Free concert! Social justice activist and rapper, Common, celebrates the life and legacy of Harry Belafonte with special guests at Lena Horne Bandshell on August 28th sponsored by BRIC Celebrate Brooklyn! and The Action Lab.
Born in Chicago in 1972, Common (formerly known as Common Sense), signed to independent label Relativity Records at age 20 with which he released his first three albums, 1992’s Can I Borrow a Dollar?, 1994’s Resurrection (which contained perhaps his most famous track, “I Used to Love H.E.R.”), and 1997’s One Day It’ll All Make Sense, gaining him a large underground following. He first found mainstream success as a member of the highly influential black music collective, Soulquarians, which included big-name members such as Questlove and J Dilla and fundamentally shaped the direction of R&B and hip-hop in the ‘90s and early 2000s. His feature on fellow Soulquarian Erykah Badu’s 2003 single “Love of My Life (An Ode to Hip-Hop” earned him a Grammy for Best R&B Song and landed at No. 9 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. Through Kanye West’s label, G.O.O.D. Music, Common released his following two albums, 2005’s depiction of his home city, Be, and 2007’s Finding Forever, the latter of which contained the single “Southside” (featuring West) which debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and won a Grammy for Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group.
Amongst a steady stream of impressive solo albums, Common released the song “Glory” with John Legend for the iconic 2014 film, Selma (in which he also portrayed civil-rights leader, James Bevel) which won both an Oscar for Best Original Song and a Grammy for Best Song Written for Visual Media. Both a prolific actor (appearing in over 40 films and 15 tv shows) and musician, he won an Emmy for Outstanding Original Music and Lyrics for his song “Letter to the Free” featured in Ava Duvernay’s 2017 Netflix documentary, 13th. Beginning his Broadway career in 2023’s Pulitzer Prize-winning Between Riverside and Crazy, it seems only a matter of time before he becomes the first rapper to win an EGOT (he is already the first rapper to win an Emmy, Grammy, and Oscar).
Common is also a prominent social activist, leading two major nonprofits, the Common Ground Foundation for youth development and Imagine Justice to fight poverty and mass incarceration, as well as creating a social impact film division, Free to Dream, and much more. Praised for his jazz-inflected beats and lyrics that comment on Black sociopolitical issues, Common established himself as a leading voice of conscious rap in the ‘90s and 2000s and has since become one of hip-hop’s most trusted ambassadors, using his platform with purpose and conviction. Next month he’ll perform in Prospect Park at the BRIC Celebrate Brooklyn! outdoor music festival under this year’s theme, Radical Joy, as they honor groundbreaking civil-rights activist, Harry Belafonte, sponsored by Belafonte’s activist organization, The Action Lab. Catch Common at the Lena Horne Bandshell on August 28th!
How to Get Common Tickets
This is a free show. Entry to the Bandshell is on a first-come first-served basis and you can RSVP here for up to date event information.
Location: Lena Horne Bandshell
Address: 141 Prospect Park W, Brooklyn, NY 11215
Show Time: 7 p.m.
Doors Open: 6 p.m.
Ticket Price: Free
Ages: All ages
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