Maury love
From how poor we was to euphoria
Kick in the door because we think Notorious

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Aron A.

Aron A. is a features editor for HotNewHipHop. Beginning his tenure at HotNewHipHop in July 2017, he has comprehensively documented the biggest stories in the culture over the past few years. Throughout his time, Aron’s helped introduce a number of buzzing up-and-coming artists to our audience, identifying regional trends and highlighting hip-hop from across the globe. As a Canadian-based music journalist, he has also made a concerted effort to put spotlights on artists hailing from North of the border as part of Rise & Grind, the weekly interview series that he created and launched in 2021. Aron also broke a number of stories through his extensive interviews with beloved figures in the culture. These include industry vets (Quality Control co-founder Kevin "Coach K" Lee, Wayno Clark), definitive producers (DJ Paul, Hit-Boy, Zaytoven), cultural disruptors (Soulja Boy), lyrical heavyweights (Pusha T, Styles P, Danny Brown), cultural pioneers (Dapper Dan, Big Daddy Kane), and the next generation of stars (Lil Durk, Latto, Fivio Foreign, Denzel Curry). Aron also penned cover stories with the likes of Rick Ross, Central Cee, Moneybagg Yo, Vince Staples, and Bobby Shmurda.