Chicago's Finest

Some MCs rap just to hear themselves and buy a pair of alligator boots, but to a devoted few, the mic is a tool. Since stepping on the court in 1992, Common has always played the game serious, spilling out his heart and soul into each of his six albums from Can I Borrow a Dollar? to his latest Be. He has taken the opportunity given to him and used it to educate and enlighten people instead of stroking their vices. His mission through music exceeds obtaining spinning rims and a platinum chain that hangs to the navel; Common is a grown man. There is nothing I could deliver in text that he doesn’t express through his music, so instead of selling art to inquiring minds I encourage you to read the words and pursue the message. Treat yourself and throw on a pair of headphones, forget about your stress, and absorb the beauty, the music: Be.

What do you feel is your number one responsibility as an MC?
To be truthful to who I am, so that can translate that to the people.

Is that something you think every MC should take into consideration?
Yeah, definitely. I don’t believe every MC should only tell the stories they’ve experienced. It’s cool to tell others’ experiences and use your imagination, but you have to honest to who you are, and what you think is good.

Do you see that right in rap today?
I see it coming, and I’m starting to see more of it happen. Artists like Kanye, Mos Def and myself, you know, people who express who they are, and the walk of life they came from, who can relate to all walks of life.

Is it a natural cycle of hip-hop, or more a statement of what’s going on in our country and the rest of the world?
It seems like a necessary thing to happen in the world right now. People need something to be said to their soul, that’s good for their spirit. It’s like encouraging people to be themselves, and to be spiritual, but at the same time have fun and keep a good balance. I think hip-hop naturally evolved because the world needed it.

Do you think it would be as effective if the trend came full circle and everybody was doing it, or do you see it as the balance in hip-hop?
I’ve always thought that life and hip-hop need to have balance. Everybody doesn’t need to act like they’re conscious. Honestly just because you hustle doesn’t mean you’re not intelligent; you should be able to use all those aspects of who you are, and then express that in the music.

As an artist do you feel you can say everything you truly believe, or are there constraints on your artistic freedom?
Nah, I say what I want to say. And they say what’s happening [laughing in reference to “They Say” off Be]. But they don’t know.

How do you mix what you want to get out on records with what will sell?
I’m a believer, you might call me a dreamer, but I believe that the quality good stuff will eventually sell and get to the masses. I just continue to create what I feel is good music, and think how can I get it to the masses. Truth will come to light.

So as an established artist, you don’t have pressure from the label to make a certain song?
I always deliver what I am, whether they’re with my ideas or not. I just give it to them. You can see through Like Water for Chocolate and Electric Circus it’s always been who I am. They know that I’m gonna do what I do; I’m an artist like that. They allow me that space, and hope that I’m gonna deliver that stuff that the masses can be in tune with. Sometimes it will, sometimes it won’t. You just have to create from the heart.

Do you subscribe to the dumbing down for dollars theory?
I believe that everybody needs to take whatever route they feel is best for them. I do what I do because this is what was sent to me. This is what Common is sent to do. I can’t tell another artist or person what God has them here to do.

What do you feel is your purpose within the realm of hip-hop?
To enlighten. To entertain. To remind people that we are people: we can love, and hustle, be sexual, and spiritual all in one.

Has that always been your train of thought?
It’s evolved, but it’s always been my train of thought. My first single, “Take It EZ,” in the intro my man Twilight Tone said, “You ain’t no gangsta. You ain’t no super preppy. Just be who you are.” That was the first time I introduced myself to the world, and it was about just being me. I did that, so it’s always been about that, but I grow.

Do you feel media sources help or hurt the well-being of hip-hop?
Overall I think they hurt it because the majority of it doesn’t promote what hip-hop is really about. The majority of the media is out to get ratings, out to get sales, so they’ll do whatever to make a story juicy and interesting. I don’t think their concern is to promote what the culture is about, especially a lot of magazines now. When I was growing up we knew what hip-hop was, and we knew what was good before magazines came into play.

Are you in the group who believe that hip-hop culture is dead as we know it today?
I don’t believe it’s dead, I believe it’s constantly changing. Like a person, it goes through different changes. As a child it was very beautiful and pure, we all loved it, and it felt good. Like people, it goes through changes, it goes through mistaken identities, not knowing itself; the ups and downs. It’s evolving and ever-changing, not dead.

Do you feel that you’ve been portrayed accurately and fairly in the media?
Yeah, pretty much. They gave what they thought about me and how they feel about me. Everything hasn’t been correct, but that’s the media. I don’t expect them to be down with the struggle. The majority of magazines aren’t going to be down for the people. If so, they’d be throwing events trying to help people, doing fundraisers, or just doing stories on stuff that means something. Don’t get me wrong, I know that there are some writers who care, but we’re talking about media as a whole. I don’t see anyone trying to raise the consciousness of the people.

Would a conscious media source survive, or better yet, thrive today?
Yeah, but when you do things conscious, you gotta make it fresh—like it’s gotta be presented in a beautiful way.

Are you a leader of this movement?
Yes. And by the same token, if I know how to lead, I have to know how to follow, too.

I’ve been a fan since the start, and as a white person I hear your black conscious theme, and while I can’t relate to it directly, I’ve found strength in what you’re expressing. Does that make any sense?
When I give the message of black pride and black love, it’s important because that’s who I am. That’s me and my family, and my community. But it’s also a message of self-love, whether you’re white, Asian or Latino. It’s not taking away from you all, it’s like we as black people need to love ourselves because we came from the underground trying to get to an equality level. It’s important that I reinforce that because we have so many obstacles just being black in America. I speak on it from that level, but I hope it is a universally encouraging theme.

So you can envision a world where everyone can exist in peace?
Definitely. But there is nothing wrong with the Jewish community being proud of who they are, or young blacks in America being proud of who we are, and in tune with our African culture.

How do you see this happening?
I see it starting with each individual gathering an amount of self-love, knowledge and pride, so that when they go out and deal with people, they deal with them accordingly—at the same time loving people and not being jealous, while giving back to their family and their community. We need an agenda so when we see something wrong we move as a movement and not separate. People have to know how to lead, and people need to know how to follow.

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