The Prerogative: Common

(andPOP) - I met this boy when I was 12 years old. What I loved most is he had so much soul. He was old school. And I was just a shorty. Never knew throughout my life he would be there for me.

These lines are pretty iconic. I’ve changed a few words for my personal purposes, to explain my inexplicable adoration for the rapper formerly known as Common Sense.

I was 12 when I first heard a Common song and I’ve been hooked ever since.

But now, quoting my very favourite song by the Chi City rapper, I must say this:

I USED to love him.

Past tense. Sadly, Common and I have ended our torrid 9-year love affair.

Am I being too dramatic? Just wait.

If you love music as much as I do or if you, like me, get emotionally intertwined with the artists who make the music you love; you’ll understand the agony and sheer jealousy I felt while watching my Common, my first love, pull my BEST FRIEND on stage at his concert at Kool Haus on Monday night. Then, I think just to spite me, Common proceeded to sing Come Close to Me (my 2nd favourite song) to her. Looking into her eyes. Singing into her ear.

Hey, I know what you’re thinking: this girl is crazy.

I’m not. Well, not entirely. My symbolic breakup with Common is not solely because he looked into the audience and pointed to my friend standing DIRECTLY beside me and chose to bring her on stage INSTEAD of me. Nope. It’s not that.

It’s that I have this sneaking suspicion that Common is about to sell out. I have this suspicion that he’s about to let the mainstream success of his last two albums go to his head. And here are some reasons why I feel this way:

1. He’s on tour with N.E.R.D. A group who, while I am a HUGE fan, are pretty damn mainstream and lacking of substance.
2. He recently declared he wants to make a dance record. A DANCE RECORD. Enough said.
3. He’s dating Serena Williams. He was so much more legit when he was with Erykah Badu.
4. He’s decided to take his acting career more serious. Can you say LL Cool J? Two syllables: SELL OUT.
5. I still can’t get over those GAP ads from a few years back.

Yes, his concert was still hype as hell. He still killed all of his old songs (Testify, The Light, Corners) but I couldn’t shake this feeling.

It was the same feeling I had when I first heard Black Eyed Peas’ Elephunk. They hadn’t fully graduated to stripping Fergie down and making her shake around to “My Humps” to sell records but they were on the verge. Will-I-Am was in final negotiations, taking bids for his soul.

Common may not be there yet.

His soul is still his. He can still freestyle like a Def Poet. He can still banter about politics and social change. But that shit doesn’t sell. Common wants a number one record. I think he’s sick of being in the background of hip-hop and rightly so. But as soon as he does a duet with T-Pain, it will be too late. It’s coming. And out of respect to my conscious-hip hop-loving 12 year-old self, I thought I’d get out with my dignity intact.

Goodbye Common. I used to love you.