Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

Common is one of my personal heros and role models. He’s spiritual when it comes to religion and the way he goes about living life. He looks fcuk’in amazing and he’s gotta be somewhere in his late 30s. He used to be a vegan and he still eats really healthy (my friend has seen him at the Brooklyn Food Coop picking up organic food). He’s recently gotten into the acting game and he’s kicking butt (recently in Wanted with Angelina Jolie, alongside Denzel Washington in American Gangster, and bodyguard to Ari Gold in Smokin’ Aces). He’s a father to a beautiful daughter who he talks about in his songs, “My daughter found Nemo, I found the new Primo” and expresses his love and admiration on a daily basis. He’s been recently linked to being in a relationship with Alicia Keys and Serena Williams in the past year alone (btw. I am infatuated with Alicia Keys). And to top all of that, he’s one of the best emcees in the hip hop game signed to a fantastic record label and linked to one of the best producers. Even though that could have been a post in itself, I’m only just getting started!

Linked to Kanye West apart of his record label G.O.O.D., Common is due out to release his 8th solo album entitled Invincible Summer (2008) on September 23rd. And like a music crack fiend, I’m itching and scratching to get my hands on a copy of it.

Before signing with G.O.O.D., Common was still considered an underground emcee. Though he had a few tracks that got him noticed in the mainstream, he was still relatively unknown to the masses. His first critically acclaimed album dropper early in his career entitled Resurrection (1994) and it created stirs in the underground hip hop community. It was completely produced by No I.D. (former mentor of Kanye West) and you could easily rock out to it. I have included my most favorite track from this album (and I think overall from his entire career) entitled I Used to Love Her. The entire song is a personification of the genre/culture/music known as hip hop. It’s done with such eloquence and lyricism, it will blow your mind if this is your first listen to it.

His next album entitled One Day It’ll All Make Sense (1997) got his first big label record contract with MCA Records. It has collaborations with some of the best during that time like Q-Tip, Lauryn Hill, Black thought, etc. After obtaining the contract, he did well on his first release Like Water For Chocolate (2000) and pretty much flopped his second release Electric Circus (2002). These are known as his Soulquarian days and I like to think of it as him dating Erykah Badu days. Some call these his best days, I call them his exploration/growth days. He did alot of unconventional things during this time and took spouts of time for himself where we didn’t see much of him. But I think it was needed for an artist of his caliber. It’s growth that all human beings go through and many artists/famous people actually don’t.

Two years after his breakup with Erykah Badu and three years after his last release, Common grabbed hold of his life and signed with Kanye West. And everything went up from there. His album sales, his skillz, his ability to hit the masses, his credibility, his mojo, and his career. To me, this was the single biggest step and decision that he could have made in his life (after dropping out of college of course :->).

His entire life journey and the decisions he made makes for a E! True Hollywood Story. Not really, but you get my drift. Ontop of everything I’ve stated thus far, what I truly admire above all else is the sincerity, modesty, and consciousness that he’s done all the actions around his life. And I felt that personally when 1) seeing him perform live, 2) reading his interviews in magazines and online, and 3) the way he explores life in terms of spirituality, health, music, career, etc without any bounds or without any fear of rejection. I love that and to me, that not only makes for a great person but also a great artist.

If you like him already or are starting to, check out this 3-part interview:

• Tim Westwood: Part 1
• Tim Westwood: Part 2
• Tim Westwood: Part 3