The Greatness in YOU: Backstage with Common

As I and fellow VINTRO_x members, Victoria and Neiko, traveled from Murfreesboro to Nashville to attend a lecture from Rapper/Activist/Actor, Common, a certain excitement filled the air concerning the dopeness of who we were going to see. We drove down I-24 brainstorming questions to ask Common if we were able to grab an interview but every couple minutes one of us would interject with how awesome it would be to see someone who we all considered to be a major influence in our lives.

We arrived about 15 minutes after the event had started (Hey, don’t judge me. I had class.) and the auditorium in the Humanities building of Tennessee State University was packed into the hall. Unable to see, we moved through the crowd in the foyer and made our way around to the stage entrance. We sat backstage and I began to grab a few pics from behind the wings. While shooting, I took a listen to what Mr. Lonnie Rashied Lynn (Common) had to say.

He spoke on finding the “Greatness in Yourself.” Looking out on the young faces of the historically black TSU, he imparted words to them encouraging them to seek success from within. The two-time Grammy winner conversed about the year he went to the Grammys with 5 nominations, watched everyone around him win, and walked out empty-handed. He mused on how he figured he would win 3 of the 5 awards he was nominated for, so he wrote 3 speeches. After being passed over for his first 4 awards, he consolidated the speeches and got ready to accept the last. His final nomination comes up and he attempts a smile and clap as the man sitting next to him and his friend, Kanye West, is awarded the coveted trophy. He used this story to illustrate how you have to turn your “obstacles to possibles.” Instead of becoming bitter, he worked to become better. (Watch Video)

He continued his message of inspiration, quoting Nelson Mandela and scriptures from the bible. I’m not usually one for motivational speeches or speakers; however, there was a certain undeniable honesty in the words he spoke that was different from similar speeches I had heard. His motivational words were different because his motivations were different. I could tell he wasn’t there just to collect an appearance fee. This was not a cookie-cutter Tony Robbins speech. He was speaking on things that were real to him and how he made it through his personal struggles.
So as I search to find the greatness in myself I hope you will all do the same. Be on the lookout for my follow-up to this piece: an Interview with the SGA President at TSU who brought Common to their campus, Danny Glover. Stay Dope!!!

Khrys Hatch
Twitter.com/JPR3ofCID
and @Vintro_X