Def Jam Poetry - Common

People from Chicago are very loyal. I am a native of Chicago, so I have loved Common aka Lonnie Lynn from day one. His metaphoric history of Hip-Hop in I Used to Love Her, is a Hip-Hop classic.He is one of Chicago's native sons.  My  college students, from Chicago, love him because they say he is still real. Common has been known to show up in various hoods in the Chi, and converse with the younger brothers. Common's new CD, The Dreamer,The Believer is out, and he seems a bit edgy on a couple of tracks.  Personally,I like the brother edgy. Don't get me wrong, I love the revolutionary,conscious lyricism, but sometimes our own anger is fuel for our creative fire. Common was severely criticized early this year after First Lady Michelle Obama invited him to the White House along with other poets. Some of the raiders of societal righteousness, from the so-called right, took offense to some of Common's lyrics. Ironically, Common is one of the cleanest, most conscious brothers on the mic, and he still is called violent. So, the edginess is because Common is in the dicotyledonous position of being damned if you do, and damned if you don't.He is another rose that grew in the concrete. He raps on the track Gold that there are three kings in a man-they are the hustler, king, and prisoner. These three men have fostered  Common's career as an actor, author, MC, poet, and writer. All of those titles and all the pundits can see is violence.  Jawanza Kunjufu writes about the Black Male and his peer group. According to Kunjufu, males do not internalize disapproval the way females do. Males are more likely to sing the Cee Lo Green tune and say f---you. The edge in the new CD has a little f--- you in it. Lonnie Lynn is back!!!!!!!!