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Common

Common

Acting · Production · Sound · Writing

Born March 13, 1972, Chicago, Illinois, USA

Lonnie Rashid Lynn (born March 13, 1972), known by his stage name Common (formerly Common Sense), is an American rapper and actor. He has received three Grammy Awards, an Academy Award, a Primetime Emmy Award, and a Golden Globe Award. He debuted in 1992 with the album Can I Borrow a Dollar?, and gained critical acclaim with his 1994 album Resurrection. He maintained an underground following into the late 1990s. He achieved mainstream success through his work with the Soulquarians. His first major-label album Like Water for Chocolate (2000), received commercial success. In 2003, he won the Grammy Award for Best R&B Song for the Erykah Badu single "Love of My Life". His 2005 album Be was also a commercial success and was nominated for Best Rap Album at the 2006 Grammy Awards. Common received his second Grammy Award for Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group for "Southside" (featuring Kanye West), from his 2007 album Finding Forever. His best-of album, Thisisme Then: The Best of Common, was released in late 2007. In 2011, Common launched Think Common Entertainment, his own record label imprint, having previously released music under various other labels including Relativity, Geffen, and GOOD Music. Common won the 2015 Golden Globe Award for Best Original Song and the Academy Award for Best Original Song, for his song, co-written and performed with John Legend, "Glory" from the 2014 film Selma, in which he co-starred as Civil Rights Movement leader James Bevel. Common's acting career also includes roles in the films Smokin' Aces, Street Kings, American Gangster, Wanted, Terminator Salvation, Date Night, Just Wright, Happy Feet Two, New Year's Eve, Run All Night, Being Charlie, Rex, John Wick: Chapter 2, Smallfoot and Hunter Killer. He also narrated the documentary Bouncing Cats, about one man's efforts to improve the lives of children in Uganda through hip-hop/b-boy culture. He starred as Elam Ferguson on the AMC western television series Hell on Wheels. Description above from the Wikipedia article Common (rapper), licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia.

Filmography

Appearances as themselves (75)
  • 2026W.E.B. Du Bois: Rebel With a Cause — Self
  • 2025Diane Warren: Relentless — Self
  • 2025Wick Is Pain — Self
  • 2024Bilal: Live at Glasshaus — Self
  • Evolution of the Black Quarterback — Self
  • 2024Live from Detroit: The Concert at Michigan Central — Self
  • 2023A GRAMMY Salute to 50 Years of Hip-Hop — Self
  • 2023Chris Rock: Road To Live Special — Self
  • 2023The Legacy of J Dilla — Self - Rapper; Friend
  • 2022Killing Me Softly with His Songs — Self
  • The Jennifer Hudson Show — Self - Guest
  • jeen-yuhs: A Kanye Trilogy — Self (archive footage)
  • 20212021 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony — Self
  • 2021You're Watching Video Music Box — Self (archive footage)
  • 2020A Most Beautiful Thing — Self - Narrator (voice)
  • Bottomless Brunch at Colman's — Self
  • Fraggle Rock: Rock On! — Self
  • 2020Let's Go Crazy: The Grammy Salute to Prince — Self
  • Obama — Self
  • 2020One World: Together at Home — Self
  • Activate: The Global Citizen Movement — Self
  • The Kelly Clarkson Show — Self
  • 2019The Price of Protest — Self (archive footage)
  • The Tamron Hall Show — Self - Guest
  • Shut Up and Dribble — Self - Musician
  • 2017Chamber Check: Evolution of a Fight Scene — Self
  • 2017Chasing Trane — Self - Musician
  • 2017Feel Rich: Health Is the New Wealth — Himself
  • 2017Retro Wick: Exploring the Unexpected Success of 'John Wick' — Self
  • 2017The Words That Built America — Self - Reader: Declaration of Independence
  • America Divided — Self
  • 2016BET Presents Love & Happiness: An Obama Celebration — Self - Performer
  • 2016Black America Again — Himself - Street Performer
  • Chelsea — Self
  • 2016Maya Angelou: And Still I Rise — Self
  • 2016We're Still Here (Now).... A Documentary about nobody — Self
  • Framework — Himself - Host
  • Lip Sync Battle — Self
  • The Late Show with Stephen Colbert — Self - Guest, Self - Musical Guest
  • Late Night with Seth Meyers — Self - Guest
  • Off Camera with Sam Jones — Self
  • The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon — Self, Self - Guest / Musical Guest
  • 2013Our Vinyl Weighs a Ton: This Is Stones Throw Records — Self
  • 2012Something from Nothing: The Art of Rap — Self
  • 2011Beats Rhymes & Life: The Travels of A Tribe Called Quest — Self
  • 2010Brave New Voices 2010 — Himself - Host
  • 2010Music — Self
  • Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen — Self - Guest
  • Keeping Up with the Kardashians — Self
  • 2007Notorious B.I.G.: Bigger Than Life — Self
  • I Love the '70s: Volume 2 — Self
  • 2005Alicia Keys: Unplugged — Self
  • Black in the 80s — Self
  • 2005Dave Chappelle's Block Party — Self
  • 2005Letter to the President — Self
  • 2005Soundz of Spirit — Self
  • 20045 Sides of a Coin — Himself
  • Game Over — Himself (voice)
  • 2003Beef — Self
  • 2003Godfathers and Sons — Self
  • Jimmy Kimmel Live! — Self, Self - Musical Guest
  • Real Time with Bill Maher — Self
  • The Ellen DeGeneres Show — Self
  • 2002Brown Sugar — Self
  • Mark Twain Prize — Self - Musical Guest
  • The View — Self
  • The Daily Show — Self
  • Late Night with Conan O'Brien — Self - Guest
  • MTV Movie & TV Awards — Self - Presenter
  • American Masters — Self
  • MTV Video Music Awards — Self - Presenter
  • Entertainment Tonight — Self
  • Saturday Night Live — Self - Cameo (uncredited)
  • Dave Chappelle's Block Party 2 — Self
  • Paragraphs I Manifest — Self
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