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The Not So Common Rapper
But this article is mainly about him and his rap music, right? Let's get that straight. That all started back in the late 1980s even when he was back in high school in his hometown of Chicago. Back then, he was part of the rap group CDR, which opened, as we said, for groups like NWA. No small feat, right?
But being not so common, the young rap star went off to college in Florida where he studied business. He must not have been able to get rap off the brain, though, because he was instead distributing mix tapes and eventually had to drop out of school. Should you worry for Common?
Getting Full of Common Sense
Don't worry about Common. Back then, in 1992, he was known as Common Sense, and it was under that name that he released the first Common song, called "Take It EZ." That song was followed by a full Common album called "Can I Borrow a Dollar?" And what followed that? Another album came out in 1994, called "Resurrection," which really started getting Common noticed.
Not just by critics and fans, mind you. Established rap acts started hearing what Common had to say. See, if you listen to Common back then, you hear him criticizing the gangsta rap that was becoming incredibly popular at the time. And some of these gangsta rappers, especially on the West Coast, where it was particularly strong, took offense at what Common was saying. One such West Coast rapper was Ice Cube. Things got so hot between the two of them that religious leader Louis Farrakhan supposedly had to step in and broker a truce.
Good for Common, right? And perfect timing too. In 1997, the third Common album came out, called "One Day It'll All Make Sense." It is often called a classic of alternative hip hop around that time (in other words, non-gangsta hip hop), and guest stars such as Q-Tip, Lauryn Hill, and Chantay Savage lined up to participate on the project. The album was big enough that he got a major record deal with MCA.
Common Gets Everywhere
With the record contract, more Common albums came out in due time, such as the 2000 "Like Water for Chocolate," which went gold, and "Electric Circus." It was around this time that Common hung with the so-called Soulquarians. This last album didn't do well in sales, as some critics say it went too far alternative to gain an audience.
Again, don't worry for Common. In 2003, he won a Grammy for the work he did with Erykah Badu in "Love of My Life." And Common lyrics appeared in the 2004 smash hit Kanye West album "The College Dropout." And another Common album came out in 2005, called "Be."
Meanwhile, Common started getting roles in the TV show "Girlfriends" and in the movies, including Hollywood hits like "Smokin Aces" and "American Gangster." His music career hasn't slowed down either, with the 2007 Common album "Finding Forever" and the upcoming 2008 record "Invincible Summer."
