Like Water for Chocolate is a critically acclaimed & 4th album by rapper Common, released on March 28, 2000 (see 2000 in music). It was a considerable commercial breakthrough for the rapper, selling 70,000 copies in its first week. The album was certified Gold on August 11, 2000. According to Nielsen SoundScan, the album had sold 748,000 copies by March, 2005. The video for "The Light" was frequently shown on MTV, adding to Common's exposure.
The album also formally marked the coming together of the Soulquarians; a collective composed of ?uestlove (of The Roots), the late Jay Dee (formerly of Slum Village), keyboardist James Poyser, and bassist Pino Palladino among numerous other collaborators. This group of musicians would also be featured on Common's next album, Electric Circus.
The album's cover photo, 1956 Alabama by Gordon Parks, is a photo of a young black woman in Alabama, dressed for church, and drinking from a "Colored Only" drinking fountain.
