Common
It's hard to see blessings in a violent cultureCollection: Blessing
When I see people of my likeness, or who are somebody that I feel connected to, doing something great, I fee like I can do it. It gives me some hope and vision.Collection: People
I sit and think with a drink about how I'm gonna win.Collection: Rap
I attribute my ability to maintain cool to God, self-esteem, and knowing my purpose in life. It can't be based on anything material or external.Collection: Self Esteem
Come close to me baby. Let your love hold you. I know this world is crazy, but what's it without you?Collection: Valentines Day
I am the unarmed black kid who maybe needed a hand, but instead was given a bullet.Collection: Kids
I appreciate this moment in time...ball players and actors be knowing my rhymesCollection: Appreciation
When you see people that lived their purpose and sacrificed, who are everyday people - teachers, sanitation workers, and just people from all walks of life - that said, "I'm standing up for what I believe in. I'm standing up for my community." That reaffirms what you can do.Collection: Teacher
I felt like I had experienced a lot of things in the first chapter of my life, and I wanted it to inspire and motivate people, so I just started writing.Collection: Writing
We obviously feel destiny and purpose and do what we do, but within that are ways to help others and to inspire others and to support and encourage people.Collection: Helping Others
This is my inception, I'm writing my dreams.Collection: Dream
If the eyes are the window to your soul open eyes bring the cold.Collection: Eye
God created me to be an individual. And I am a Chicago dude that grew up the way I grew up and was named Rashid and was given a certain purpose and mission. So, I am rare for those reasons.Collection: Chicago
When you have style, it doesn't matter what other people are saying.Collection: People
I bathe in basslines, rinse in riffs, dry in drumsCollection: Rap
All that glisters is not gold.Collection: Inspirational
I tend to look at the good things about what's going on in life, and I do that the best I can. At the end of the day - I have felt outside at times - but always man, I keep my eyes on the prize and know that I can get inside if I choose.Collection: Eye
Now I'm on the rise, doin' business with my guys. Visions realize, music [your craft] affected lives. A gift from the skies, to be recognized, I'm keeping my eye on the people, that's the prizeCollection: Motivational
I embody EVERYTHING from the Godly to the party.Collection: Party
My mom has obviously had a powerful influence on my life and her voice can describe certain things that I couldn't see in myself.Collection: Mom
God is my guide, so I try to not judge myself too much, knowing that at the end of the day, my greatest judge will be Jehovah God.Collection: Knowing
No matter what walk of life you're from, you can appreciate the music - songs [can] resonate in your soul and your heart.Collection: Song
To be a storyteller is to be able to speak truth, to be able to use your imagination, to use the creative gifts that the Creator has given you.Collection: Imagination
Whether the people in Haiti, the young kids in Chicago that [are] going through violence, or whether you're in Atlanta or L.A. or Europe - it's not even color barriers for me - I go to where I know there's a lot of turmoil and pain.Collection: Pain
Teachers give so much to the future and to youth. So, when you see somebody make that type of sacrifice towards work - just parents in general, what they got to give to their kids is a lot - I'm inspired, man, to give and help those who didn't or don't have opportunities. And even those that may have some opportunities, [to] help them achieve their dreams.Collection: Dream
It's no doubt that there's a connection (between the blues and hip-hop). Hip-hop is definitely a child of the blues. And I think you gotta know the roots to really grow. It's like knowing your parents, it's like knowing your culture, so you could be proud of that culture and take it to the world.Collection: Children
To have my name said like, "Common and John Legend, Golden Globe nominees," is one of the greatest achievements I've ever had as an artist, as a person.Collection: Artist
I think Lil Wayne is definitely a dope rapper.Collection: Dope
I'm a black man that is proud to be black, and I want to help the black community, but I love all mankind.Collection: Men
Your body is you. That's your temple. So, eating wisely helps you function for the day. If you want to look good and feel good, you gotta eat good. What you put into your temple, man, is very important. I learned that later on in life, but I started putting that into practice. I'm not perfect in my eating. I just try to live healthily, and to take care of myself so that during this lifetime I can live good.Collection: Men
Black people in America have come from slavery to other forms of being oppressed and there are some things that come with that - some pain and anger that come with that and we as black people have to deal with it to heal that. White people have to understand it and have some compassion toward it.Collection: Pain
I’ve met kids who haven’t had the best of parents but because they had something in them, or they had somebody at school help develop them, they turned out fine.Collection: School
I was able to meet young black people from all over the country who were focused on education and on elevating themselves.I'm endorsing and supporting this initiative because I believe college is a blessing, and for young black people coming out of areas that are struggling ... for them to see college as their future, that's a blessing.Collection: Country
The human being that I strive to be is a great human being, like a loving human being, but as an actor, you take on roles that are not you and that's the fun part for me as far as acting goes. You really get to learn about other human beings and not judge.Collection: Fun
The way [Barack Obama] danced, it looked like he could dance in a circle with anyone from Chris Brown to ... well, I don't want to say Michael Jackson, because he's like the king.Collection: Kings
I am to hip-hop what Obama is to politicsCollection: Rap
There [are] times when I put out an album, and I don't hear my songs really on the radio a lot, and it's like, Dang, I ain't inside that world. But I'm still moving some people or touching some people.Collection: Song
I've always been asked, "What type of character would you love to play?," and I've always said a pastor.Collection: Character
Me being able to be acting and doing other things has opened me as an artist, and I think even more from a visual standpoint.Collection: Artist
Sometimes you come from your community, and then you rise. It's like, okay, when do you get back rooted into your community? A lot of times you can rise in the ranks and maybe leave the core of where you come from.Collection: Community
DJ Jazzy Jeff is the best DJ you can have at a party. Did you see his playlist? He has good taste.Collection: Party
I started digging into parts of myself that I probably ignore and don't really get to express because Common is an artist that is conscious and is aware and is trying to put a positive energy to the world.Collection: Artist