Common Acts Common

Image via Wikipedia. Here's Maya Angelou reading at Bill Clinton's inauguration.

When I was a kid, calling someone “common” was an insult. It meant that you were just like everybody else and nothing special. In common modern English, it means something is everyday or seen all the time.

So it always surprised me that a rapper would wish to call himself that as a name. Yes, the rapper Common has done well for himself, appearing in movies, putting out CD after CD, even getting Obama to fawn over him at the White House.

Personally, I’ll take the real rap of NWA and Public Enemy over Common’s common grinds any day. And who is Common to punk Maya Angelou?

Apparently, Common thought it was fine to take recordings he did with Maya Angelou and then use them in a “song” wherein he uses the “n” word several times during it. He can use that insulting and degrading term all he wants to, that’s his right, but to use it in the same track as readings from Maya Angelou debases her writing and legacy as something….common.

Here’s a link to the story from The Root.com:

• http://www.theroot.com/maya-angelou-common-n-word-the-dreamer?wpisrc=nextbox

Related articles:

• Legendary Poet Maya Angelou “Shocked, Disappointed” Over Common’s Lyrics (dreblacksofresh.com)
• Maya Angelou ‘Will Not Be Divided’ From Common (theroot.com)
• Maya Angelou Upset With “The Dreamer” (rapradar.com)
• Maya Angelou Disappointed With Common For Using The “N-Word” (hellobeautiful.com)
• Maya Angelou “Disappointed” In Common Using The N-Word (hiphopwired.com)
• Harlem’s Dr. Maya Angelou And Common’s N-Word Lyrics Uncommon (video) (harlemworldblog.wordpress.com)
• Common Responds To Maya Angelou’s Comments Criticizing His Use Of The N-Word (gangsgoonsandgunz.com)
• Common Lyrics Ignite Beef With Maya Angelou (spin.com)
• Common Settles Rift with Maya Angelou, Gets at Drake (hiphopwired.com)
• Common: ‘No regrets’ on n-word track with Maya Angelou (VIDEO) (thegrio.com)
• Maya Angelou criticises Common collaboration (guardian.co.uk)