Who is Common?

• His real name is Lonnie Corant Jaman Shuka Rashid Lynn, however, he is better known by his stage name, Common.
• Common is an American rapper, actor, writer, activist and philanthropist.
• He was born in South Side, Chicago (Illinois) on 13th March 1972
• Illinois is a place which is known for being a poverty area.
• He has completed his Doctorate Degree.
• His music is influenced by culture as he wants to spread awareness of racism.
• Common has a net worth of approximately $45 million
• He has acted/voiced in many famous films, some are:
  • Happy Feet Two
  • Suicide Squad
  • Now You See Me
  • Smallfoot
  • The Hate U Give

Letter to the Free (Music Video)

• It is from an album called “Black America Again” which is the 11th studio album that was produced by Common
• It is a song that is under the Hip Hop and Rap Genre
• It was nominated for the NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Song – Contemporary
• Letter to the Free was awarded a Grammy Award and an Emmy Award
• He was nominated for the best Rap album at the Grammy Awards
• It was a low budget music video
• The video is all filmed in black and white bringing a message that having a colour is less important as everyone is equal
• It is a predictable hip hop and rap music video.
• The music video is hosted by VEVO.
• There is no main story to compliment this music video.
• The black box that features in the music video is a symbol that black things can represent infinity and something that the audiences need to know about.
• It appears to be quite a radical music video because it challenges the dominant ideology
• As suggested by the title “Letter to the Free” the free are the white people and Common is trying to show that everyone should be treated equally, no matter the colour of their skin.
• The prison setting represents how the black people are “locked away” as if they are criminals, however in reality they are the same as white people.
• “Letter to the Free” is part of the soundtrack to a film called “13th”

Artist –

• Common – Rapper, Actor, Writer and Activist
• Born Lonnie Rashid Lynn Jr. on March 13, 1972 in Chicago, Illinois – looked down upon in America for it’s low economic status
• Became an underground rapper who garnered a reputation for relatively thoughtful, progressive lyrics as compared to top-selling rap artists of the time. 
• Political and social concern in his music.
• Net Worth 45 million
• Dr Degree
• Emmy award for Letter to the free
• Influenced by culture and racism in America
• 2005 Noinated for Grammy award

Music Video –

• Raise awareness of racism and it’s effects on US society
• Contribution to the divisive political and social issues of contemporary America, a sense that he is attempting to draw attention to initiating a new wave of ‘protest music’.
• Letter to the Free was directed by Bradford Young (the cinematographer on Selma).
• The song was written for Ava DuVernay’s Netflix documentary 13th focusing on the historic legacy of the 13th amendment to the US Constitution.
• Black and White – colour shouldn’t matter
• From an album called Black America – about racism
• Dominant Ideology – radical(This Video)/ reactionary
• Symbollic box
• Low budget – more personal less formal
• Genre – rap/ hip-hop = Steven Neal, repetition and variation
• Vevo
• No main story-line

Notes –

• Comercial(Money) Success
• Cultural success focus on it’s effect on people (And money)
• Todorov = beggining, middle, end =conflict and resolution

Common

Doctor Lonnie Corant Jaman Shuka Rashid Lynn (Common) is an American rapper, actor, writer, philanthropist and activist. He is 47 years old. His albums include: Black America Again, Let Love and Nobody’s Smiling. He has a net worth of $47 million.

Bilal

Bilal Sayeed Oliver is a 40 year old American singer, songwriter, and record producer. His genres are Neo Soul, R&B, Funk, Jazz and Hip Hop. He has been nominated for four career Grammy Awards, winning one. His net worth is $3 million.

‘Letter to the Free’

• In 2017 he won the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Original Music and Lyrics – for his song ‘Letter to the Free’.
• Its all in Black and White.

The video was released in 2016

The genre of the video is Hip-Hop and Rap – Steve Neel

It was nominated for NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Song – Contemporary award

Bradford Young directed the music video

Low Budget – Black and white, same location

Powerful message and meaning – lyrics and video – symbolism – Linking shots to meanings (prison)

Posted by Vivo

• sings about the concept of freedom

• sings about loss of identity

• simple yet effective production – personal lyrics

• edited black and white colors – links well to the theme of the song – cold and hard facts that need to be addressed. (brutal but true)

• genre of video is hip hop and rap – typical from beats

camera man is holding the camera, circling round the actors – main attention is on them. symbolism is that black people should be more appreciated and focused on.

Common

Lonnie Lynn Jr. (born March 13, 1972), better known by his stage name Common (formerly Common Sense), is an American rapper, actor, writer, philanthropist, and activist.

Making his album debut with “Can I Borrow a Dollar?” An artist known for often thoughtful, verbose lyricism and exploring varied sounds, his later albums included Like Water for Chocolate, Electric Circus, and Be, among others.A Grammy winner, Common has also turned to acting, as seen with roles in projects like” Just Wright”, “The Odd Life of Timothy Green” and “Selma”. For the latter film, he and vocalist/musician John Legend have won a Golden Globe and an Oscar for the song “Glory.” he’s also worth 47million.

Bilal

Bilal Sayeed Oliver (born August 23, 1979), better known as Bilal, is an American singer, songwriter, and record producer. He is currently an independent artist residing in New York City. Bilal is noted for his wide vocal range, his work across multiple genres, and his live performances.

letter to the free music video

Common has always been one to incorporate activism into his music, but perhaps one of his most moving works is the haunting “Letter to the Free” from his 2016 album Black America Again. He turned that song into an affecting visual, which he debuted a longer version of at Tribeca Film Festival Sunday night (April 23).

The black-and-white piece which was filmed in a jail just outside of Queens, New York features Common’s song presented by the rapper himself, along with singer Andra Day, their collaborator Bilal and other musicians playing everything from flute to xylophone to bongos. The clip also features a symbolic black box, which Common explained in a conversation with filmmaker Nelson George after the premiere: “It represents the infinite thing about blackness and blackness can’t be defined in time or space.”

1. both black
2. They dont have english names
3. They have both produced 15 songs together
4. common is worth 45 m

• black people

• Common is an American rapper, actor, writer, philanthropist, and activist.

• Common is a christian

• sings about the concept of freedom

• Bilal is an american singer, singsong writer and producer

• collaboration with Bilal and common, they have produced 15 songs

• commons net worth 45 million

Common:

Full name: Lonnie Corant Jaman Shuka Rashid Lynn

Age: 47 years old

Occupation: Rapper, actor, writer, activist and philanthropist

Bilal:

Full name: Bilal Sayeed Oliver

Age: 40 years old

Occupation: Singer, songwriter and record producer