Common (formerly Common Sense, born Lonnie Rashid Lynn, Jr. on March 13, 1972) is a Chicago-based hip hop artist known for lyrics that focus on love and spirituality. Though he maintains a significant underground following, in recent years he has gained notable mainstream success. His major label debut Like Water for Chocolate received critical acclaim and moderate commercial success, and his latest album Be was nominated in the 2006 Grammy Awards for Best Rap Album. Recently, Common has begun a burgeoning film career, starting with a role in the action thriller, Smokin' Aces.
Common was born in Chicago, Illinois, the son of former ABA basketball player Lonnie Lynn. He was raised by his mother, Mahalia Hines, after his father left when Common was six years old, moving to Denver, Colorado.
After dropping out of Florida A&M University and being featured in the Unsigned Hype column of The Source magazine, Common debuted in 1992 with the single "Take It EZ" and the LP Can I Borrow a Dollar? under the name Common Sense. Though popular success was virtually nonexistent, he established a solid fanbase among underground rap fans attracted to his witty lyrics and unique style.
His latest album, Be, was released in May 2005 on the GOOD Music label, with most of the production handled by Kanye West, a fellow native of Chicago and longtime fan. Two of the tracks were produced by J Dilla, but it was Kanye's newly iconic status that greatly boosted the album's popularity, silenced critics claiming that Common's career was over, and earned him the second gold record of his career, with sales topping out at around 800,000.
Hip-hop magazines hailed Be as one of the best albums to come out in a long time. The Source magazine gave it a near perfect 4.5 mic rating, XXL magazine gave it their highest rating of "XXL", and AllHipHop gave the album 5 stars. The album was also nominated for four Grammy Awards in 2006, including: