“The Light” is the second single from Common’s 2000 album Like Water For Chocolate. The song is a love letter devoted to his then-girlfriend Erykah Badu, whom he parted ways with in 2002.

The song has been one of Common’s most successful songs, as it is a rare instance in hip hop that deviates from a misogynistic depiction of women— the other significant example being Method Man’s “You’re All I Need”. It is also acclaimed for J Dilla’s production, widely considered one of his greatest works. For Complex, Andrew Barber writes:

At the turn of the century, Dilla had mastered his warm and fuzzy boom-bap style of production, and by the time the “The Light” hit he’d reached his peak. The next phase of Jay Dee’s production style was more digital, but this was a welcome goodbye to that era, which also gave Common the biggest hit of his career.

The song was also Common’s second Grammy nomination for Best Rap Solo Performance. Check out some of his verified annotations below.