‘Respect for Women is Necessary’
Oscar and Grammy-winning Hip Hop artist Common has been a household name for decades.
During a recent interview with MSNBC, the Chicago-native reflected on his journey as a Hip Hop artist and a staple of the entertainment industry, as well as industry double standards.
Some artists don’t like to be hit with labels, but Common wears the “conscious rapper” tag with pride.
“I want to do songs that are socially conscious and uplifting,” he tells Ari Melber. “I want to do songs about the deal with love, and, like songs that deal with things that I feel as a human being. Things that I experienced and things that I see people going through. But I also love the art of rhyming.”
Common spoke candidly about some of the mistakes he made as a young artist, and when asked what advice he’d give to other young, male artists, he had this to say:
“For that generation, for me is it’s up to my generation to truly show them a way, show them a way that says, ‘Okay, respect for women is necessary.’ What you’re saying about a woman at that point, you really saying is reflecting of what you think of yourself too. And I understand that journey and that anger. I’ve been in those environments and I’m around young people who experienced those things.”
He says that often, the younger generations are putting on an act for their peers to fit in.
“It’s just a social performance and fast forward to being an adult man and, people during the time of when the #metoo movement first began, I was around guys that was like, ‘Okay, we going to do our best to do right,” but he admits that learning to adapt such behavior is not always easy. It’s a process.
Watch the full interview with Common below.
