Common - One Day Itll All Make Sense

Thank you for purchasing this Simon & Schuster eBook.

Sign up for our newsletter and receive special offers, access to bonus content, and info on the latest new releases and other great eBooks from Atria Books.

or visit us online to sign up at
eBookNews.SimonandSchuster.com

ONE DAY ITLL ALL MAKE SENSE

ALSO BY COMMON

I Like You but I Love Me

The Mirror and Me

M.E. (Mixed Emotions)

A Division of Simon & Schuster, Inc.
1230 Avenue of the Americas
New York, NY 10020
www.SimonandSchuster.com

Copyright 2011 by Think Common Music, Inc.

All rights reserved, including the right to reproduce this book or portions thereof in any form whatsoever. For information address Atria Books Subsidiary Rights Department, 1230 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10020.

First Atria Books hardcover edition September 2011

ATRIA BOOKS and colophon are trademarks of Simon & Schuster, Inc.

The Simon & Schuster Speakers Bureau can bring authors to your live event. For more information or to book an event, contact the Simon & Schuster Speakers Bureau at 1-866-248-3049 or visit our website at www.simonspeakers.com .

Designed by Suet Yee Chong

Manufactured in the United States of America

10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Common (Musician)

One day itll all make sense : a memoir / by Common with

Adam Bradley.1st Atria Books hardcover ed.

p. cm.

1. Common (Musician) 2. Rap musicianUnited States

Biography.

I. Bradley, Adam. II. Title.

ML420.C656A3 2011

782.421649092dc23

[B]

2011021691

ISBN 978-1-4516-2587-5
ISBN 978-1-4516-2590-5 (ebook)

I dedicate this to the Most High God
from whom all blessings flow.

I also dedicate this to my mother,
to Omoye, and to my grandmother.

FOREWORD

DR. MAHALIA ANN HINES

You have a wonderful son. He is such a good person. His spirit is so great. These are comments I often hear from perfect strangers. Most of them know my son only as Common, not by his given name, Rashid. But each of them speaks as if they have a personal connection to him. My favorite comment of all, though, is I want to be your daughter-in-law!

Every time I hear comments like these, it makes me smile. It makes me very proud to be his mother. Friends and family say, Rashid hasnt changed. Hes still the same as he was before the fame. That makes me feel even more proud. Im surprised they think he would change. I know hes an entertainer and some say hes a star, but in my mind those words only describe what he does, not who he is.

Im often told that Rashid is who he is because of me. You are such a strong mother. Youve taught him so much. Sure, I would like to take all of the credit for who he has become, but I cant. Hes always been his own personeven as a childand hes certainly become his own man.

Sometimes I listen to him and I have to ask myself, Who is this? Why is he so wise? Did he really come from me? Theres so much about him thats still a mystery, even to me. What I do know, though, is that I like him. I really like him. Of course, I love him, too. As mothers, we always love our childrenbut we may not always like them. I often tell him, I would like you even if you werent my son.

What do I like so much about him? I like praying with him, talking with him, and learning from him. He has a way of putting things into perspective for me when Im stressed out or worried about something. I remember talking to him about my niece, Bianca, who had come to live with me after my sister, Stella, had died. Bianca was only twelve and she was so angry at everyone, angry at the world. She was angry at her mother for leaving, angry at God for taking her away, and she was even mad at me for still being here. I did everything I knew to do for her, but nothing really helped. She barley graduated from high school and I helped her move on to college away from home. It wasnt long before she was running into problems there.

Thats when I called Rashid. I was so worried. I even thought that if my sister were here, Bianca wouldnt be struggling quite so bad. I said to him that I thought if she came back to Chicago where her family was she might do better. He said Mama, I know you want the best for Bianca. I love her, too. You have to do what you think will help her, but you need to understand that wherever Bianca goes she will take herself with her. It was simple wisdom, but it was a difficult truth. So I let Bianca tough it out away from home and before long, she found her own path with our love and support.

Have I always liked Rashid? Maybe not always. I really didnt like him when he decided to leave school to become a rapper. I didnt even know what rapping was nor did I think that one could have a career in it. I am embarrassed today when I say I didnt know he was even rapping as a teenager. Sure, I knew he could write. He always got As in English. I knew he used to spin on his head to music all the time, but I certainly didnt know that spinning on your head could lead to a career.

Remember, I came up in the 60s where doors finally started opening for African Americans to get an education, which would lead to getting a good job. Youd have that job for life. So why didnt my son want to finish college and get a good job for his life? I didnt understand it and I didnt like it, but I loved him and I tried to be supportive as he struggled to follow his dream.

I even went to one of his first shows one night at the House of Blues. I have to admit, I was excited. I was proud that my son was an entertainer. He was excited that I was going to be there, I think. But my excitement started waning early into the show. All I saw were people jumping around onstage and holleringangry, loud, and more often than not cursing. I wasnt sure who should have been onstage and who shouldnt. I even saw audience members jumping onstage trying to take the mic.

At some point in the show, Rashid seemed to feel like he had to defend his own microphone. I think he even hit someone. My excitement quickly turned to fear. My pride turned to worry, but somehow the show went on. My best friend, Barbara, and I just sat there in amazement. I knew she didnt say what she really thought because she didnt want to hurt my feelings. We sat there in silence looking at one another. Actually, I think by now we were standing because everyone else was standing and throwing up their hands.

With all that chaos going on, I tried to listen closely to the words in Rashids rhymes. He wasnt quite talking and wasnt quite singing, but something in between. It had rhythm and spirit and a little bit of soul, too. But it sounded to my ears like a foreign language. At one point in his performance, Rashid jumped off the stage and into the audience. Barbara and I looked at one another and we sat down. We had been there since 9:00 p.m. He was supposed to come on at 10:00, but he ended up coming on just after 1:00 in the morning. By 3:00, the show was over and Barbara and I were exhausted.

Well, I thought, at least Ill get to see his dressing room. We were escorted backstageif you can even call it that. Rashids dressing room was not as big as my bathroom. It was full of Rashids loud, smelly, and I think drunk (or on the way to being drunk) homeboys. When Barbara and I entered the room, they tried to straighten up out of respect for us, but there was only so much they could do. I gave him a hugall the while looking at who was in theretold him he did great, and left.