Revered Hip Hop artist, actor and writer Common, who earlier this year lit up the silver screen alongside Alicia Keys, Jeremy Piven and Ben Affleck in the hit thriller Smokin’ Aces, makes a very welcome return to the music world with the July 30th release of his hugely anticpated new album Finding Forever. The release of Finding Forever, the follow-up to the multi-Grammy nominated BE, is preceded by the track The Game, which is available now to download. Produced, once again, in the main by longtime friend and collaborator Kanye West, Finding Forever, also features production from Will.I.Am. and J Dilla and includes a duet with Lily Allen.Common, who stars in the new Ridley Scott movie American Gangster alongside Denzel Washington and Russell Crowe, has just completed filming Wanted in Prague with Angelina Jolie and Morgan Freeman, and is ready to start filming The Nightwatch Man with Forrest Whitaker and Keanu Reeves. The versatile and prolific artist has also recently published his first book, a children’s story entitled ‘I Like You But I Love Me’, which was nominated for a NAACP Image Award and, launched his own hat line, Soji.Common rose to prominence as one of hip-hops most poetic and respected lyricists having recorded six albums: Can I Borrow a Dollar?, Resurrection, One Day It’ll All Make Sense, Like Water For Chocolate, and Electric Circus.
In 2004, he hooked up with fellow Chicago native Kanye West to produce the platinum selling BE which went on to garner four Grammy Award nominations.
In addition to the music, acting and writing skills, Common has started The Common Ground Foundation, an organization dedicated to utilizing the cultural relevance of Hip-Hop to serve as an advocate for justice, education, to fight poverty, and to increase health awareness among youth in underserved communities throughout the United States.