Lonnie Lynn, Sr., father of rapper-actor Common, died this past Friday, according to the star himself in a Monday interview. Lynn was known for appearing on most of the rapper’s albums, offering spoken word monologues of advice and encouragement.
Lynn played in the American Basketball Association for one season. The 6’7, 215 lb forward was a star at DuSable High school before heading to Upper Iowa University and being drafted by the St. Louis Hawks in 1966. He never played for the Hawks, however, but played for the ABA’s Pittsburgh Pipers in the ABA. He had battles with addiction earlier in his life. He was 71-years-old.
“He was truly a natural poet and master of words,” Common said. “The way he said things made me look at life and the world in a new way, in a different way. They always sparked a thought in my head. His words would always make me strive to achieve higher, to write better, to be more truthful with my words.”
