Facts about Common:

• Lonnie Corant Jaman Shuka Rashid Lynn is known as Common, but he was formerly known as Common Sense.
• He is an American rap artist, actor, writer, philanthropist and activist.
• His parents divorced when he was 6 years old, leaving his mum to raise Lonnie by herself, but his dad was still active within his life.
• He has been in films such as; Happy feet two, John Wick: Chapter Two and Terminator salvation.
• He is a supporter of animal rights group PETA.

The music video is playing on top of the song, Letter to the free. The theme of the music video is about freedom, this is clear with the title of the song, but also the setting of the video being shot in a prison, a place associated with freedom, well lack of. The genre of the song is Hip-Hop/Rap. The song and chorus especially is inspired by the slavery of black people, with the chorus repeating ‘freedom’ and repeating things such as ‘hold on’ and ‘Won’t be long’ is a hidden message which were used by black slaves to send hidden messages, much like ‘Wade in the water’.

A black square hovering in the air appears throughout the clip, which, in a final shot, is framed as empty space in a field this gives the representation of an empty space like the freedom has been taken away.