2. Common

When the term conscious rap is used these days Common’s name is always mentioned. Common launched his career in 1992 with the release of Can I Borrow a Dollar. When Common released his second project Resurrection in 1994 it featured the song “I Used to Love H.E.R.” The song was an ode to hip-hop and rap and all of the stages it had gone through until that point. Common lamented on the culture as if it were a woman. This remains one of his most classic songs to this day. Fast-forward past the beefs with Das Efx, Ice Cube and his interesting choices in clothing to 2015 where he won an Oscar for the song “Glory” on the soundtrack of the movie Selma and you will understand Common’s effect on the culture. He has managed to weave his way throughout the entire entertainment industry by way of music and acting and has maintained his credibility as a rapper and a representative for the culture. Common has been changing the lives of the youth through his work as the founder of the Common Ground Foundation and he continues to be an advocate for those who find themselves in socially crippling situations. Common is currently doing the Hope and Redemption prison tour.