A blessing to see Common create something incredible while everyone around him attempts to criticize ... If we only used our time wisely and looked into the body of work that this good brotha has blessed us with since the beginning ... continue to throw stones - we will build houses with them ...
True Hip Hop fans have been listening to Common since the 90's and for a while, many claimed him to be the best. Fast forward to today, he doesn't have the popularity that he used to, yet throughout the entirety of his career he maintained a positive image as a conscious rapper. Common never has and never will be a thug.
Common was flowin furreal! This is the kind of stuff that should be on everybody's playlist! You don't have to only listen to this from a religious stand-point. Common blends history and the realities of today in his music & it's amazing! He's such an under-rate artist. Forget all the crap on the radio now, this is the kind of stuff I want to hear & that I wish my generation would appreciate as well.
i am sad this beautiful piece of poetry couldn't make the final cut on the whitehouse's video of that evening of poetry. bur at least we can still appreciate it everywhere. "Guiltiness [rest] on their conscious"
Rashid has always used the stage to drop real truth...he is truly a part of a fallen art in true hip-hop rap that educates and motivates!! Im honored for back in the day having played ball with him and Ski at Hendricks every Saturday..go Com you deserve to rep the Chi 1st!
Let gave "THANKS AND PRAISE" to the "Sly Fox" for this one. Thanks for all the views, thanks for opening the eyes to all the young teens of a true artist. Thanks for putting their eyes back on the prize.The teens need this kind of music back on the radio wave to stimulate the minds of many artist. WORDS are more powerfull than any weapon. Tu-pac said, " Don't listen to the beat, listen to what the artist is saying, peep the game, and see that the person is real and hold them accountable.DAMN
It's great how Common shrugged his critics by delivering a solid, classy performance with no ill will or retaliation to those looking to bring him down. Too bad the people leaving comments on this thread could not take from his impressive example.
Whatever you want to "lable" it, his message is the point. I think that this is one way he was able to "validate" his message, by stripping away all the complexities of rap music, and get to the core point : the struggle of our people, determined to be victorious when all the odds are stacked against us.
@RJBEN83 Are you refering to these lyrics?? if so they are from his newest album. I cannot remember which track though. If im not mistaking it's from either his track "Gold" or his track "The Believer". i cant remember which one. all i know is it has a guy singing along with the song.
I am a 48 year old white guy from rural northern America, and i can say Common is a very positive human being and rap artist. I have 4 cds of his and he is very positive spiritually and societally . God/I/ We, blesses every one who seeks truth over agenda. I pity the folks at Fox news.
@RonQE As far as Commons language, its actually one of the beauties of his poetry. He has the ability to present higher levels of thought while using a mixture of jargon and a higher level mastery of the English language. In collegiate level writing, most professors perfer for there students to choose words that everyone will know and understand rather than the alternative. In works of literature, many famous American writers use "terrible English" when they see fit in order to show
Common is a positive force creatively,,,,he is more afrocentric than gangsta....but he is from the Southside of Chicago...where Michelle Obama came from....this man attended college and only dropped out to start a Grammy nominated critically acclaimed rap career and now he is a actor...his lyrics are thought provoking and brilliant...never ignorant or redundent...he's one of the most prolific rappers to ever touch a mic.
"The White House Wednesday condemned some of the lyrics and prose of hip hop star Common, whose invitation to a White House poetry event this evening has brought criticism from some conservatives and police officers." ~~ ?? He is so great thats why the white House condemned some of his lyrics
Lynn was born on Chicago's South Side. He is the son of educator Dr. Mahila Ann Hines and former ABA basketball player turned youth counselor Lonnie Lynn.
@cybertuffguy Could you please post where you found that quote? To be honest, that would suprise me if the White House (especially Barrack or Michele Obama since she invited him) actually released that. There's no reason to condemn any of his lyrics when looking in the whole context of his songs.
Common is a great guy to invite to this, he talks about things of value. He is one of the rappers that alot of his work is positive and uplifting. If the right wib=ng does not like him, that is fine. The president did nothing wrong here!
@RonQE When Common associates himself with rappers of a lower calibur, he uses that rappers song to spread a better message via a more popular platform. In terms of grammar, a lot of poetry lies in the realm of discourse, a realm that often offers more of a persons depth than grammar. This makes it a perfect place for poetry to exist.
@sslusshy but was this really a change though? Judging from the content of his past few albums, I dont think the content he had here was much different. Usually when Common is talking about guns and things of that nature, he is not glorifying it. What song did you have in mind?
@RonQE My apologies for implying racist intentions. I tire of of people discounting art forms because of personal preference. Popular art cannot be expected to stack up to classical art but its appreciation is valid as a reflection of our times. Modern rap poets are an evolution of the beat poets of the 50's and 60's and have done a great favor to the popularity of poetry among today's youth. Common's recitation in this clip is valid art and he shouldn't be dismissed for not being Shakespeare.
Common a thug? Those two words don't even belong in the same sentence. Common is an artist and poet, and he's been staying true to himself and his fans for 20 years.
Yes. as the 2010 National Poetry Awards Spoken Word Artist of the year and nominated as the 2012 Most Influential Artist I think I know a thing or two about poetry and spoken word. -Max Parthas
eugenerich seems to be a very uneducated person. As a UPenn medical student who has been playing the violin for 15 years, and who has played for patients on numerous occasions, I can attest to the power of music in reaching people on subconcious levels. This can hold true for classical music, rock, and yes, even rap. Many artforms are guided by implicit rules which have meaning in a more abstract sense, and hip-hop is one of them (cont)
@cheloki420 "Never knew it would turn out like this For so long he tried to fight this Now there was no way for him to ignore it His parents found out and hated him for it How could I judge him? Had to accept him if I truly loved him No longer he said had he hated himself Through sexuality he liberated himself"
@RonQE ired and uplifted, he pioneered Hip Hop in a positive way, and still maintains a positive image even today in the midst of bad music. Not just bad rap music, but bad music.
Fabulous that Common was at the WH. And a wonderful song poem. Frightened foxes are a sad sad lot. My son used to listen to so much of the early rap, so as a white woman of a certain age I'm not a huge fan but I loved this, and I'm not afraid of any of it...so get over yourselves, FOX TeeVee.
@RonQE a characters way of dialect or to appeal to a certain audience. One great example of this is William Faulkner's As I Lay Dying, which at times uses "terrible English" to display a characters traits.
@luisdrum Poetry is a form of literary art in which language is used for its aesthetic and evocative qualities in addition to, or in lieu of, its apparent meaning (wikipedia). Categorize it anyway you want, it is what it is.
earned him an invitation to join the fund-raising Republican Senatorial Inner Circle. And Wright's spokesman says the rapper ''really loves the President. He thinks he's a great humanitarian and that he did a great job with Desert Storm.'' Senators Phil Gramm (R-Texas) and Robert Dole (R-Kansas), who'd asked Wright to attend the banquet, had no comment.
@RonQE You're right, long topic indeed, I will say that in my opinion Common is far from glorifying "thug life" or praising ghetto crime culture, not just in this performance but in his career in general. Urban Music in general can only be fully appreciated by somebody who has somehow got something in common with the matters approached. Somebody who has always lived a good financial life, problem free, from really good wealthy families, will not ever have anything in common with RAP or Hip Hop
Common is a rap God. It's sick that we live in a world where positivity is criticized. I'm not one to pull the race card often, but does anyone really think Fox would be complaining about Common if he was white?
@RonQE People unfamiliar with art criticize Jackson Pollock saying "my kid could draw that" or its "just just a bunch of scribbles". Comparing adult artists with kindergartners is either ignorance or prejudice. Rap, at its best, is powerful, insightful, honest and expresses aspects of the human condition like no other medium. At its worse it is misogynistic, rude, profane and remarkably stupid, To categorize them all as children or intellectually inferior smacks of racism.
This controversy (by the way I dont know how this came about in the first place but thanx anyway FOX) is goin to help his record sales when he drops his new album. He truely is my favorite rapper.
@blkgnuz2007 If you watch the whole clip, he's actually quoting someone else. They just showed you the part where he's quoting someone else, and cut out the part where he tells them NOT to do that.
People understand this. That's why people don't listen to a song or read a line of poetry and express discontent due to the use of "sentence fragments".
The reason people call Common racist after he made that comment is because most people believe that being a Rasta is only about wearing Dread Locks and smoking weed.
@RonQE But Common is a better example of what Blacks can become. He went to College, graduated, and then became an extremely successful artist whose focus is the betterment of Black people. And it isn't only the oldest citizens: Assata Shakur grew up in a society where Fred Hampton was assassinated by the police due to his beliefs. That was in the 70s in Chicago. Even now, New York stops more Black men for random checks than there some states have people.
Lynn was born on Chicago's South Side. He is the son of educator Dr. Mahila Ann Hines and former ABA basketball player turned youth counselor Lonnie Lynn. so what he talks about he didn't really live its a lie
@cybertuffguy The White House did not "condemn" his lyrics, that's the spin the media is continuing to feed you to make this into a controversy. The White House press secretary said they do not support violence in lyrics but that Common's lyrics were taken out of context and that he is well-known as a conscious rapper who works with kids. They were responding to this ridiculous non-controversy in the first place because that's all the media wants to ask about, not actual problems.
@RonQE h/watch?v=f9JTvL7wncg This song is called faithful, where he ponders if God is a woman and says that we should treat all women better. This song is called retrospect for life, /watch?v=pmDybzfNBG0&feature=related. In this one he speaks out against abortion. You have to understand that many people in the black community have been oppressed by some law enforcement officers and have an entirely different perspective
I am really loving this arguement, and by the way, i am on your side mdossantos047. How could rap not be poetry? Try this. Take a poem, any poem and recite it while playing fitting music. I am most certain that the two will seem very similar if not the same when looked at and compared! (Rap and Poetry that is).
@RonQE ther Party was founded to help the Black community and during its time did. At the time of Assata Shakur and Fred Hampton lived in and were victims of an extremely oppressive and racist police state and both were victims to it. Michael Vick and O.J. Simpson are not even comparable to the two political activist. And most of all, Lonnie Rashid Lynn, Jr., who is also known as the rapper Common, is a great example for not only the Black Community but to America. His songs have always insp
Sinéad O'Connor and George Bush may not quite be political allies, but they do seem to be on the same side of one hot issue: N.W.A. (Niggas With Attitude), the controversial L.A. rappers who made headlines with their song ''F--- Tha Police.'' O'Connor, an ardent hip-hop fan, was scheduled to make a cameo appearance on the band's forthcoming album, Niggaz 4 Life, but conflicting work schedules got in the way. Meanwhile, the band's entrepreneurial leader, Eazy-E
@kittenagogo28 Common isn't against interracial relationships. He said that people who follow the traditions of Rastafarian culture and date white women are not following Rasta culture. On that matter, Common is right. Rastafarian culture, which followed the teachings of Marcus Garvey (who at the time lives in a very racist and segregated America). Those beliefs included Black Nationalism and Black Separatism, which caused Rastafarians to stray away from interracial marriage.
I am very conservative and I find nothing wrong with what he said. most parts I agree with Common. just another reason I like Common. I don't see how this is thug he is in a nice suit and isn't rapping about using women or selling drugs. Go Common say what you wanna say man i back you 100%.
@luisdrum It IS spoken word. How can you call his performance "rapping" when there is no music or beat playing over his lyrics? What do you think rap music is? Once you strip away the fancy beats and choreography, rap music is poetry and spoken word. Anyone familiar with Common or has seen his live performance, can definantly tell the difference!
@luisdrum All music is poetry. Just cause you dont like the artist or artform doesnt disqualify it from the definition. If you dont like liver doesnt mean its not food. Dont be ignorant.
We're all Black.We're all White.We're all Brown, Red, Yellow, Blue, Pink, Purple...We're all Human.We're all Animals.We're all a whirl of atomic particles spinning at complimentary speeds to support a vision we recognize as...US, if we're Awake, Sentient, Alive, or "Them" if we're Asleep, Unconscious, Afraid.Wake Up Now, the World is Burning.Wake Up Now, the World is Turning.Wake Up Now, We're all Learning.Slowly, but Learning.The Old pass on.The New are born. Anew.You can be too. ~;)
@RonQE What Common have you been listening to. This dude has been raised in the streets of Chicago but that doesn't mean he's a damn thug. Most of his career he's actually been positive so you can tone that bullshit down.
@gHoStsOfTheHollow um... obviously you've never listened to Common's lyrics. "dress like a man", he's wearing a suit for christ sakes. "grow up, work, get a job, support your family", this is EXACTLY what his lyrics promote. it isn't the same rap as lil' wayne/50Cent/etc. This is rap for socially responsible adults. This is all coming from someone who's favorite bands are Asking Alexandria and Dance Gavin Dance. Also, "get a job", "grow up"? it wouldn't surprise me if you were 13.
That was wonderful POETRY. luisdrum, ignorance may be bliss but when you go public with being a moron, hope it comes back to bite you. Just because he puts emphasis on the rhythm, and because he's black, doesn't make it rap.. FYI Poetry: 1. Literary work in which special intensity is given to the expression of feelings and ideas by the use of distinctive style and rhythm 2: The art of rhythmical composition, written or spoken, for exciting pleasure by beautiful, imaginative, or elevated thoughts
No need to apologize man, you're just expressing yourself. Maybe I don't understand cause I am indeed a born-again Christian since 14, but I could definitely see how it would be overwhelming as one who is persecuted because they don't share the same belief(s)- considering the numerous amount of religions that you just discard them altogether. For me, testing out Jesus was a personal, individual endeavor that I alone needed faith to believe in- and so far, my life has been good for me.
@kittenagogo28 You're obviously not a Common fan if you still thinks he is "against" interracial relations. He even admitted in a interview that the way he used to think "homophobic" and "anti-interracial relations" was part of him growing up. He no longer feels this way, he made a song called "Liberation" where he talks about his best friend coming out to him and him accepting him (something the right wing nut jobs would't do!). The comments he made about interracial dating was 11 years ago!
@JonJury Well its pretty typical to hear about it once in awhile. ANd I know he isn't glorfying it hes trying to put a point across or tell the truth but it seems like he dulled down for this certain occasion. THis guy has amazing talent and its noticed here!
common has been an intellectual since he picked up the mic, and has never changed for any one, that's why he can't sell records. bet if he did rap about guns and violent shit, he'd go triple plat. smh at reality.
Aside from the place of grammar in poetry, Common often uses a higher level of language and understanding without being gaudy. For example, "My mind blows decisions, at times indecisive. I think of what the paradox of life is. I keept head to the sky and understand what Christ is, then turn off the news, cause everyday is a crisis."
you'd be better off simply googling me rather than to assume. I was an accomplished Spoken Word Poet when Common was still rap battling Kenya West backstage at shows.
I think this is good for black people, not show white people are hate. Let them hate, let them seem to be that of a person that knows nothing. Just remember that god loves all music no matter what it is. Cause somewhere in the songs there is meaning that isn't meant for us all.
@bardofoc- Book, "Roots of Obama's Rage" is an eye opener, looks at Obama from the perspective of his life, as he describes in "Dreams of my Father" and the impact it has made on his current views on life, politics, the world etc.
@Juniversal Well the shock comes from the interpretation media outlets give of him, so I'm certain most of the conservatives didn't think Common was a bad dude until the right-wing pundits bashed him so hard..
@RonQE Common is educated. His grammar is far beyond that of a 3rd grader. It just makes you look foolish to assume otherwise. And on point, what did Common say in this performance that was so controversial?
Not sure if this is the right crowd, but this is my favorite line from common "Bitches ask why my britches sag, I ask the bitches why your titties sagging?" -from 'Orange Pinapple Juice' back when it was "Common Sense"!
@NickBuzzMusic Helter Skelter was a song about an amusement park ride in England. Are you thinking it has anything to do with what Charles Manson twisted it around to be? It had nothing to do with killing cops and degrading women.
@diesel64mark so I take it you only listened to the fox news coverage of Common, where they took lines out of context and such in order to paint a negative picture of him, despite praising him only a year before? Burning a Bush is a metaphor, and keep your prejudice to yourself. Artists have strong opinions and I can guarantee the artists you listen to have said worse things.
@luisdrum it's a form of spoken word.. to some it's poetry... whenever you speak what's in your heart and on you mind, whether it rhymes or not, whether there's a beat behind it or the beat is absent... it's poetry. Poetry isn't confined to ONE way or style of doing a performance. Common is an artist. Now is Lil Boosie did some ish like this... then we can very much consider it rap. lol.. my opinion.
