I Used to Love H.E.R.

Album: Resurrection (1994)
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • In this song, Common relates hip-hop music to a woman. In the early '90s, gangsta rap went mainstream as artists like Dr. Dre and Snoop Dogg became very popular, and Common used this song to express his dissatisfaction with the genre. The song created some tension between the East Coast and West Coast rappers.
  • This samples "The Changing World" by George Benson. >>>
    Suggestion credit:
    Donovan Berry - El Dorado, AR, for above 2
  • "H.E.R." is an acronym for "Hearing Every Rhyme." Common laments mainstream rap's sacrifice of meaningful lyrics for superficiality, particularly the praise of the blinged-out and violent gangsta lifestyle.
  • No I.D. produced this track using a SP1200 sampler to generate the bass line that he blended with the George Benson sample. "Common came with this incredible story, which at the time we had no idea would be so revered," he told Complex. "Once he had the rap in his head, it was just a matter of making it come across the best."
  • Kanye West borrowed the opening lyrics of this song for the beginning of his 2008 track "Homecoming."
  • Chris Halliburton directed the music video. Set in Southside Chicago, it follows a woman's transformation into a gangsta, paralleling Common's view of hip-hop's decline into gangsta rap. According to No I.D., they made two failed attempts and blew a lot of money before getting it right on the third try.
  • This was featured in the 2002 romantic comedy/drama Brown Sugar, starring Taye Diggs, Sanaa Lathan and Queen Latifah.

Comments: 2

  • Wired Ace from Inner SpaceH.E.R. Stands for Hip-Hop in its Essence and Realness.
  • Fatima from Norfolk, VaBEST SONG EVER!!! Only Common could do this extended metaphor this well.
see more comments

Editor's Picks

James Bond Theme Songs

James Bond Theme SongsMusic Quiz

How well do you know the 007 theme songs?

Dexys (Kevin Rowland and Jim Paterson)

Dexys (Kevin Rowland and Jim Paterson)Songwriter Interviews

"Come On Eileen" was a colossal '80s hit, but the band - far more appreciated in their native UK than stateside - released just three albums before their split. Now, Dexys is back.

Director Wes Edwards ("Drunk on a Plane")

Director Wes Edwards ("Drunk on a Plane")Song Writing

Wes Edwards takes us behind the scenes of videos he shot for Jason Aldean, Dierks Bentley and Chase Bryant. The train was real - the airplane was not.

Metallica

MetallicaFact or Fiction

Beef with Bon Jovi? An unfortunate Spandex period? See if you can spot the true stories in this Metallica version of Fact or Fiction.

Director Paul Rachman on "Hunger Strike," "Man in the Box," Kiss

Director Paul Rachman on "Hunger Strike," "Man in the Box," KissSong Writing

After cutting his teeth on hardcore punk videos, Paul defined the grunge look with his work on "Hunger Strike" and "Man in the Box."

Spooner Oldham

Spooner OldhamSongwriter Interviews

His keyboard work helped define the Muscle Shoals sound and make him an integral part of many Neil Young recordings. Spooner is also an accomplished songwriter, whose hits include "I'm Your Puppet" and "Cry Like A Baby."