If you’ve ever heard one of Common’s albums, then you’ve heard the soulful spoken-word of his father, Lonnie Lynn.
Lynn died on Friday at age 71. In an interview on Monday, Common spoke a bit about his father, but didn’t disclose any details on his passing. “He was truly a natural poet and master of words,” said Common. “His personality and soul shined through his work.”
“The way he said things made me look at life and the world in a new way, in a different way,” said Common, whose real name is Lonnie Rashid Lynn Jr. “They always sparked a thought in my head. His words would always make me strive to achieve higher, to write better, to be more truthful with my words.”
The Chicago rapper has included his father in numerous albums. The last poem that Lynn recorded for his son was back in 2011, for Common’s The Dreamer/The Believer.
Listen to “Pop’s Belief” from The Dreamer/The Believer.