For all the killas' and the hundred dolla' billas', Common gets visual as he portrays the violent state of inner city American life to experiences of world conflict throughout history on "War". the Chi-town resident has seen a lot in his years and continues to absorb the harsh experiences of his city as he lets his thoughts and emotions pour to present grim images of a modern urban landscape.

"As the tongue-in-cheek nickname “Chiraq” implies, much of the Windy City is currently in a state of War. On a freshly-minted promotional single, local mainstay Common sets out to make the tragic consequences of socioeconomic strife as vivid to listeners as it is to him, a Southside native. After offering an up-close and personal look at the effects of gang violence on families in the hood, he zooms out to address the broader social context surrounding street crime, before spitting a few bars about his own formative years on the block (“My basic training was aiming, hustling, banging, changing n**gas up.”) Fellow Chicago vet No I.D provides a brassy, sampled backdrop for his verse. While not slated for inclusion on the project, this joint is sure to build fan anticipation for Nobody’s Smiling, the forthcoming, album-length collaboration between Common and No I.D."