Common (rapper)
Common is an American rapper, actor and activist, born Lonnie Rashid Lynn, and his shelf of awards crosses three industries. He has won three Grammy Awards, an Academy Award, a Primetime Emmy Award and a Golden Globe Award. He signed with an independent label at the age of 20, but wide fame arrived slowly. Through the late 1990s he kept an underground following, and the larger public found him later.
Along the way he changed his name under legal pressure, feuded with a West Coast group, and worked beside some of the most admired musicians of his generation. How did a Chicago kid from a basketball family become a rapper, a film actor, a poet and a campaigner? And what choices set his records apart from the gangster rap of his day?
Lonnie Rashid Lynn was born on the 13th of March 1972 at the Chicago Osteopathic Hospital in Chicago, Illinois. His first name is a family inheritance, shared with his father, grandfather, great-grandfather and great-great-grandfather. Family and friends call him by his middle name, Rashid. His mother, Mahalia Ann Hines, was an educator and a former principal of John Hope College Preparatory High School. His father, also named Lonnie Lynn, played in the ABA before becoming a youth counselor.
The basketball player Spencer Haywood is his godfather, because Haywood was a teammate of his father on the Denver Rockets. Lynn was raised in the Calumet Heights neighborhood of Chicago. His father left the family while Lynn was young, because of his addictions to drugs and alcohol.
When Lynn was two, his father tried to take him and his mother to Seattle, where a tryout with the Seattle SuperSonics had been arranged. The family stopped at a motel in Wisconsin, and his father was arrested there. The charge was false imprisonment.
His parents divorced in the late 1970s, and his father moved to Denver, Colorado. Even so, the elder Lynn stayed active in his son's life. He got the boy a job as a ballboy with the Chicago Bulls at the age of 11, and Lynn watched Michael Jordan's first professional exhibition game.
Florida A&M University gave Lynn a scholarship, and he spent two years there studying business administration. He did not graduate. The campus would call him back much later, on the 4th of May 2019, when he gave the spring commencement address and received an honorary DFA degree.
At Luther High School South in Chicago, in the late 1980s, Lynn and two friends formed a rap trio called C.D.R. The group opened for acts such as N.W.A and Big Daddy Kane. By 1991 C.D.R. had dissolved, and Lynn began a solo career under the stage name Common Sense.
The Source magazine featured him in its Unsigned Hype column, and in 1992 he debuted with the single "Take It EZ". The album Can I Borrow a Dollar? followed. Resurrection arrived in 1994 and won acclaim far beyond the Chicago scene. It sold relatively well and thrilled alternative and underground hip-hop fans. It was also the last album produced almost entirely by his long-time partner No I.D., who would later mentor a young Kanye West.
A 1996 compilation called America Is Dying Slowly gathered Biz Markie, Wu-Tang Clan, Fat Joe and many other hip-hop artists, with Common Sense among them. The Red Hot Organization put it together to raise awareness of HIV/AIDS among African American men. The Source heralded it as "a masterpiece". In 2002 he returned to the same organization for its Fela Kuti tribute album, Red Hot and Riot, remaking "Years of Tears and Sorrow" with Djelimady Tounkara.
The song "I Used to Love H.E.R." from Resurrection started a feud with the West Coast group Westside Connection. Its lyrics used a woman as a metaphor for hip-hop and criticized the direction the music was taking. Some listeners heard blame aimed at the popularity of West Coast gangsta rap. Westside Connection answered in 1995 with "Westside Slaughterhouse", which named Common Sense and mocked the song. He hit back with a scathing attack song produced by Pete Rock. The two sides traded insults until they met with Louis Farrakhan and set the dispute aside.
An Orange County reggae band with the same name then sued him, since Resurrection had made the name famous. The lawsuit forced Common Sense to shorten his moniker to simply Common.
His third album, One Day It'll All Make Sense, was first scheduled for October 1996 but came out in September 1997. It took two years to finish. Guests included Lauryn Hill, De La Soul, Q-Tip, Canibus, Black Thought, Chantay Savage and Questlove. The record deliberately avoided gangsterism, in answer to questions about his musical integrity. Critics praised it, and it led to a major label contract with MCA Records.
His first child, a daughter named Omoye Assata Lynn, was born shortly after the album appeared. In the liner notes, the hip-hop journalist Raquel Cepeda wrote that the news left him stunned, with life-altering decisions to make alongside his girlfriend, Kim Jones. Those weeks produced "Retrospect for Life", a song that offers a male perspective on abortion. James Poyser and No I.D. produced it, with Lauryn Hill singing the chorus. Hill was due on the same day as Jones.
The album sleeve carries old family photos from his childhood, plus a quote from 1 Corinthians 13:11: "When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put childish ways behind me." The MCA deal would soon take him far from Chicago.
Questlove gave the name Soulquarians to a loose collective of musicians and artists, and in 1999 Common moved from Chicago to New York City to record almost exclusively with them. That year he made a few sporadic guest appearances, on The Roots' Things Fall Apart and on the Rawkus Records compilation Soundbombing 2.
Like Water for Chocolate arrived in 2000 to mass critical acclaim. Questlove was its executive producer, and J Dilla produced most of the tracks. DJ Premier produced one of them, "The 6th Sense". The album earned Common his first gold record and greatly widened his audience among critics and listeners. Its single "The Light" was nominated for a Grammy Award.
The song "Time Travelin' (A Tribute To Fela)" honored the Nigerian musician and political activist Fela Kuti, a subject uncommon for a hip-hop record. Exploring themes like that, in sound and in lyrics, marked the album as unusual.
J Dilla came from Detroit and Common from Chicago, both Great Lakes cities, and their chemistry showed early. They shared a song, "Thelonius", which appears on both Slum Village's Fantastic, Vol. 2 and Common's album. As Dilla's health declined from the effects of Lupus Nephritis, he moved to Los Angeles and asked Common to come along as a roommate. Dilla later lost his battle with the rare disease.
Electric Circus, released in 2002, was highly anticipated and openly ambitious. It fused hip-hop with pop, rock, electronic music and neo-soul. It sold under 300,000 copies, well short of its predecessor. Critics split. Some praised the ambition, while others faulted it for the same reason and felt Common had strayed too far from his earlier sound. It was his second and last album for MCA, and the label's final release before its absorption into Geffen Records.
Bilal, a fellow Soulquarian, appeared on Electric Circus, the first of many collaborations with Common. Common returned the favor on Bilal's Love for Sale, remaking Fela Kuti's 1977 song "Sorrow, Tears & Blood".
In 2003 Common guested on another Soulquarian's single, Erykah Badu's "Love of My Life (An Ode to Hip-Hop)". It reached number nine on the Billboard Hot 100, his highest entry there, and won Best R&B Song at the 45th Annual Grammy Awards.
Early in 2004, Common rapped on "Get Em High" from The College Dropout, the multi-platinum debut of fellow Chicagoan Kanye West. He also announced his signing to West's newly founded label, GOOD Music. West was a longtime fan. The two had once held a friendly on-air MC battle, in which West teased his lyrical idol for going soft and for wearing crochet pants, as Common does in the video for Mary J. Blige's "Dance for Me".
Be was released in May 2005. West produced almost all of it, with some help from J Dilla, a favorite of West's as well. Boosted by West's involvement and the singles "The Corner" and "Go", the album did very well. It gave Common the second gold record of his career, with sales around 800,000. The Source gave it a near-perfect 4.5 mics, XXL gave it its highest rating of "XXL", and AllHipHop gave it 4 stars. It also earned four Grammy nominations in 2006.
Several mixed-race artists from the UK hip-hop scene took exception to Common's comments about interracial relationships on the song "Real People". Yungun, Doc Brown and Rising Son recorded "Dear Common (The Corner Dub)" over an instrumental of "The Corner". Common says he has heard of the track but never listened to it, and he has not answered in song.
Finding Forever came out on the 31st of July 2007. West returned, joined by producers Will.i.am, Devo Springsteen, Derrick Hodge and Karriem Riggins. "So Far To Go" was the only track produced by J Dilla. Dwele, Bilal, D'Angelo and Lily Allen made guest appearances. West predicted the album would win Best Rap Album at the 2008 Grammys. It lost to West's own Graduation. Common still won his second Grammy, for "Southside", which took Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group.
On release day he played a free concert on the 3rd Street Promenade in Santa Monica, California. He told the crowd that the title stood for his quest to find an eternal place in hip-hop and his wish to remain an artist for life. The album debuted at number one on the Billboard 200.
Some plans never came to fruition. In an August 2007 interview with XXL, Q-Tip said he and Common were forming a group called The Standard, with Q-Tip producing an album. The album never appeared. Common did help bridge the Atlantic by signing the UK acts Mr. Wong and J2K to West's Getting Out Our Dreams outfit, after meeting them on a UK tour. In 2008 he made an estimated 12 million dollars, tying Eminem and Akon as the 13th highest-grossing hip-hop artist.
His eighth album was originally called Invincible Summer and set for the 24th of June 2008. At a Temple University concert he announced the new title, Universal Mind Control. Filming Wanted pushed the date back several times, until it landed on the 9th of December 2008. The title track, produced by and featuring Pharrell, reached iTunes on the 1st of July 2008. Hype Williams directed its video in September. Critics were cooler on the album, and it became his final release with GOOD.
In 2009 he narrated and featured throughout label-mate Kid Cudi's debut, Man on the Moon: The End of Day. At the 52nd Annual Grammy Awards he earned two nominations. One was Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group for "Make Her Say", shared with Kid Cudi and Kanye West. The other was Best Rap Album for Universal Mind Control.
In July 2011, it was announced that No I.D. would be the sole producer of The Dreamer/The Believer, after earlier word that he and Kanye West would share the work. The single "Ghetto Dreams" appeared on the 6th of July 2011 and "Blue Sky" on the 4th of October 2011. The album followed on the 20th of December 2011 through Think Common Entertainment, the imprint Common founded that year in a joint venture with Warner Bros. Records. He left GOOD Music in 2011, yet still appeared on its 2012 compilation Cruel Summer.
One song from that album, "Sweet", included lyrics critical of rappers who sing. They were not aimed specifically at the Canadian artist Drake, but Drake took offense. He answered with "Stay Schemin'", featuring Rick Ross and French Montana. Common's fans waited only two and a half days for his reply. On the 13th of February 2012 he called the feud finished: "It's over. But it was all in the art of hip hop."
On the 6th of January 2014, Common announced Nobody's Smiling, an album produced entirely by No I.D. that had begun as an EP. Chicago's violence inspired it. "We came up with this concept 'nobody's smiling.' It was really a thought that came about because of all the violence in Chicago," he said. "But it's really a call to action." On the 4th of June 2014 he signed with Def Jam Recordings and No I.D.'s Artium Recordings, and the album was set for the 22nd of July 2014.
His father, Lonnie "Pops" Lynn, was meant to appear on the record. That recording fell through as his father's health declined. A recording was made all the same, and it is in the process of being released through Dirty Laboratory Productions, with production by AwareNess.
Black America Again, his eleventh album, came out on Def Jam in 2016. Stevie Wonder, Bilal, Marsha Ambrosius, BJ The Chicago Kid and John Legend were among the guests. Karriem Riggins produced most of it, alongside many other contributors including Robert Glasper. It was his last release on a major label.
In 2018 Common announced a jazz group, August Greene, with Riggins and Glasper, and an album soon followed through a partnership with Amazon Music. The singer Brandy Norwood appeared on two of its songs. Let Love came out on the 30th of August 2019 from Loma Vista Recordings and Concord Records. Guests included Daniel Caesar, Swizz Beatz, Jill Scott and Leon Bridges, and J. Dilla produced "HER Love".
A Beautiful Revolution Pt. 1, a nine-track album, followed in 2020, with PJ on seven tracks and guest vocals from Black Thought and Lenny Kravitz. A sequel arrived in 2021 with Jessica Care Moore, Seun Kuti, Brittany Howard and Morgan Parker among its voices. Riggins handled most of the production on both.
In 2024 came a collaboration with Pete Rock, The Auditorium Vol. 1, led by the single "Wise Up". The album was nominated for rap album of the year at the Grammys and has gathered millions of streams on Spotify.
In 2003 Common played Omar, a slam poet, on the UPN sitcom Girlfriends. His character competed with the poet Sivad, played by Saul Williams, for the affection of Lynn Searcy, played by Persia White. He also played a drama class instructor named Darius on One on One and made an appearance on Scrubs.
Smokin' Aces made him a big screen actor in 2007. He played the villainous Mob enforcer Sir Ivy beside Ryan Reynolds, Jeremy Piven and Alicia Keys. On the 20th of January 2007, a week before the film opened, he appeared as himself in a Saturday Night Live sketch hosted by Piven. That same year came American Gangster, with Denzel Washington, Russell Crowe, The RZA and T.I.
In 2008 he took a supporting role in the comic book adaptation Wanted, with Morgan Freeman and Angelina Jolie. He also appeared in Street Kings with Keanu Reeves, Hugh Laurie, The Game and Forest Whitaker. In 2009 he played John Connor's lieutenant, Barnes, in Terminator Salvation. That year he was also cast as John Stewart, the Green Lantern, in the unproduced film Justice League: Mortal. Just Wright in 2010 cast him as a basketball player who falls in love with his physical therapist, played by Queen Latifah. In Date Night, the same year, he played a corrupt cop opposite Steve Carell and Tina Fey.
From 2011 to 2014 he was a lead in AMC's Hell on Wheels, as Elam Ferguson, a recently freed slave trying to find his place in the world. In the 2014 film Selma he co-starred as the civil rights movement leader James Bevel. For the same film he and John Legend wrote "Glory", which won the Academy Award for Best Original Song.
His song "Letter to the Free" was written for Ava DuVernay's Netflix documentary 13th, released in 2017. It won him the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Original Music and Lyrics.
The roles kept coming. He played a gangster in Suicide Squad in 2016, and in December 2015 he was the Bouncer guarding the Emerald City in the NBC special The Wiz Live!. In Barbershop: The Next Cut he co-starred with his former rival Ice Cube. In February 2017 he reunited with Keanu Reeves as the hitman and bodyguard Cassian in John Wick: Chapter 2. That August he began voicing Kiburi the crocodile in Disney Junior's The Lion Guard.
All About Nina premiered at the 2018 Tribeca Film Festival, opposite Mary Elizabeth Winstead. It was a breakout role, and Variety's Peter Debruge called his performance "easily the strongest of the half-dozen supporting roles he's had this year". In The Hate U Give he played Starr's uncle Carlos, a black police officer forced to defend a colleague involved in the shooting of a black teen. Since 2023 he has played a supporting role in the Apple TV+ science fiction series Silo.
He also built businesses around his name. On the 27th of October 2015 he signed a two-year deal with HBO that let him start a film production company, Freedom Road Productions. In a February 2012 interview he had named that as one of his big career goals. In 2016 he was an executive producer on An American Girl Story - Melody 1963: Love Has to Win, made with Amazon Studios and American Girl.
Brands came calling too. In 2006 he modeled The Gap's fall collection, and in February 2007 he signed with New Era to promote its Layers fitted caps. He appeared in a 2008 Lincoln Navigator commercial and in a Microsoft Zune ad that compared his song "Universal Mind Control" to "Planet Rock". In December 2008 he launched a clothing line with Microsoft called "Softwear", based on 1980s computing.
In September 2022 it was announced that he would make his Broadway debut in Second Stage Theater's Between Riverside and Crazy, a play that won the Pulitzer Prize for Drama.
On the 11th of May 2011, First Lady Michelle Obama invited Common to a poetry reading at the White House. His poetry was found to be greatly influenced by the works of Maya Angelou. The invitation caused a furor with the New Jersey State Police and their union. They cited his song "A Song For Assata", about Assata Shakur, a member of the Black Liberation Army and step-aunt of the late rapper Tupac Shakur. She was convicted in 1977 of the first-degree murder of New Jersey state trooper Werner Foerster.
Critics also pointed to a line from another poetry reading: "flyers say 'free Mumia' on my freezer". It referred to Mumia Abu-Jamal, who was involved in the 1981 killing of Philadelphia police officer Daniel Faulkner.
White House Press Secretary Jay Carney said President Obama opposed those particular lyrics but supported what Common stood for more broadly. Common replied, "I guess Sarah Palin and Fox News doesn't like me." On Facebook he wrote, "The one thing that shouldn't be questioned is my support for the police officers and troops that protect us every day." He discussed the matter with Jon Stewart on The Daily Show on the 14th of September 2011.
That same month Atria Books published his memoir, One Day It'll All Make Sense. It details how his close relationship with his mother shaped his life, and she narrates part of it. His second memoir, Let Love Have The Last Word, appeared in May 2019. It centers on his daughter Omoye, his romantic relationships, his parents, and his struggle to ground his outlook in love.
Common is a vegan and supports animal rights and PETA. He appeared in a PETA print advertisement titled "Think Before You Eat" and in a documentary, Holistic Wellness for the Hip-Hop Generation. He is part of the "Knowing Is Beautiful" movement for HIV/AIDS awareness. On the 2nd of February 2008, the song "Yes We Can", supporting Barack Obama's candidacy, debuted on the internet with Common in its video. He has also pledged to stop using anti-gay lyrics.
The Common Ground Foundation, which he founded, is a non-profit that seeks to empower underprivileged youth to become contributing citizens and strong leaders. Its programs cover leadership, education and creative expression, and include a book club. In 2014 the foundation launched the AAHH! Fest music festival in Chicago's Union Park. The festival returned in 2016, was canceled one week before showtime in 2017, and was announced to return on the 15th of September 2018.
In 2017 he performed concerts in several California prisons and on the grounds of the California State Capitol. The tour inspired him to found a second non-profit, Imagine Justice. In May 2020, as the COVID-19 pandemic spread, Imagine Justice launched a campaign called #WeMatterToo, with dozens of advocacy and activist groups. It called attention to the threat the virus posed to incarcerated men and women, and planned short films including recordings of inmates voicing their concerns.
He also appeared in the award-winning documentary short #Bars4Justice, shot in Ferguson, Missouri, and produced by Nation19 Magazine. On the 24th of March 2018 he performed with Andra Day in the opening musical performance of the March for Our Lives rally in Washington, D.C. He also performed in Memphis at the 50th anniversary of Martin Luther King's death, at an event co-hosted by the labor union UNITE HERE. He was later accused of joining anti-union efforts by crossing a UNITE HERE picket line in Boston. In 2024 he supported Kamala Harris's presidential campaign and performed at the Democratic National Convention.
Omoye, his daughter with his ex-fiancee Kim Jones, graduated from Howard Law School in 2022. He was in a relationship with the comedian and actress Tiffany Haddish from mid-2020 to November 2021. In 2022, while working on the film Breathe, he met the singer and actress Jennifer Hudson, and they began dating. He remains a lifelong fan of the Chicago Bulls and Chicago Bears, and as a Christian he attends Trinity United Church of Christ in Chicago.
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Common questions
Who is Common the rapper?
Common, born Lonnie Rashid Lynn on the 13th of March 1972 in Chicago, Illinois, is an American rapper, actor and activist. He was formerly known as Common Sense and signed with the independent label Relativity Records at the age of 20.
Why did Common change his name from Common Sense?
Common shortened his name after an Orange County-based reggae band with the same name sued him. The lawsuit followed the popularity of his 1994 album Resurrection.
What awards has Common won?
Common has won three Grammy Awards, an Academy Award, a Primetime Emmy Award and a Golden Globe Award. The Academy Award was for the song "Glory" from Selma, written with John Legend, and the Emmy was for "Letter to the Free" from the documentary 13.
What was Common's relationship with J Dilla?
J Dilla was a fellow Soulquarians member who produced most of Common's 2000 album Like Water for Chocolate. When Dilla's health declined from Lupus Nephritis, he moved to Los Angeles and asked Common to join him as a roommate.
Which Common albums were released with Kanye West's GOOD Music?
Common released Be in 2005, Finding Forever in 2007 and Universal Mind Control in 2008 during his time with GOOD Music. Finding Forever became his first album to debut at number one on the Billboard 200.
What is the Common Ground Foundation?
The Common Ground Foundation is a non-profit founded by Common that seeks to empower underprivileged youth to become contributing citizens and strong leaders. Its programs cover leadership development, educational development and creative expression, and include a book club.
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104 references cited across the entry
- 6UMPG writers and artists receive best R&B Song of the Year Category at Grammy AwardsUniversal Music Publishing Group
- 7Common Explains GOOD Music Departure, Kanye West's Focus Being ElsewhereSeptember 17, 2014
- 8Listen to Common's New Song, "Home"October 19, 2016
- 12NewsNew music: Common – The Believer feat John LegendMichael Cragg — December 6, 2011
- 14The Amazing Mom Behind the Actor & Rapper CommonBobbi Brown — 2015-05-09
- 15The Education of Lonnie LynnSteve Jackson — August 21, 1997
- 16Common is Back in the NeighborhoodMark Bazer — September 17, 2014
- 17NewsCommon is Back in the NeighborhoodMark Bazer — September 17, 2014
- 18Rapper Common to bring his message to UMSLMaureen Zegel — University of Missouri–St. Louis — March 27, 2012
- 21NewsBasketball Player Jailed Here for Abducting WifeJune 25, 1974
- 22NewsLonnie Lynn Sr. performed on son Common's albumsBob Goldsborough — September 24, 2014
- 23Common's journey from Bulls ball boy to NBA theme song composer NBA.comJonathan II Landrum — 2025-10-09
- 25FAMU Commencement Speakers Common and Gillum Urged Graduates to ServeMiles, Keith — FAMU News — May 17, 2019
- 26Common: 'Vile' or mainstream?Anon. — May 11, 2011
- 27Common Moves Toward a Progressive Hip-HopChristopher O'Connor — March 29, 2000
- 29The Light In Hip Hop: A Reflection On The Words & Works Of CommonNatasha — August 8, 2014
- 30Magazine'Unsigned Hype'October 1991
- 31Can I Borrow a Dollar? Review at AllmusicStanton Swihart
- 33JournalHip-Hop Literature: The Politics, Poetics, and Power of Hip-Hop in the English ClassroomLauren Leigh Kelly — 2013
- 34Common BiographySteve Huey — July 31, 2007
- 35NewsJ Dilla's turn in spotlight comes after his deathAugust 31, 2006
- 36InterviewBilal Interview – Bonafide ExclusiveMay 9, 2011
- 37Bilal – Airtight's Revenge (album review)Iai — September 20, 2010
- 42No I.D. & Kanye To Helm Next Common AlbumOctober 9, 2008
- 43No I.D. To Produce The Entirety of Common's "The Dreamer, The Believer" | Get The Latest Hip Hop News, Rap News & Hip Hop Album SalesSteven J. Horowitz — July 5, 2011
- 45Common Responds To Drake (Shade 45)December 20, 2011
- 48Common To Release An EP, Album & Mixtape In 2013Steven J. Horowitz — January 3, 2013
- 49Common Promises EP & Details Vince Staples Collaboration | Get The Latest Hip Hop News, Rap News & Hip Hop Album SalesBruce Smith — September 8, 2013
- 51Watch: Common Reveals Guests On 'Nobody Smiling' LPJohn Kennedy — January 7, 2014
- 52Common to Release New Album "Nobody Smiling" In 2014, Entirely Produced by No I.D.Edwin Ortiz — January 6, 2014
- 55Hip-Hop Is LifeKeith Nelson — August 2023
- 56Common & Pete Rock Kickstart New Album Rollout With First Single 'Wise Up'Joe Walker — May 22, 2024
- 57Four Justice League of America Casting Confirmations Arrive EarlyNovember 17, 2007
- 58Common to appear in new 'Terminator' film | NewsMay 7, 2008
- 59Common Q&ANovember 6, 2011
- 60Common Joins "Suicide Squad" CastApril 23, 2015
- 61Exclusive: Common Gets Shady In Disney Junior's 'The Lion Guard'Sydney Scott — August 10, 2017
- 62Film Review: "All About Nina"September 28, 2018
- 63NewsHunter Killer movie review & film summaryMonica Castillo — October 26, 2018
- 64Common Joins Amandla Stenberg in YA Adaptation 'The Hate U Give' (Exclusive)Borys Kit — August 22, 2017
- 65MagazineCommon to Make Broadway Debut in Pulitzer Prize-Winning Play 'Between Riverside and Crazy'Abbey White — September 16, 2022
- 66MagazineCommon Signs Two-Year Deal With HBOLynch, Joe — October 27, 2015
- 67Hip hop artist/producer Common links two year deal with HBOChris Leo Palermino — October 28, 2015
- 684 Questions With CommonWalker, Julie — February 2, 2012
- 69NewsEXCLUSIVE: See 'Black-ish' Star Marsai Martin as the Newest American Girl in 'Melody 1963: Love Has to Win'Meredith Kile — KMFB Channel 8
- 72Joanne Deborah Chesimard FBI Most Wanted TerroristsFederal Bureau of Investigation
- 74"Common"
- 76MagazineCommon Talks Family and Relationships, Reveals He Was Abused in New MemoirAlthea Legaspi — May 8, 2019
- 77Why Common Makes Sure He Shows Up Early For His Broadway GigDecember 13, 2022
- 78Common charity biographyn.d.
- 79Common, Sticman, Badu Featured In New Health DocumentaryMike Winslow — August 13, 2003
- 80Common Pledges No More Anti-Gay LyricsSeptember 6, 2007
- 81ContactMusic.com. May 9, 2007. Retrieved June 24, 2008.
- 82Mission StatementCommon Ground Foundation — n.d.
- 83NewsHip Hop Humanitarians
- 84NewsCommon's AAHH! Fest Gets Canceled Just One Week Before ShowtimeAriel Cheung — September 14, 2017
- 87Common's #WeMatterToo push urges jail releases amid virusAssociated Press — May 13, 2020
- 88NewsCommon Launches #WeMatterToo to Protect Incarcerated PeopleMay 14, 2020
- 90VideoLive Stream: March For Our Lives RallyC-SPAN — March 24, 2018
- 93MagazineCommon & Patti LaBelle Perform at Night 2 of DNC 2024Rania Aniftos — 2024-08-21
- 94Uncommon celebrity sighting: Common presented honorary doctorate from FAMUWilson, Sarah — WFTV — May 8, 2019
- 96NewsTiffany Haddish and Common Split After a Year Together: They're 'Too Busy for a Serious Relationship'Alexia Fernández et al. — November 29, 2021
- 97Jennifer Hudson and Common Confirm Their Romance in the Most Heartwarming WayBrahmjot Kaur — E! News — January 22, 2024
- 98Common talks about Bulls, hometown of ChicagoAdena Andrews — ESPN
- 99Common Bears Should Hire Rex RyanJanuary 6, 2015
- 100Jesus walks: Rapper Common talks putting faith first1067. WTLC — August 3, 2010
- 102Watch the Celebrity-Filled Fan-Film Version of The Princess BrideAnthony Breznican — June 26, 2020
- 103Common Joins Season 2 Of Mindy Kaling's Netflix Series 'Never Have I Ever' As RecurringDenise Petski — April 14, 2021
- 104Documentary 'Unity' Set for Aug. 12 Release with 100 Star NarratorsDave McNary — April 22, 2015