Profile Text
Common in 2012, photo by Prphotos.com
Birth Name: Lonnie Rashid Lynn
Place of Birth: Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
Date of Birth: March 13, 1972
Ethnicity: African-American
Common is an American hip-hop recording artist, actor, poet, and film producer. He was a member of rap trio C.D.R. and experimental black music collective Soulquarians. He gained fame as a skilled and respected MC in the ’90s, releasing three albums, “Can I Borrow a Dollar?,” “Resurrection,” and “One Day It’ll All Make Sense.” Common won the Academy Award for Best Original Song, along with John Legend , for their song “Glory,” from the film Selma (2014). He is also known as Common Sense, L. Liston, and Willie Stargell. Erykah Badu , D’Angelo , Mos Def , Questlove , and Q-Tip were also members of Soulquarians.
Common is the son of Lonnie Lynn, a professional basketball player and youth counsellor, and Mahalia Ann Hines, an educator. His parents were/are both black. A picture of Common’s mother can be seen here . Common has a daughter with his former fiancée Kim Jones. He is a Christian.
Common’s paternal grandfather was named Lonnie Lynn.
Common’s paternal grandmother was named Mabel/Mable Malone (the daughter of Charlie/Charles Malone and Millie Sanders/Saunders). Mabel was born in Tennessee. Her family was from Covington, TN.
Sources: Biographical article about Common’s father and his family – https://www.westword.com
Common’s paternal grandmother, Mabel/Mable Malone, on the 1920 U.S. Census – https://www.familysearch.org
Death record of Common’s paternal grandmother, Mabel/Mable (Malone) Lynn – https://www.familysearch.org