Common | New Music And Songs | MTV

country code: \UA MTV Artists Millions of artists. Your pocket. One app. Download now Download on the App Store [itms-apps://itunes.apple.com/us/app/mtv-artists/id721717193/] Stay in My Browser Get the MTV Artists App and discover music — wherever you are. Common Share Similar About Common Official Site: http://www.common-music.com/ | @common | facebook.com/thinkcommon Common (originally Common Sense) was a highly influential figure in rap's underground during the '90s, keeping the sophisticated lyrical technique and flowing syncopations of jazz-rap alive in an era when commercial gangsta rap was threatening to obliterate everything in its path. His outward looking, nimbly performed rhymes and political consciousness certainly didn't fit the fashions of the moment, but he was able to win a devoted cult audience. By the late '90s, a substantial underground movement had set about reviving the bohemian sensibility of alternative rap, and Common finally started to receive wider recognition as a creative force. Not only were his albums praised by critics, but he achieved mainstream popularity with a handful of gold-selling recordings. During the 2000s and 2010s, he juggled his recording career with a series of high-profile acting roles. Common was born Lonnie Rashied Lynn on the South Side of Chicago. He honed his skills to the point where -- performing as Common Sense -- he was able to catch his first break, winning The Source magazine's Unsigned Hype contest. He debuted in 1992 with the single "Take It EZ," which appeared on his Relativity-released debut album, Can I Borrow a Dollar?; further singles "Breaker 1/9" and "Soul by the Pound" helped establish his reputation in the hip-hop underground, although some critics complained about the record's occasional misogynistic undertones. Common Sense subsequently wound up on Ruthless Records for his 1994 follow-up, Resurrection, which crystallized his reputation as one of the underground's best (and wordiest) lyricists. The track "I Used to Love H.E.R." attracted substantial notice for its clever allegory about rap's descent into commercially exploitative sex-and-violence subject matter, and even provoked a short-lived feud with Ice Cube. Subsequently, Common Sense was sued by a ska band of the same name, and was forced to shorten his own moniker to Common; he also relocated from Chicago to Brooklyn. Bumped up to parent label Relativity, Common issued the first album under his new name in 1997. One Day It'll All Make Sense capitalized on the fledgling resurgence of intelligent hip-hop with several prominent guests, including Lauryn Hill, Q-Tip, De La Soul, Erykah Badu, Cee-Lo, and the Roots' Black Thought. The album was well received in the press, and Common raised his profile with several notable guest spots over the next couple of years; he appeared on Pete Rock's Soul Survivor, plus two watermark albums of the new progressive hip-hop movement, Mos Def and Talib Kweli's Black Star and the Roots' Things Fall Apart. Common also hooked up with indie rap kingpins Rawkus for a one-off collaboration with Sadat X, "1-9-9-9," which appeared on the label's seminal Soundbombing, Vol. 2 compilation. With his name popping up in all the right places, Common landed a major-label deal with MCA, and brought on Roots drummer ?uestlove as producer for his next project. Like Water for Chocolate was released in early 2000 and turned into something of a breakthrough success, attracting more attention than any Common album to date (partly because of MCA's greater promotional resources). Guests this time around included Macy Gray, MC Lyte, Cee-Lo, Mos Def, D'Angelo, jazz trumpeter Roy Hargrove, and Afro-beat star Femi Kuti (on a tribute to his legendary father Fela). Plus, the singles "The Sixth Sense" and "The Light" (the latter of which earned a Grammy nomination for Best Rap Solo Performance) earned considerable airplay. Following that success, Common set the stage for his next record with an appearance on Mary J. Blige's No More Drama in early 2002. He issued his most personal work to date with Electric Circus, a sprawling album that polarized fans, in December of that year. Shortly thereafter, he initiated an acting career that began with a small role on the television series Girlfriends . Be (2005), a much tighter album that was produced primarily by Kanye West and released through West's GOOD Music label, netted four Grammy nominations. West remained on board for both Finding Forever (2007) and the lighter Universal Mind Control (2008), though the Neptunes dominated the latter. For The Dreamer/The Believer (2011), released through Warner Bros., Common worked exclusively with longtime associate and friend No I.D. Much of the attention was directed at "Sweet," a track on which Common took swipes at rapper Drake. The same year, the AMC series Hell on Wheels debuted with Common as one of its main characters, emancipated slave Elam Ferguson. After the show's third season, Common released his tenth album -- his first for Def Jam -- titled Nobody Smiling (2014). Much of its content focused on the destructive violence that was occurring within his hometown. ~ Steve Huey & Andy Kellman, Rovi Close Music From position 0 , showing 10 items, asking 10 See All Next Page 1 Common Video Common Kingdom (Explicit) 2 Common Video Common Testify 3 Common Video Common Favorite Song Featuring Common 4 Common Video Common Celebrate 5 Common Video Common Sweet 6 Common Video Common Blue Sky 7 Common Video Common Ghetto Dreams 8 Common Video Common Wake Up Everybody 9 Common Video Common Universal Mind Control [Album Version] 10 Common Video Common Make Her Say Interviews & Exclusives From position 0 , showing 10 items, asking 10 See All Next Page 1 Common video Common Common Asks For A Moment Of Silence For Ferguson 2 Common video Common Common's Music is on Love & Hip Hop, But Will He Ever Join The Cast? 3 Common video Common Common Talks About Being On The Love & Hip Hop Soundtrack 4 Common video Common Common 'Nobody's Smiling' Inspired By Rakim And New Chicago Artists 5 Common video Common Common Believes The Media Can Help Curb The Violence In Chicago 6 Common video Common Common's Friendship With Kanye West Is More Important Than Music 7 Common video Common Common Breaks Down Songs From 'Nobody's Smiling' 8 Common video Common Common Doesn't Want To Get Preachy With Chief Keef And Lil Reese 9 Common video Common Common Compares Past Beefs With Drake And Ice Cube 10 Common video Common Do Your Chicago Roots Run as Deep as Common Biography Chicago, IL Active For XXXX - Now Hip-Hop/Rap Common (originally Common Sense) was a highly influential figure in rap's underground during the '90s, keeping the sophisticated lyrical technique and flowing syncopations of jazz-rap alive in an era when commercial gangsta rap was threatening to obliterate everything in its path. His outward looking, nimbly performed rhymes and political consciousness certainly didn't fit the fashions of the moment, but he was able to win a devoted cult audience. By the late '90s, a substantial underground movement had set about reviving the bohemian sensibility of alternative rap, and Common finally started to receive wider recognition as a creative force. Not only were his albums praised by critics, but he achieved mainstream popularity with a handful of gold-selling recordings. During the 2000s and 2010s, he juggled his recording career with a series of high-profile acting roles. Common was born Lonnie Rashied Lynn on the South Side of Chicago. He honed his skills to the point where -- performing as Common Sense -- he was able to catch his first break, winning The Source magazine's Unsigned Hype contest. He debuted in 1992 with the single "Take It EZ," which appeared on his Relativity-released debut album, Can I Borrow a Dollar?; further singles "Breaker 1/9" and "Soul by the Pound" helped establish his reputation in the hip-hop underground, although some critics complained about the record's occasional misogynistic undertones. Common Sense subsequently wound up on Ruthless Records for his 1994 follow-up, Resurrection, which crystallized his reputation as one of the underground's best (and wordiest) lyricists. The track "I Used to Love H.E.R." attracted substantial notice for its clever allegory about rap's descent into commercially exploitative sex-and-violence subject matter, and even provoked a short-lived feud with Ice Cube. Subsequently, Common Sense was sued by a ska band of the same name, and was forced to shorten his own moniker to Common; he also relocated from Chicago to Brooklyn. Bumped up to parent label Relativity, Common issued the first album under his new name in 1997. One Day It'll All Make Sense capitalized on the fledgling resurgence of intelligent hip-hop with several prominent guests, including Lauryn Hill, Q-Tip, De La Soul, Erykah Badu, Cee-Lo, and the Roots' Black Thought. The album was well received in the press, and Common raised his profile with several notable guest spots over the next couple of years; he appeared on Pete Rock's Soul Survivor, plus two watermark albums of the new progressive hip-hop movement, Mos Def and Talib Kweli's Black Star and the Roots' Things Fall Apart. Common also hooked up with indie rap kingpins Rawkus for a one-off collaboration with Sadat X, "1-9-9-9," which appeared on the label's seminal Soundbombing, Vol. 2 compilation. With his name popping up in all the right places, Common landed a major-label deal with MCA, and brought on Roots drummer ?uestlove as producer for his next project. Like Water for Chocolate was released in early 2000 and turned into something of a breakthrough success, attracting more attention than any Common album to date (partly because of MCA's greater promotional resources). Guests this time around included Macy Gray, MC Lyte, Cee-Lo, Mos Def, D'Angelo, jazz trumpeter Roy Hargrove, and Afro-beat star Femi Kuti (on a tribute to his legendary father Fela). Plus, the singles "The Sixth Sense" and "The Light" (the latter of which earned a Grammy nomination for Best Rap Solo Performance) earned considerable airplay. Following that success, Common set the stage for his next record with an appearance on Mary J. Blige's No More Drama in early 2002. He issued his most personal work to date with Electric Circus, a sprawling album that polarized fans, in December of that year. Shortly thereafter, he initiated an acting career that began with a small role on the television series Girlfriends. Be (2005), a much tighter album that was produced primarily by Kanye West and released through West's GOOD Music label, netted four Grammy nominations. West remained on board for both Finding Forever (2007) and the lighter Universal Mind Control (2008), though the Neptunes dominated the latter. For The Dreamer/The Believer (2011), released through Warner Bros., Common worked exclusively with longtime associate and friend No I.D. Much of the attention was directed at "Sweet," a track on which Common took swipes at rapper Drake. The same year, the AMC series Hell on Wheels debuted with Common as one of its main characters, emancipated slave Elam Ferguson. After the show's third season, Common released his tenth album -- his first for Def Jam -- titled Nobody Smiling (2014). Much of its content focused on the destructive violence that was occurring within his hometown. ~ Steve Huey & Andy Kellman, Rovi See All Photos From position 0 , showing 10 items, asking 10 See All Next Page 1 common 2 common 3 common 4 common 5 common 6 common 7 common 8 common 9 common 10 common News From position 0 , showing 12 items, asking 10 See All Next Page 1 Common Need To Know: Usher Shares Photos From His Awesome Birthday Bash MTV News October 15, 2014 Read More 2 Common Common And Mike Brown's Parents Bring Moment of Silence To 2014 BET Hip Hop Awards MTV News October 14, 2014 Read More 3 Common Watch Common's Dream Documentary Paste Read More 4 Common Common Calls The Dreamer/The Believer A 'Great Piece Of Art' MTV News Read More 5 Common Jay-Z's 'Open Letter' Gets Musical Response From Common, Wyclef Jean MTV News Read More 6 Common Santigold, Common, Ziggy Marley, Jhene Aiko And More To Perform At UCLA JazzReggae Festival www.vibe.com Read More 7 Common Common Provides Info On Upcoming Album 'Nobody's Smiling,' Release | Prefix www.prefixmag.com Read More 8 Common Common Declares 'War' On Chicago Street Violence MTV News Read More 9 Common Common: Made In Black America F. Ab-Soul | Prefix www.prefixmag.com Read More 10 Common Kanye West And Common Are Looking To Creates 20,000 Jobs For Chicago Youth www.xxlmag.com Read More 11 Common Common Feels Like It's His Duty To Help The Youth In Chicago www.xxlmag.com Read More 12 Common Common Enlists Jay Electronica for Remix of "Kingdom" Featuring Vince Staples pitchfork.com Read More Tour Dates From position 0 , showing 25 items, asking 50 See All Nov 8 Saturday London, UK Roundhouse Buy Ticket Nov 9 Sunday Bristol, UK O2 Academy Bristol Buy Ticket Nov 11 Tuesday Manchester, UK Albert Hall Buy Ticket Nov 11 Tuesday Manchester, NH, US Albert Hall Buy Ticket Nov 12 Wednesday Glasgow, UK O2 ABC Buy Ticket Nov 13 Thursday Stockholm, Sweden Tyrol Buy Ticket Nov 14 Friday Copenhagen, Denmark VEGA Buy Ticket Nov 16 Sunday Paris, France Le Bataclan Buy Ticket Nov 17 Monday Norway, ME, US Rockefeller Buy Ticket Nov 19 Wednesday Amsterdam, NY, US Paradiso Grote Zaal Buy Ticket Nov 21 Friday Las Vegas, NV, US House of Blues Buy Ticket Nov 21 Friday Las Vegas, NV, US Drais Rooftop Nightclub Buy Ticket Nov 23 Sunday Santa Ana, CA, US The Observatory Buy Ticket Nov 24 Monday West Hollywood, CA, US House of Blues Sunset Strip Buy Ticket Nov 25 Tuesday West Hollywood, CA, US House of Blues Sunset Strip Buy Ticket Nov 26 Wednesday San Francisco, CA, US The Regency Ballroom Buy Ticket Nov 28 Friday Albuquerque, NM, US Sunshine Theater Buy Ticket Nov 29 Saturday Denver, CO, US Ogden Theatre Buy Ticket Dec 1 Monday Dallas, TX, US House of Blues Buy Ticket Dec 2 Tuesday Houston, TX, US The Ballroom at Warehouse Live Buy Ticket Dec 3 Wednesday New Orleans, LA, US The Howlin' Wolf Buy Ticket Dec 4 Thursday Atlanta, GA, US The Tabernacle Buy Ticket Dec 7 Sunday Silver Spring, MD, US Fillmore Silver Spring Buy Ticket Dec 8 Monday Philadelphia, PA, US Theater of the Living Arts Buy Ticket Dec 9 Tuesday New York, NY, US Irving Plaza Buy Ticket Discography From position 0 , showing 10 items, asking 10 See All Next Page 1 Common Nobody's Smiling (2014) Virgin EMI 2 Common The Dreamer/The Believer (2011) Warner Bros. 3 Common Universal Mind Control (2008) Universal Distribution 4 Common Announcement/Universal Mind Control (2008) Geffen 5 Common Finding Forever (2007) Geffen 6 Common Be (2005) Universal Distribution 7 Common Electric Circus (2002) MCA Records 8 Common Like Water for Chocolate (2000) MCA Records 9 Common One Day It'll All Make Sense (1997) Relativity 10 Common Resurrection (1994) Relativity Similar Artists From position 0 , showing 10 items, asking 10 See All Page 2 1 The Roots 2 Mos Def 3 Talib Kweli 4 Lupe Fiasco 5 Q-Tip 6 Nas 7 Black Star 8 A Tribe Called Quest 9 Reflection Eternal 10 Rhymefest Are You Common? 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