Common celebrates more than two decades in the music industry and ten years in film by gracing the latest issue of EBONY, dubbed “The #SexyForever Issue.” He rocks a pink suit and is posted up against the steering wheel of a boat for the photo.
In the interview, Common discusses how he balances acting and maintaining his rap career.
He’s preparing to release an EP entitled Little Chicago Boy, and was just announced as the lead in a possible TV adaptation of “Black Samurai” that RZA is executive producing.
“I’ve tapped into new things about me that I didn’t even know,” he says of his music after getting involved in film. The movie Smokin’ Aces celebrates 10 years in January and he recently appeared in Barbershop: The Next Cut with Ice Cube, Eve and Nicki Minaj.
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Common also credits the severe criticism he received after his 2002 Electric Circus album with forcing him to explore other outlets of expression besides music.
“I started acting because after Electric Circus, I hit a ceiling,” he says. “Like, ‘Where in hip-hop can I go that I can be free and be me without [somebody saying], ‘Aw man, why you doing this, why you doing that?'”
Read an excerpt of The #SexyForever cover story at EBONY.
