"Universal Mind Control"
Single by Common featuring Pharrell
from the album Universal Mind Control
ReleasedJuly 1, 2008 (2008-07-01)
Recorded2008
GenreHip hop
Length3:33 (album version)
2:52 (radio edit)
Label
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)The Neptunes
Common singles chronology
"I Want You"
(2007)		 "Universal Mind Control"
(2008)		 "Announcement"
(2008)
Pharrell singles chronology
"Zock On!"
(2008)		 "Universal Mind Control"
(2008)		 "Announcement"
(2008)

"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.

Music video

The 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

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

  1. ↑ Archived at Ghostarchive and the Wayback Machine: "Common ft Pharrell - Universal Mind Control Official Video". YouTube.
  2. ↑ "- YouTube". YouTube.
  3. ↑ "Common Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved January 12, 2015.
  4. ↑ "Common Chart History (Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved January 12, 2015.
  5. ↑ "Common Chart History (Hot Rap Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved January 12, 2015.


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