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Common & DJ Premier Reunite On A New Song

Over the last quarter-century, Common and DJ Premier have made magic together. In 2000, Premier was a guest within The Soulquarians ensemble for Comm's benchmark Like Water For Chocolate album. On Comm's fourth LP, Preemo produced the masterful "The 6th Sense," which featured Bilal. The video single showed new range... Read more

November 17, 2023 Audio, Trending Stories, Video

Common & Pete Rock Are Working On A Joint Album

Common has announced an upcoming collaboration album with Pete Rock. Speaking with MSNBC’s The Beat With Ari Melber, Common said, “I [have] been listening to a lot of ’90s Hip Hop because I [have] been creating a new project. I’m working on a new album with Pete Rock and just,... Read more

September 13, 2023 News

Common Resurrects His Place As A Top MC With This Freestyle

Next month makes 30 years since Common received the coveted "Unsigned Hype" column in The Source magazine. As he would do with Biggie Smalls and Mobb Deep, journalist Matty C. found Common Sense a worthy inclusion for the highly-respected Hip-Hop publication. Unlike today, 1991 was a time when MCs from... Read more

September 9, 2021 Video

This 1998 Black Thought & Common Freestyle Is An Incredible Hip-Hop Moment In Time

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania's own DJ Cosmo Baker is known worldwide for his connection to Hip-Hop and Neo-Soul, frequently creating classic party series such as The Rub and The Remedy. The latter, which he hosted alongside DJ Rich Medina, helped to spotlight artists such as The Roots, J Dilla, Jill Scott, and... Read more

November 23, 2019 Audio, Throwback, Throwback

Common Launches A Progressive Charter School In Chicago’s South Side (Video)

Less than two weeks ago, Common released his 12th album, Let Love. Featuring production from Karriem Riggins as well as the late J Dilla, the LP also involves Swizz Beatz, A-Trak, and BJ The Chicago Kid, among others. The music campaign coincides with Common's latest book, Let Love Have The... Read more

September 9, 2019 Lifestyle, News, Video

Common’s Video Shows The Difficulties Of Balancing Career & Parenthood

Common's music has reached places that other MCs have not always been willing to go. In a vast catalog, the Chicago, Illinois lyricist has written from intimate and vulnerable states of being that deal with expecting couples, intense seduction, and telling the stories of social revolutionaries whose message cannot always... Read more

August 22, 2019 Video

Common Takes An MC From The Streets To The Tonight Show For A True Cypher

Anybody who has ever attended a Common concert knows that the Chicago, Illinois veteran is one of the best improvisers with the mic. For years, Comm' has impressed audiences with his knowledge of local landmarks, street names, and fun facts, no matter in what city he was performing. Meanwhile, even... Read more

August 13, 2019 TV, TV/Film, Video

Common Prevents A Stick-Up In The Video For His 1st Swizz Beatz Collabo

Common seems to enjoy breaking the boxes that many people like to put him in. Back in 2000, at the conclusion of the DJ Premier-produced "6th Sense" on the Like Water For Chocolate album the historically conscious MC made light of his reputation, by portraying a vi*lent pimp. His Grammy-nominated Be... Read more

July 12, 2019 Video

Common Joins A Street Performer In An Off The Top Cypher That’s GREAT!

Common is a Hip-Hop legend who carries his love of the art-form. No matter how many plaques, spokesman gigs, or hits that the Chicago, Illinois veteran achieves, he has never been too big to freestyle, participate in the culture, and spread awareness of its foundation. In the last month alone,... Read more

July 9, 2019 Fresh, Video

Common Kicks An Incredible Off The Top Freestyle For 5 Minutes (Video)

Common has been rapping about his love for Hip-Hop for 25 years. While his 1994 song "I Used To Love H.E.R." was a clever metaphor, it was not a gimmick. Comm' Sense truly has love for the culture. His love has been on display in the 4 odes he's made... Read more

June 30, 2019 Video

Common Uses A J Dilla Beat To Show His Love For HER Is Strong As Ever (Video)

At the beginning of this month, Common was a surprise guest at the 12th-annual Roots Picnic in Philadelphia. Back in the late 1990s, the MC who was making Like Water For Chocolate at the same time his friends were making Things Fall Apart. The SoulQuarians worked on both albums, so... Read more

June 14, 2019 Video

Common Premieres A J Dilla-Produced Song About The State Of Hip-Hop In 2019

Since the release of his 1994 song "I Used To Love H.E.R.," Common has had a complex and well-documented relationship with Hip-Hop. At first listen, the song played like Common Sense's ode to a woman with whom he'd had a life long affair, which was a love-hate relationship. At the... Read more

June 2, 2019 Exclusive, Video

Common Opens Up About Being Abused As A Child To Help Others Heal (Video)

From the outside looking in, Lonnie Rashid Lynn (professionally known as Common), has led a charmed life. The Chicago artist, who got his start in entertainment as a rapper, added acting to his repertoire and, over the course of his career, has won an Oscar, an Emmy and multiple Grammy... Read more

May 7, 2019 News, Video

Common Brings His A-Game On A Cold Collabo With Joell Ortiz

DJ Absolut has been a sound provider who in addition to playing others' records is dropping heat of his own. Previously, Ambrosia For Heads presented Rap fans with some unearthed Mobb Deep freestyles via the New York mixmaster. Now, Heads can get a taste of more Big Apple-inspired heat headed... Read more

February 26, 2019 Audio

Common’s Production Company Is Telling Meaningful Stories Just Like His Music (Video)

Common has been a known activist and philanthropist for well over a decade. His socially conscious raps weren't the only lane for the Soulquarian to get his blessings off; the once-Vegan PETA supporter remains a part of the "Knowing Is Beautiful" movement, which supports AIDS/HIV awareness, is the founder of... Read more

November 7, 2018 TV, TV/Film, Video

When Stakes Were High For Hip-Hop, De La Soul, Common & Mos Def Got Down To Bizness (Video)

De La Soul has always stood for raising the musical bar. Celebrating its 22nd birthday this week (July 2), the trio's 1996 album Stakes Is High parlayed the group into its second era of prominence. Three years since their last LP, the work also proved that they were able to... Read more

July 5, 2018 Do Remember

The Roots & Common To Perform At Memorial For Lynching Victims

Next month, the National Memorial For Peace And Justice opens in Montgomery, Alabama. With the museum opening its doors to the public, some of Hip-Hop's most celebrated voices will be on hand to promote awareness. The Equal Justice Initiative, responsible for the monument and museum, has organized a two-day summit... Read more

March 28, 2018 News

Herbie Hancock Will Rock It With Kendrick, Snoop & Common On Next LP

Herbie Hancock is a 14-time Grammy Award recipient (as well as an Oscar winner) that many cite as a provider of their introduction to Hip-Hop and DJ'ing on television. Although the Jazz impresario's recording career began at the top of the '60s, Hip-Hop and Hancock helped each other achieve mainstream... Read more

March 5, 2018 News

Common Did Not Win Another Oscar But His Freestyle Still Gave Him Glory (Video)

Common did not win his second Oscar award last night (March 4). The Chicago, Illinois MC, actor, and author was nominated for “Best Original Song" for his "Stand Up For Something," which appeared in the film, Marshall. That category (also featuring a nomination for past Common collaborator) Mary J. Blige... Read more

March 5, 2018 Lifestyle, News, Video

Common & Questlove Share Stories About Bargaining For Beats From J Dilla & D’Angelo

On January 25, Common was the guest for the first live audience recording of Questlove Supreme. At Manhattan's Gramercy Theater, Questlove, Laiya, Suga Steve, and Boss Bill interviewed Common for nearly two hours. Ambrosia For Heads was front and center for the event. Today (February 21), that interview is available... Read more

February 21, 2018 Fresh

Common Looks Back At His Time With Dilla On A Song Fit For February (Audio)

Common has transcended Hip-Hop. He is now a political activist. He's won an Academy Award and a Golden Globe award for his song "Glory" featuring John Legend in the film Selma. Also, he's the only Hip-Hop artist to achieve an "E.G.O." hat trick by receiving an Emmy Award for his... Read more

February 16, 2018 Audio

Common, Brandy, Robert Glasper & Karriem Riggins’ Video Breathes Hope Into Hard Times

Hip-Hop Heads learned about Common’s newest venture, a genre-defying collaboration with pianist/producer Robert Glasper and drummer/producer Karriem Riggins as the group, August Greene. The news came late last month with the drop of their single, "Optimistic" featuring Brandy. The record covers the Twin Cities’ R&B/Gospel group Sounds Of Blackness’ 1991 original... Read more

February 7, 2018 Video

Common, Brandy & Robert Glasper Re-Make Sounds Of Blackness’ Optimistic & It Soars (Audio)

Common is taking his inherently collaborative spirit onto its next journey. The Chicago MC, along with pianist/producer Robert Glasper and drummer/producer Karriem Riggins have formed a new group, August Greene. Wasting no time, the group announced that they will drop their first, self-titled album on March 9, via Amazon. The... Read more

January 18, 2018 Audio, News, The Bridge

Joey Bada$$ & G-Eazy Find Common Ground On A Soulful Statik Selektah Collabo (Audio)

As Q-Tip publicly aired frustrations for A Tribe Called Quest and We Got It From Here…Thank You For Your Service being omitted from this week's 2018 Grammy nominations, another artist with possible reason to be upset is Joey Bada$$. This year's ALL AMERIKKKAN BADA$$ is another heralded Hip-Hop album (and... Read more

November 30, 2017 Audio

DJ Premier & A$AP Ferg’s Conversation Shows Rap’s Generations Have More In Common Than Not (Video)

Gang Starr's DJ Premier is an important part of the Bad Boy Records story. He produced "Unbelievable," one of Biggie Smalls' most beloved songs. The Ready To Die inclusion first released as the B-side to crossover hit "Juicy." For the diamond-certified Life After Death, Preemo laced The Notorious B.I.G. with... Read more

November 17, 2017 Video

Common Has A Big EGO By Being One Of The Most Humble MCs (Video)

Hip-Hop news and culture move fast, and it’s easy to miss significant developments. Every week, Ambrosia For Heads takes a look back at the Last 7 days. This video series, hosted by Justin “The Company Man” Hunte examines the current issues with a colorful rundown of the what, where, and why. While the Last... Read more

September 19, 2017 Exclusive, Last 7, Video

Common Becomes The First Rapper Ever To Win An Oscar, An Emmy & A Grammy

JAY-Z famously rapped on "Moment Of Clarity": "Truthfully I wanna rhyme like Common Sense / But I did 5 mill' – I ain't been rhyming like Common since." That was 2003. In the nearly 15 years following those bars, Comm' has scored a #1 LP (Finding Forever), and filled his... Read more

September 11, 2017 News, TV/Film

Weldon Irvine Influenced Black Star, KRS-One, JAY-Z, Common & Q-Tip. His Story Is Being Told (Video)

Best-known perhaps as the songwriter of the unofficial Civil Rights anthem, "To Be Young, Gifted and Black" (popularized by Nina Simone), the late Weldon Irvine bridged the generations as a key mentor and collaborator to Hip-Hop icons during the '90s and beyond. Guru, Roy Ayers, & Donald Byrd Brought Jazzmatazz... Read more

August 29, 2017 TV/Film, Video

The Music Of Common & Stevie Wonder Is A Perfect Match In This Mash-Up Album (Audio)

Amerigo Gazaway is the sort of musical innovator whose work is nothing short of remarkable. He has forged a path entirely his own through ingenious mash-up projects dating back several years: 2011's Fela Soul, featuring the works of Fela Kuti and De La Soul; 2014's Yasiin Gaye, the marriage of Yasiin Bey/Mos... Read more

August 8, 2017 Audio, Mixes

Questlove Mentors A Young Street Drummer With Common & Black Thought’s Support (Video)

In the early 1990s, The Roots (as The Square Roots) regularly played before sidewalk audiences along Philadelphia's South Street. In the days before major label support and Grammy awards, Questlove, Black Thought, Malik B, and company used their music as a free gift to the people, and presumably welcomed any... Read more

May 8, 2017 Video

Black Thought & Common Have A Freestyle Battle That Goes Off The Wheels (Video)

When it comes to freestyling, few are better than Black Thought and Common. Unlike others who shy away from grabbing an open mic, both Comm' and Thought seize the moment when there's an opportunity to rhyme. And, while neither has anything left to prove, each often goes completely off the... Read more

February 11, 2017 Video

Common’s Latest Video Envisions a World With Empty Prisons & A True End to Slavery

With his eleventh studio album, Common continued the conceptual theme he began with 2014's Nobody's Smiling, in which he addressed gun violence and other racially disproportionate issues plaguing his native Chicago. November's Black America Again takes a broader view of sociopolitical Hip-Hop, inspired in part by the gravity of 2016's... Read more

December 15, 2016 Video

Pusha T & Gucci Mane Join Common To Voice What Makes Black America Great…Again (Audio)

Throughout his career, Common has at times been—at least on paper—a left field featured guest. He appeared on albums like T.I.'s King when the Grand Hustle founder was the monarch of Trap. He made one of several Gil Scott Heron homages on The Game's "Angel" two years after, showing an... Read more

November 14, 2016 Audio

Common Is A Rap Pharaoh Building Pyramids Of Empowerment, With Words (Video)

One week ago today, Common released his 11th album, Black America Again. The LP had many a la carte looks before its release. "Pyramids" was a highlight. Produced by Karriem Riggins and Robert Glasper, the track is one of several with reverberating lyrics about the modern day Black experience, the... Read more

November 11, 2016 Video

Common & The Roots Join Forces To Break The Cycle Of Ills Facing Black America (Video)

Earlier this month, Common was a surprise guest at The Roots Picnic New York. There, the Things Fall Apart, Rising Down, and Wake Up! featured MC performed his single "Black America Again" with The Roots crew in the misty rain for all of Bryant Park to hear. Last night (October 27),... Read more

October 28, 2016 Video

Common’s New Song Hits Home With A Strong Message Of Excellence & Empowerment (Audio)

Over the years, Common and Bilal have a strong working chemistry. Since Like Water For Chocolate's DJ Premier-produced "The 6th Sense," the MC and singer have together to make each other shine brightly. "Home" is one of three songs featuring Bilal on Black America Again (November 4). Within, Common raps... Read more

October 20, 2016 Audio

Common Wants Solange’s “Cranes” To Find Forever In His Remix (Audio)

Solange Knowles earned her first #1 album earlier this month. A Seat At The Table contains thoughtful, assertive, and incredibly timely music. Video single "Cranes In The Sky" is the entry point to many on the younger Knowles sister's latest dissertation in sound, with an album that truly owns her... Read more

October 18, 2016 Audio

Common Releases The Artwork & Tracklist For His Black America Again Album

Common has taken one of the defining singles of his career and extended it to an album title. Black America Again is the name of Comm's 11th album. Common Speaks On Why He’s Not A Conscious Rapper. He’s a Human MC (Video) To be released in less than one month... Read more

October 14, 2016 Fresh

Common Speaks On Why He’s Not A Conscious Rapper. He’s a Human MC (Video)

In the skit following "The 6th Sense," Common made light of his public image. The Chicago, Illinois MC made a song that fought for Hip-Hop's preservation. Moments after, he made light of the way he appeared to some—as a deeply conscious, lighthearted poet. The same artist who had been involved... Read more

October 10, 2016 Video

Common Performs 3 New Songs In An Amazing White House Tiny Desk Concert (Video)

It’s been a busy few days for Common. On Saturday, he crashed The Roots Picnic, and performed a few surprise songs during D’Angelo and John Mayer’s headlining set with The Legendary Roots Crew. Just two days after, he had the privilege of recording a very special version of NPR’s Tiny... Read more

October 4, 2016 Video

Common Reveals The Title And Featured Artists On His Next Album (Video)

In the last 25 years, Common's discography is speckled with a number of award-winning, thematic, and cult-championed albums. The MC has evolved from a beer-drinking, slick-talking rhymer into a reflective lyrical poet, to a hit-maker, and cultural symbol of self and external love. It has been more than two years... Read more

October 3, 2016 Video

Common & Stevie Wonder’s Snapshot of Black America Is Raw & Uncut (Video)

Common's 2014 album Nobody's Smiling not only signified a reforged musical partnership with producer No I.D., but also a concept record inspired by Chicago. The MC's hometown continues to be plagued by skyrocketing rates of gun violence, and while it manages to be a hotbed for vibrant talent including Chance... Read more

September 22, 2016 Video

Common Releases Another All-Star Love Song (Audio)

Back in May, Common made an appearance on Sway In The Morning, where he announced a new album was on the way and previewed two powerful verses from the forthcoming LP. While those bars were politically-charged and addressed race relations in America, his latest release taps into another area in... Read more

September 8, 2016 Audio

Common Opens His Arms to Refugees Running Towards the Unknown (Video)

June 20 marked World Refugee Day, a time for the globe's citizens to collectively aim their thoughts and compassion towards the 65 million people who have been forced to flee their homes for various reasons. In much of the developing world, things like civil war, poverty, disease, and natural disasters... Read more

June 21, 2016 Video

Common Premieres 2 Powerful New Verses From His Upcoming Album (Video)

Today (May 31) Common was a guest on Sway In The Morning. In the last year and a half, Common has added Oscar awards, Golden Globe awards, and another Grammy to his stash of trophy accolades. Meanwhile, he put a beef to bed and made a blockbuster film and a... Read more

May 31, 2016 Video

Unsettling Animal-Human Hybrids Are Being Proposed To Provide Cures for Common Disease (Audio)

The pursuit of wellness knows no bounds. Throughout history, human beings have relied on remarkably innovative (although perhaps not always effective) techniques to address illness - like the ancient Egyptian toothache cure made up of ground mice, the 18th-century treatment of stuttering through cutting off half the tongue, and the use of... Read more

May 19, 2016 Lifestyle

Guru & Common Flow Over Classic Dr. Dre Heat On A Rare Freestyle From 2000 (Audio)

Earlier this week, the sixth anniversary of Guru's passing allowed for a community-wide opportunity to reflect on the still-reverberating effects of the loss of such an influential MC and celebrated producer. The Gang Starr member and accomplished solo artist passed away on April 19, 2010 but his voice continues to... Read more

April 21, 2016 Audio

Common Still Loves H.E.R. Watch Him Breakdance While The Roots Play (Video)

During The Electric Circus and Like Water For Chocolate tours, it was not uncommon to see Common Sense bust out some B-Boy moves during his sets. That was 15 years ago though, and also well before the Chicago, Illinois MC/actor won Oscars and Golden Globes. Now a household name, juggling... Read more

April 12, 2016 Video

Ice Cube & Common’s Touted Collabo Gives History A Shape-Up (Video)

Common and Ice Cube released "Real People" one week ago. Twenty years after their bitter Rap beef, the pair uses their co-starring position in Barbershop: The Next Cut to step beyond the issue. The song's verses play on each others' lines and names, the very same way these two went... Read more

March 31, 2016 Video

The Ugly Details Of Ice Cube & Common’s Beef Show Just How Far They’ve Come

Last week, Ice Cube and Common released "Real People." The Barbershop: The Next Cut soundtrack inclusion may be promotional for the film both MC/actors star in, but the lyrics and theme of the song suggest much more. The collaboration follows a mid-1990s beef that saw both parties release dis' records... Read more

March 30, 2016 Food for Thought

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