photo credit: UC Irvine Office of Student Affairs
On Friday, April 10th, rapper Common came to UC Irvine’s Bren Events Center to give an encouraging talk to students on issues of facing adversity through problems of race. Lonnie Rashid Lynn Jr., known more often as Common, is not only a rapper, but a well-accomplished actor, multi-Grammy Award winner, as well as children’s book writer. Aside from all of that, he finds a special place in his schedule for his Dreamers & Believers Youth Camp, a foundation dedicated to youth empowerment, leadership development, and expression through creative writing.
On this day, the Bren Events Center’s lower level was filled with students and fans eager to hear Common speak. The event was set-up much like a talk show, with two couches and a coffee table on stage. The host of the show, Vice Chancellor, Dr. Thomas Parham, carried the hour-long interview as a “common conversation,” truly exposing the rapper’s down-to-earth nature. Once Common was introduced onto the stage, everyone in the audience gave him a welcoming standing ovation. In return, the rapper very humbly thanked his fans for their kind gesture.
photo credit Tiffany Gu
Even in his rap songs, Common discusses deep issues on life and race. When questioned about what inspires his songs, Common responded that his values are what push him to see the world from a better perspective, values such as honesty, courageousness, and faith. As a devout man, he proudly expresses his dedication to religion through his songs and in the roles he has played in movies. As discussing issues of race, he clarified that he is “pro-black, but not anti- other nationalities.”
He even shared his moments of weakness with the audience, discussing the prolonged feud he had with rapper Drake, which began a few years ago. The two were having rap battles back and forth supposedly over the tennis player, as well as ex-girlfriend of Common, Serena Williams, and it escalated to having very hostile attitudes towards each other. But Common shared that one time at an event, Drake and his father were standing there together, and Drake took Common aside and talked with him until they both moved on from the situation. Common admits, “Drake handled the situation more maturely than me. I didn’t want to put that negative energy out there any longer.” Now, he calls Drake a very “humble and honest” person, which he “respects.” The fact that Drake’s father was there added to the powerful moment; both Drake and Common deeply admire parental figures as they both grew up with single moms and learned to forgive their fathers. Common concludes simply that there is just “no success through anger.”
Throughout the entire interview, the fans sat absorbing his deeply motivational answers to the serious questions. Even Dr. Parham, better known as “Doc,” admired that it was “almost like he was free-styling from the seat.” On that note, Doc asked Common to give a short freestyle on a word he chooses, that word soon revealed to be “adversity.” The rapper eagerly agreed, and even gave a shout to UC Irvine, which students cheered enthusiastically for. Before he left, he learned how to do the customary ritual of making anteater sign with his hand and shouting out, “Zot! Zot! Zot!” It was truly a proud moment for the Anteaters of UC Irvine, as they got to share this experience with such an insightful individual.
video credit: David Park