Common has been wowing the masses with his conscious brand of hip-hop music and in the September issue of Details, he discusses his new memoir, upcoming TV show and new album.
In the glossy men’s magazine, the Be rapper opens up about the creation of his autobiography, One Day It’ll All Make Sense, which hits bookstores next month.
“My manager approached me with the idea. The acting roles were picking up, and I was just becoming more assertive and more defined as a man, and I had accomplished some things that needed telling. But at first, I was like, “No, man, this is something older people do,’ ” said Common, adding that his mother, Dr. Mahalia Ann Hines, provided several of the words for the book. “My mom has obviously had a powerful influence on my life, and her voice can describe certain things that I couldn’t see in myself. Somebody told me, ‘It’s hard for the eye to see itself.’ Some things only my mother would be able to tell.”
The burgeoning actor also touched upon his new AMC show, “Hell On Wheels,” a period piece from the 1860s where he’ll play a freed slave, Elam Ferguson, looking for work and a new life in the old West.
Besides TV roles, Common also chatted about his upcoming ninth studio album, The Dreamer, The Believer, and being the old man competing (He’s 39) with a sea of hip-hop youngsters.
“I think that’s human nature. A man may be married and love his wife, but when he sees all these other sexy women, he wants to feel that newness for a second,” said Common. “But when it’s really true love, he comes back to his wife. It’s like when you get a taste of that home-cooked meal — ‘Oh, man, I forgot how good it was.’ ”
Shifting gears from entertainment to politics, Common shared his thoughts on President Barack Obama as well as his controversial appearance at a White House poetry reading, courtesy of Michelle Obama, earlier this year.
“I didn’t put my hope only in a political agenda. I’m also looking at what Obama inspires and brings out of people,” explained Common. “As soon as I arrived in Canada [to film “Hell on Wheels”], a lot of the older white guys on set were like, ‘Yeah, we just love Obama, man.’ It’s a bridge we had. As far as the political things go, man, that’s what politics is all about. From the hole that was dug, I didn’t expect us to be at the sky yet. We have to get to sea level and then start moving up.
“I understood the crossfire I was caught up in. Politics is politics, and people in politics will utilize whatever they can to bring down their opposition,” said Common. “I was just grateful to be invited to be a part of that event. Do I feel bad that this was the first impression some people had of me? No, because those people will eventually learn who I really am. I don’t feel I have to try and convince people I’m a good guy.”
Common’s new album, The Dreamer, The Believer, is due out on Nov. 22 and his new AMC show, “Hell On Wheels,” premieres on AMC on Sunday, Nov. 6 at 10:00 p.m. EST. – nicholas robinson
