50 Quotes by Common

Man, just believe in yourself, be able to dream, and know that there's going to be valleys and peaks. Always stay centered, and know that God is the key, the beginning and end of everything you do.

Never lookin' back or too far in front of me; the present is a gift and I just wanna be.

Education is what you get from reading the small print; experience is what you get from not reading it.

I just want people to feel like they can achieve something great in their lives. We all go through rough times, but love is the antidote. You've got to dream and just believe in yourself. And if you believe, you will achieve it.

I put God first, and strive to do my best by being a loving human being, recognizing that sometimes I make mistakes and bad choices.

One day it'll all make sense.

Not everyone is the same. You can't label a person just because of what they do or what they've done.

Come close to me baby. Let your love hold you. I know this world is crazy, but what's it without you?

If heaven had a height, you would be that tall

I want a better world, I want love and harmony amongst people no matter what color you are, what race or what background you come from or sexual orientation.

We as people have a purpose here to contribute to the Earth, to contribute to people's goodness and good life.

I am the unarmed black kid who maybe needed a hand, but instead was given a bullet.

Don't believe in role models, but if I do, then I'm mine

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.
Now is our time to change the world

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.

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.

When you have style, it doesn't matter what other people are saying.

All that glisters is not gold.

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.

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.

If the eyes are the window to your soul open eyes bring the cold.

I bathe in basslines, rinse in riffs, dry in drums

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.

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.

It's hard to see blessings in a violent culture

I sit and think with a drink about how I'm gonna win.

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.

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.

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 prize

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.

To me to be a storyteller is you got to be able to speak the truth. You've got to be able to absorb life and take in life and be able to interpret it in a way that anybody in this room could say, "Man, that's my story. I can relate to that."

I embody EVERYTHING from the Godly to the party.

This is my inception, I'm writing my dreams.

One thing I always loved about hip-hop music was the raw, boom-bap element - it felt powerful and manly.

Justice is juxtaposition in us. Justice for all just ain't specific enough.

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.

Even through the unseen, I know that God watches, From one King's dream, he was able to Barack us.

The possibility of an Oscar is something I definitely think about and the fact that I can even say that is just a blessing. It's something I would be incredibly honored to be a part of.

I'm a black man that is proud to be black, and I want to help the black community, but I love all mankind.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

I've always been asked, "What type of character would you love to play?," and I've always said a pastor.

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.

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.

I am to hip-hop what Obama is to politics

No matter what walk of life you're from, you can appreciate the music - songs [can] resonate in your soul and your heart.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

One of the great aspects about [Barack Obama] is who he is as a human.

Acting is just another way to express myself as an artist. I realized if you're an artist, you're an artist and you can express that through music, through painting, through photography, through acting - this is just another way for me to express myself.