Synopses & Reviews
From the hip hop icon, Hollywood star, and “a true artist and writer of deep talent” (James McBride, author of The Color of Water)—a candid, New York Times bestselling memoir ranging from his childhood on Chicago’s South side and his emergence as one of rap’s biggest names.The story I have to tell involves celebrity: how I broke into the rap game, the people I’ve met, the places I’ve been, my life in the spotlight. But on a more fundamental level this is a book about a mother and a son, a father and a daughter…
In the twenty years since his first release, Common, born Lonnie Rashied Lynn, has become one of the most successful artists in hip-hop. Winner of two Grammys and with nine successful albums to date, including 2010’s The Believer, he’s now a bona fide movie star, appearing in American Gangster, Date Night, and landing a starring role in Just Wright opposite Queen Latifah.
Though Common’s parents divorced when he was six, Lonnie Sr. remained an active presence, helping his son get a job as ball boy for the Chicago Bulls. But it was his mother’s steady presence that provided him with the guidance to succeed on his own terms. Her far-reaching influence and Common’s thoughtful account of his own journey through fatherhood form the heart and soul of this genuinely inspiring memoir. One Day It’ll All Make Sense, is, like its subject, outspoken and sometimes controversial, yet indisputably powerful and profound.
Review
Common distinguishes himself here as a true artist and a writer of deep talent. This book is the story of an artist in constant evolution, one who embodies the strength of the brilliant woman that raised him, the love of the Southside Chicago land that spawned him, and the raw spirit of the pro basketball player who fathered him. I’ve always heard that the people of Southside Chicago were special. I’m glad their native son Common shows us why. --James McBride Author of The Color of Water
Review
“Common has written a magnificent memoir. It states that it is a book about his fascinating life. That is true. More importantly, his story is the story of all young people trying to grow up. His saga reminds the reader that love liberates and poverty cripples. Common writes beautifully, like the poet he is.”
-Maya Angelou
Review
"Common is a 360-degree human being, and I don't say that about many people. He never needed to "pimp the hood" to achieve his deserved success. He is an eloquent and honorable role model and his memoir is a perfect example of his depth as a human being. In addition, reading about his childhood and upbringing in Chicago is really a trip - because we went through so many of the same experiences albeit decades apart. Chicago is still the roughest and primary "Institution of Hard Knocks," and if you can make it there, you can truly make it anywhere!” -Quincy Jones
Review
“Raw in its honesty, profound in its insights, One Day It’ll All Make Sense establishes Common as a voice that is as compelling on the page as it is on a record. This is not simply the story of an individual artist but a crucial page the history of hip hop itself.” -Jelani Cobb, author of The Substance of Hope
Review
“A powerful memoir that speaks to all audiences.” -Queen Latifah
Review
"A thoughtful and beautiful book that tells us much more about Common... His mother's perspective takes this to another level." -Touré, author of Who's Afraid of Post-Blackness
Synopsis
From the hip hop icon, Hollywood star, and "a true artist and writer of deep talent" (James McBride, author of The Color of Water)--a candid, New York Times bestselling memoir ranging from his childhood on Chicago's South side and his emergence as one of rap's biggest names.Common has earned a reputation in the hip-hop world as a conscious artist by embracing themes of love and struggle in his songs. His journey toward understanding is rooted in his relationship with a remarkable woman, his mother. Common holds nothing back in this gripping memoir, both provocative and funny. He tells what it was like for a boy with big dreams growing up on the South Side of Chicago. He reveals how he almost quit rapping after his first album sold only two thousand copies. He recounts his rise to stardom and talks about the challenges of balancing fame, love, and family. Through it all, Common emerges as a man in full. Rapper. Actor. Activist. But also father, son, and friend. His story offers a living example of how, no matter what you've gone through, one day it'll all make sense.
Synopsis
andlt;Bandgt;Common has earned a reputation in the hip-hop world as a conscious artist by embracing themes of love and struggle in his songs. His journey toward understanding is rooted in his relationship with a remarkable woman, his mother. andlt;/Bandgt;andlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;Common holds nothing back in this gripping memoir, both provocative and funny. He tells what it was like for a boy with big dreams growing up on the South Side of Chicago. He reveals how he almost quit rapping after his first album sold only two thousand copies. He recounts his rise to stardom and talks about the challenges of balancing fame, love, and family. Through it all, Common emerges as a man in full. Rapper. Actor. Activist. But also father, son, and friend. His story offers a living example of how, no matter what youand#8217;ve gone through, one day itand#8217;ll all make sense.
About the Author
andlt;bandgt;Common andlt;/bandgt;was born Lonnie Rashid Lynn in Chicago March 13, 1972. Best known as a star recording artist and actor, he has also independently published childrenand#8217;s books. He has a daughter Omoye Assata Lynn, born in 1997.andlt;BRandgt;andlt;bandgt;Adam Bradley andlt;/bandgt;is the author of andlt;iandgt;Book of Rhymes: The Poetics of Hip Hopandlt;/iandgt; and the co-editor of Ralph Ellison's andlt;iandgt;Three Days Before the Shooting...andlt;/iandgt;, and andlt;iandgt;Yale Anthology of Rapandlt;/iandgt;. He lives in Boulder with his wife.