LUMINARY BIO
Common was born Lonnie Rashid Lynn, Jr., in Chicago on March 13, 1972, the son of a teacher and former basketball pro. Anything but common, he set himself apart as a positive, consciousness-raising artist. His debut album, Can I Borrow A Dollar?, with its spoken-word-type lyricism, pioneered a new, socially-engaged genre of hip-hop. A Grammy Award winner, Common has also turned to acting, as seen with roles in projects like Just Wright, The Odd Life of Timothy Green and Selma. For the latter film, he and vocalist/musician, John Legend, won a Golden Globe and an Oscar for the song "Glory." In 2006, he started the Common Ground Foundation.
FUN FACTS
- During high school, Common formed the rap trio C.D.R., which opened for national acts including Big Daddy Kane and N.W.A.
- Common arrived on the hip-hop scene as Common Sense, but a lawsuit by a ska band with the same moniker forced the rapper to shorten his name to Common
- He won his first Grammy in 2003, for his appearance on Erykah Badu’s song,
