A chance to meet hip hop artist, actor and now author Common, as he promotes his new book One Day It’ll All Make Sense. If you are lucky enough to live near these cities to get your own personal copy signed by Lonnie himself will surely be a treat.
Where: Simon & Schuster Book Signing – Diversity Council 1230 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10020 When: Wednesday, September 14 12:45PM – 2:00PM
Where: ALOUD LA Public Library LA Public Library – Mark Taper Auditorium (soldout) 630 W. Fifth St., Los Angeles, CA 90071 When: Friday, September 16 7:00PM
Where: Barnes & Noble Book Signing 210 Americana Way, Glendale, CA 91210 When: Monday, September 19 7:00PM
Where: Macy’s Book Signing 111 North State Street, Chicago, IL 60602 When: Tuesday, September 20 12:00PM – 2:00PM
Where: Barnes & Noble – Depaul 1 E. Jackson Boulevard, Chicago, IL 60604 When: Tuesday, September 20 5:45PM – 8:00PM
Where: University of Illinois 601 East John Street, Champaign, IL 61820 When: Wednesday, September 21 5:30PM
Where: Saint Louis University 221 N. Grand Blvd., St. Louis, MO 63103 When: Thursday, September 22 6:00PM
After taking a self-imposed break from the spotlight the past eight months, Kanye West returned to the stage on Tuesday – his 33rd birthday – to reward three Chicago Public Schools for improving its grades, behavior and attendance.
The Kanye West Foundation's third annual Stay in School event brought West to Farragut Career Academy and John Marshall Metropolitan and Percy L. Julian high schools, unlike in past years when West brought students to the House of Blues and Chicago Theatre to watch him rhyme.
The three schools each earned a mini-concert by posting the highest gains among seven participating Chicago schools, according to the foundation.
As if a concert featuring one of music's biggest stars wasn't enough, West had fellow Chicago rappers Lupe Fiasco and Common join him at each show. The six-song set at Farragut began with Fiasco performing "Superstar," followed by Common performing "Universal Mind Control."
“We want to congratulate you on the incredible job you’ve done in school,” said Common, later adding “Whatever you do, be the best at it.”
Shortly after that, the man of the hour made his way onto the makeshift stage decked out in sunglasses. West opened with “Run This Town,” which he performed on "The Jay Leno Show" in Sept. 2009 during one of his last public appearances, then “Good Life,” his new song “Power” and “Touch the Sky.”
(Television cameras weren't allowed to tape the recently leaked "Power.")
The Grammy-winning rapper didn’t say much in between tracks besides asking the crowd if they wanted to hear another song and left most of the talking to Fiasco and Common. West wasn’t made available to media at the event.
The mini-concert at Farragut ended with over 1,600 students, all wearing white Kanye West Foundation t-shirts, serenading West with "Happy Birthday."
"This is a fantastic (event) that proves that when all students get together...they can achieve great things," Chicago Public Schools Chief Executive Ron Huberman said.
Common performs live at the 'Only The Brave' Block Party 2 at Place Stalingrad on June 4, 2010 in Paris, France, part of a concert promotion for Diesel's Only The Brave fragrance.
On Saturday April 17, Common gave a half time freestyle during the 2010 Jordan Brand Classic Basketball event at Madison Square Garden in NYC.
Besides Common other notables in attendance included NBA players Chris Paul & Bryant Johnson, MC Lyte, Floetry's Marsha Ambrosius, DJ Clue and R&B artist Mario.
You might have spotted Common, the Grammy-winning rapper and actor, at the recent Suns-Lakers game at US Airways Center. He also took part in the Suns Celebrity Shoot Out game.
And you'll probably be seeing trailers of the Chicago native's first starring role in a movie opposite Queen Latifah in "Just Wright," which opens May 14.
Common plays Scott McKnight, a franchise point guard for the New Jersey Nets. McKnight suffers a career-threatening injury and then finds himself falling for the physical therapist (Latifah) who is trying to rescue his career.
He's a pretty good fit for the part. His father, Lonnie Lynn, is a former pro basketball player who had a brief career with the Pittsburgh Pipers of the American Basketball Association.
The Heat Index caught up with Common to ask him about his new movie and whether he inherited his dad's hoop skills.
THI: Let's start with a synopsis of "Just Wright."
Common: "It's the story of a basketball player who gets injured and basically his career is almost gone. A physical therapist nurses him back to health and during the process he learns what love is really about.
"I love telling this story. We in America put so much on the traditional look of beauty. Women are supposed to be thin, have long hair, just this kind of shape. But beauty comes in all shapes and sizes and really it starts from the inside.
"And I said, 'Man, I better get this part playing an NBA player now. Pretty soon I'll be at the age where I have to play the coach.' "
THI: Is it true you were once a Chicago Bulls ball boy?
Common: "Yeah, my dad knew Rod Thorn (then the general manager of the Bulls) from when he played in the ABA, so they hired me. I was the ball boy from 1984-86 so I got to be there when Michael Jordan got there. And I got to meet guys like Magic and Isiah Thomas, Larry Bird, Charles Barkley."
THI: Did you learn anything from seeing those guys up close that helped with the character?
Common: "It definitely helped me understand a little more what NBA players go through, but what really helped was hanging around one of my guys, Baron Davis of the Clippers. I also talked to Rajon Rondo about it. I met him doing a show in Boston. I did a little freestyle on the Celtics and said something about Rondo. He happened to be there, so I guess it was a good thing it was positive!
"We had a good vibe. He's a good guy and I love his game."
THI: Do you have a basketball-playing background, other than the celebrity games?
Common: "I played all the way up to my junior year in high school and then I got injured. I got poked in the eye and it cut my eye. I was out for two months and that's when I started getting into music.
"When I came back, I wasn't getting any playing time anymore. I said, 'I guess I'll go over here and rap.' It's amazing how destiny takes you where you're supposed to be."
THI: How so?
Common: "My dream was to play in the NBA. I have this trainer I work with and he was telling me, 'You'd just be a mediocre guy in the NBA. You wouldn't be doing what you're doing.' He was absolutely right.
"As an actor, I get to become these different people. I'm very passionate about acting, but I also get to play an NBA player, so that's two dreams in one. And for a month and a half, I was in the NBA."
THI: Even if it was with the Nets . . .
Common: "Yeah, and the Nets could use a Scott McKnight right now!"
Hip-Hop Wired: I hear you rapping about having this SAG card, are we in danger of you retiring to act fulltime?
Common: I don't see myself retiring, God willing I just keep growing as an artist. I look at different ways to put out music. Right now I'm working on a song with Cassandra Wilson and Terrence Blanchard. Now that's jazz but I'm doing it different, like I'm not just rapping on it, it's actually more of a spoken word/jazz type of think.
I love Jazz music so it made me think about doing a jazz album at some point. Of course acting is a priority for me and I'm focusing on that, but I want to be able to interview with you and we talk about Oscars. We'll put it out there and make it come to fruition.
Hip-Hop Wired: You've also been engaging in voiceover work and you just had the Superbowl Gatorade commercial. Do you think you have a leg up on that considering all your raps?
Common: Yes I can come into the studio and be confident and be like oh boy my voice sounds weird. You still have to channel different things in a voiceover but I have two advantages. I rap so I've been in the studio a lot and I'm an actor so I know how to get into character for what's needed. I've been seeing a lot of spots and being like man I like that whole “What's G” and “That's G,” (Gatorade) it feels authentic and pure to me.
I like when I see spots that really get my attention. I don't watch TV and do stuff like that too much, I don't be all into popular culture all the time. Overall I walk in my own path. I embrace the world but I don't know all the reality shows and stuff like that so when a commercial can get my attention that's saying something.
Hip-Hop Wired: Your former producer NO I.D. is finally getting his shine. He pulled in a few Grammy's with his work with Jay-Z and Kanye West…
Common: That's my man and I'm very happy for him. I congratulated him. It's so well deserved; he's a talented dude, he just being true to what he's been doing for a long time. More Grammys for him to come. I know he's really excited.
Hip-Hop Wired: What's up with you and the new project?
Common: The new album is called The Believer. I actually don't have a date but I'm planning for this year. I'm working with No I.D. and Twilight Tone and Kanye. It's the raw Hip-Hop. It's gonna uplift the spirit. It's the people's music, that's what I'm doing.
Hip-Hop Wired: Chicago made a lot of news last year with the rise in teen violence and the murder of Derrion Albert. What's your take on what's going on in your city and this epidemic sweeping the country?
Common: First of all, it's very painful for me to see our people killing each other. I know it's definitely difficult times so I understand under stressful times how we can react. Some of the solution can be that we have to really start teaching our youth respect and listening to them and seeing what they need and want and treating them with respect and teaching them how to respect themselves and others. Because honestly when anybody is going to kill somebody that means you gotta be going through your own pain and suffering yourself.
Somehow we gotta find out those that are going through that pain and teach them better ways to deal with it. That's gonna come from home, having family members around, from school programs, from afterschool programs. I'm plugging but I established the Common Ground Foundation to provide the youth with other avenues to express themselves.
Photo links from NBA All-Star Celebrity Game Presented By Final Fantasy XIII with Drake, Common, Chris Tucker, Michael Rapaport and others in Dallas, TX here: Getty Images Wire Image
As part of the BMI’s “How I Wrote That Song” disscussion (and a little jamming) series that takes place around the Grammys, Common, Colbie Caillat, Nas, Salaam Remi, Sebastian Krys and Zac Brown where on hand as guest panelists. The event took place Saturday January, 30 at the House of Blues on Sunset Hollywood, CA.
EW: If I’m counting right, you were nominated eleven times before this year. Are you still excited when you get another couple of nominations?
Common: Yes, I was still excited to hear about it. It caught me off-guard. I was actually eating dinner with some of my friends in Washington, D.C. I got a text saying “Congratulations,” and I was like, “Congratulations? What’s going on? Did somebody say I’m getting married? Do I have a child out there I don’t know is coming?” [Laughs] So I asked the person — this was someone from my management team — “Congratulations for what?” and she told me, “Congratulations on your Grammy nomination.” Later, she texted me back, “You got two.” So I was very excited.
EW: Do you think you’re going to win those awards?
Common: I mean, I hope to win. I believe I’ve got a good chance.
EW: The other people in the Best Rap Album category are Mos Def, Q-Tip, Flo Rida, and Eminem. How do you feel about the company you have there?
Common: It’s some really talented people nominated. For me to be able to say I’m in the company of Q-Tip and Mos Def and Eminem, just to be in competition with those guys, is really cool for me.
EW: Are you still working on your next album, The Believer?
Common: Yeah, I’m working on The Believer right now. I’m actually working with No I.D. and Twilite Tone and Kanye West. Man, we’re looking forward to making some powerful music.
Check out at the 11:45 mark, Common acapellas a verse from his song 'The Believer' from his upcoming album of the same name which is slated to come out in 2010.
Along with Lil Wayne & Common, others celebs at last night's Denver Nuggets vs. Miami Heat game included Dwyane Wade's mother Jolinda, who was celebrating her 55th birthday, fashion mogul Tommy Hilfiger and Flo-Rida. (source 1 - KCBD) (source 2 - 305.com)
For the project, the rapper's ninth solo album, Common reunite with the sound architects behind his first three albums, No I.D. and Twilite Tone. Com said reconnecting with the pair and having Kanye West onboard as well gives the album a homecoming feel.
The 2009 Hennessy Artistry Series has been making the rounds around the country. This featured concert took place at Terminal 5 in New York City Wednesday October 7. The Hennessy Artistry Series NYC (which was the last stop of the tour) bought out the best in hip hop with appearances by Q-Tip, Bilal, Queen Latifah and others. It was a concert not to be missed, but if you did here's the recap.
Once the Roots hit the stage, the production took on a round-robin feel, as Common darted on and off the stage and other acts took turns onstage in between.
The Chicago MC performed "The People" one moment, and then the Roots went into "The Next Moment." Common returned for "The Light," and the Roots smoothly segued into A Tribe Called Quest's "Bonita Applebum."
Commonand Friends 'Common Ground' Benefit Concert took place at the Hollywood Palladium Saturday September 26th in Hollywood, CA.
Fan shot footage below, most good quality.
This is what Scott T. Sterling from the L.A. Times said about the Commonand Friends 'Common Ground' Hollywood Benefit Show:
“I’ve been to a lot of charity events, but I’ve never seen anything like this.”
Old-school rapper Heavy D surveyed the sold-out Hollywood Palladium crowd gathered for the second annual “Common & Friends,” a star-studded affair that featured appearances from a seemingly endless cavalcade of A-list hip-hop stars to benefit Common's Common Ground charity. The audience had already seen a series of highlights. De La Soul opened the show with a quick, high-energy set, punctuated by a surprise appearance from masked rapper MF Doom, who ferociously ripped through his verse from “Rock Co.Kane Flow.”
Black Thought and Amir “Questlove” Thompson represented for the Roots, and Ludacris ignited concertgoers with a crowd-pleasing set that culminated with “I Do It for Hip-Hop.” The latter allowed him to introduce Nas, who appears on the recorded version (video here).
