"The impact of a conscious artist is necessary, and it ripples through the world."

• Born Lonnie Rashid Lynn Jr. March 13, 1972, in Chicago, Illinois

• Common debuted in 1992 with "Take It EZ," which reached No. 5 on the Billboard Hot Rap Singles chart. His second album, Resurrection, introduced him to an audience beyond his native Chicago and is considered a hip-hop classic.

• Common won his first career GRAMMY for Best R&B Song as a songwriter on his collaboration with Erykah Badu for "Love Of My Life (An Ode To Hip-Hop)" for 2002. The rapper performed "Glory" with John Legend at the 57th GRAMMY Awards in 2015, his GRAMMY stage debut.

• The rapper went by Common Sense until 1995. 

• The rapper's Common Ground Foundation aids and empowers youth in underserved urban communities. He has also appeared in advertisements for PETA and supports HIV/AIDS awareness.