Sweet

Album: The Dreamer, The Believer (2011)
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • There's nothing sugary about this aggressive track, which is full of furious lyrics. "When I started 'Sweet,' as soon as I started talking on it, I was like, 'Yo, this is hip-hop, this is what I do,'" Common told MTV News. "It was a lot I had to get off my chest on that. And at the same token, I love hip-hop music and raw rap music, for me it was like, 'Man, I'm gonna go ahead and give them this side of me too.'"
  • The song finds Common mocking some unidentified "singing" MCs for getting all "Frank Sinatra" on their records. The Chicago MC denied he was directly targeting specific singer/rappers such as Drake. "The great thing about hip-hop, you definitely get motivated by other hip-hop artists," he explained to MTV News. "You get in the ring and you'll be like, 'Let's go,' but for me, it's like, I'm talking to whoever feels it, whoever when they hear it, they're like, 'Ooh, is that person talking about me?'"
  • The song samples Doris & Kelley's 1967 soul classic, "You Don't Have to Worry."
  • Common shot a video for the song during a visit to Haiti, which features the Windy City rapper driving through the streets of the country. When the visual was premiered on Ustream, fans were required to make a $1 donation to watch the footage. The funds went toward the J/P Haitian Relief Organization.
  • Common later admitted that the song is partly a jibe at Drake's vocal stylings. He told MTV News: "The verse is about me but when you hear some of the stuff on the chorus it's like you can't help but think about [the] dude and I guess that's what he felt. So at the end of day he fits in that category, he already embraced it, so wear it."

    Common went on to recognize Drake's talent, saying: "He's a very successful artist obviously and like I said, he's a talented artist too - I give credit where it's due."

Comments

Be the first to comment...

Editor's Picks

Joe Elliott of Def Leppard

Joe Elliott of Def LeppardSongwriter Interviews

The Def Leppard frontman talks about their "lamentable" hit he never thought of as a single, and why he's juiced by his Mott The Hoople cover band.

Artis the Spoonman

Artis the SpoonmanSong Writing

Even before Soundgarden wrote a song about him, Artis was the most famous spoon player of all time. So why has he always been broke?

Elton John

Elton JohnFact or Fiction

Does he have beef with Gaga? Is he Sean Lennon's godfather? See if you can tell fact from fiction in the Elton John edition.

Loudon Wainwright III

Loudon Wainwright IIISongwriter Interviews

"Dead Skunk" became a stinker for Loudon when he felt pressure to make another hit - his latest songs deal with mortality, his son Rufus, and picking up poop.

Booker T. Jones

Booker T. JonesSongwriter Interviews

The Stax legend on how he cooked up "Green Onions," the first time he and Otis Redding saw hippies, and if he'll ever play a digital organ.

Bill Withers

Bill WithersSongwriter Interviews

Soul music legend Bill Withers on how life experience and the company you keep leads to classic songs like "Lean On Me."