Common's invincible summer gets hotter
ENTERTAINMENT | Chicago rapper is 'Wanted'
LOS ANGELES -- He's a wanted man, that Common. The rapper-turned-actor is one Chicago guy whose participation is desired at every turn.
(Chris Sweda/Sun-Times)
Movies? He's got that down with a choice role opposite Angelina Jolie in "Wanted" (opening Friday), in which he plays a tough-guy assassin.
Music? Just pop in his new CD "Invincible Summer" to get in the seasonal mood.
Good deeds? You can't get much better than starting a foundation that will cater to the youth of the world.
Common says he learned his purpose as a young man growing up on the streets of Chicago. "I was one of those kids who just wanted to have a voice -- one of the many kids who wasn't being heard. You see these kids all over Chicago -- all over America. Now that I have a voice, I want to affect the youth. It's a great feeling if I can reach them and give them inspiration."
In an interview at the Four Seasons Hotel, Common is a commanding figure in a black sweater and matching dark slacks. But there are no handlers surrounding him or bodyguards blocking access.
Common likes to stay with the people. "I'm the guy who tried so hard to be in this business so I could reach out to people," he says. "Now that I'm here, I like when the people reach back out to me."
He's reaching people on the big screen by starring opposite Jolie, Morgan Freeman and James McAvoy in "Wanted," in which he plays a character called the Gunsmith.
"You've never seen a movie like this before because it really re-invents the action movie," Common says. "Man, it's just thrilling. I can't even believe I'm in the movie."
Explaining the Gunsmith, he says, "It sounds funny to say it this way, but I'm an assassin and a good one. I'm also a peaceful, calm spirit, which makes things interesting. Angelina and I are partners. We're part of this fraternity of killers. I like to think of us as weapons of fate. We're basically doing things in the name of justice and in the will of fate."
Who is tougher: the guy from Chicago or Angelina Jolie? "Angelina is tough, but I'll always be the toughest," he boasts. Then with a smile, he adds, "Please!"
Common just put the finishing touches on a June CD called "Invincible Summer," his eighth studio album. It features his new electro-rap sound, with production courtesy of the Neptunes and Mr. DJ; guests including Gnarls Barkley's Cee-Lo and the pop group Chester French.
" 'Invincible Summer' is something I just had to do," he says. "I caught the spirit a few months ago and decided to do this album. The songs just started to flow. It's feel-good music -- something new for Common. This is the type of music I felt I was missing from my body of work. It's a new, fresh sound and not heavy. This is a CD where you just listen and enjoy life."
Common is certainly enjoying his big-screen life. He did turns in "American Gangster" and "Smokin' Aces," and says he jumped into acting to "express myself in a new way artistically."
"I took acting courses and I was enthused about it," he says. "I felt like, 'Man, I can't wait to go to my next acting class.' "
Common says acting is getting easier for him these days. "I think that I'm open to each director and I know each set will be different. I'm glad I have a few movies done because it's not my first time getting in the swimming pool anymore. I'm becoming more confident as an actor as time goes on."
For his recent meaty role in the Keanu Reeves film "Street Kings," Common jumped into the research and spent time in Compton to figure out an L.A. accent. "All the people of Compton saw me and said, 'Common, is it you? What are you doing here?' I was just hoping that they didn't think I was a police informant.
"I played a guy who doesn't really care about human life much. I had a feeling that he didn't receive much love as a child. Maybe that's always the problem with people."
Working with Reeves was a thrill. "I couldn't help but ask him a bunch of questions about 'The Matrix,' " Common says. "People do that to him all the time."
Lonnie Rashid Lynn grew up in Chicago, where he attended Faulkner School and then Luther High School South.
"Music was always on my mind," he recalls. "It was something I just had to do with my life."
In 1991, he was studying at Florida's A&M and sending out a demo tape. A record company called and asked him to return to Chicago -- ASAP. But he couldn't afford a real plane ticket.
"I took three propeller planes to get there because I couldn't afford anything more than the cheapest airline tickets," he says. "But I had to do anything to sign a contract. I would have signed anything. I didn't care what the contract said. It was my beginning."
His first LP, "Can I Borrow a Dollar?," put him on the map under the name Common Sense, which he later shortened after a lawsuit with a ska band. Other CDs include his breakout fourth album, "Like Water for Chocolate" (2000); "Be" (2005) and last year's chart-topping "Finding Forever."
Common says the fame that comes with his work isn't too intrusive unless he's with his daughter Omoye, 10. "I've been through an evolution as an artist. I can handle whatever notoriety and fame I get. I've been paying dues and slowly getting more popular.
"You learn to deal with people and still take your space," he says. "Angelina Jolie does a great job. Angelina and Brad have their lives, but they also have 50 cameras waiting. I went out to eat with them on the set of 'Wanted' and said, 'Do you know there are 50 photographers out there?' They shrugged, like they could have cared less."
He's also excited about his new Common Ground Foundation.
A recent project is to encourage and inspire youth to read. To that end, Common -- who's written several children's books -- has launched "The Corner," a national online book club. This interactive platform allows kids from across the country with an opportunity to discuss books.
"I want to inspire kids to think critically," Common says. "It's all about them having a discussion with other kids and realizing that being smart is really cool."
The Corner allows students from 13 to 18 to learn about tolerance, compassion and non-violent expressions of achieving social justice. Teens can recommend the book of the month and blog with other kids. They also chat online with Common.
Celebrities will be interviewed monthly about their favorite books. (Check it out at www.com mongroundfoundation.org.)
"Through hip-hop, I have a voice," Common says. "And I know kids are listening and they will respond. What better way to talk to the kids than educate and empower them about life?"
Big Picture News Inc.