American rapper and actor Lonnie Rashid Lynn, better known by his stage name Common (formerly known as Common Sense), was born on March 13, 1972. His first release was the 1992 CD Can I Borrow a Dollar? , and received praise from critics for his 1994 album Resurrection. He continued to have a loyal underground fan base into the late 1990s. Through his involvement with the Soulquarians, he found widespread success.
The song “Glory,” which Common co-wrote and performed with regular collaborator John Legend for the 2014 movie Selma in which he co-starred as civil rights movement activist James Bevel, won the 2015 Golden Globe Award for Best Original Song and the Oscar Award for Best Original Song. The movies Smokin’ Aces, Street Kings, American Gangster, Wanted, Terminator Salvation, Date Night, Just Wright, Happy Feet Two, New Year’s Eve, Run All Night, John Wick: Chapter 2, Smallfoot, and Hunter Killer are among those in which Common has appeared as a character. From 2011 through 2014, he played Elam Ferguson in the AMC western television series Hell on Wheels.