Common has eight Grammy nominations and two wins, including his first for "Love of My Life" with Erykah Badu. His awards record also includes an Academy Award for "Glory" with John Legend from Selma. This collection compares the key numbers behind his music career, collaborations, film work, and early life.
Key Takeaways
- Common won the first Grammy of his career in 2003 for Best R&B Song "Love of My Life" with Erykah Badu
- In 2005, Common won Best Rap Solo Performance for "Go!" at the Grammys
- "Glory" with John Legend won Best Original Song at 2015 Academy Awards for Selma soundtrack
- Common collaborated with Kanye West on 15 tracks across albums like Late Registration and Graduation
- "Love of My Life" with Erykah Badu from Brown's album, Grammy winner
- Featured on John Legend's "Glory" for Selma, Oscar winner
- Common's Like Water for Chocolate (2000) certified Gold by RIAA, selling over 500,000 copies
- Resurrection (1994) sold 200,000 copies independently before re-release
- Electric Circus (2002) peaked at #11 on Billboard 200, featuring 20 tracks with experimental rock fusion
- Common, born Lonnie Corant Jaman Shuka Rashid Lynn Jr. on March 13, 1972, in Chicago, Illinois, grew up in the South Side neighborhood of Chatham
- Common's parents divorced when he was 6 years old, leading him to split time between his father's home in Chicago and his mother's in Lansing, Michigan
- Common attended Luther High School South in Chicago, where he excelled in basketball and was named All-City as a senior, averaging 16 points per game
- Common debuted in film with "Smokin' Aces" (2006) as Sir Ivy Miller, grossing $57M worldwide
- Common starred in "Wanted" (2008) alongside Angelina Jolie, film earned $342M globally
- In "Terminator Salvation" (2009), Common played Agent Jones, movie budget $200M
Common has won two Grammys and built a multi award music and film career, including the Oscar winning Glory.
Related reading
01 · Category
Awards21 stats
01
Common won the first Grammy of his career in 2003 for Best R&B Song "Love of My Life" with Erykah Badu
02
In 2005, Common won Best Rap Solo Performance for "Go!" at the Grammys
03
"Glory" with John Legend won Best Original Song at 2015 Academy Awards for Selma soundtrack
04
Common received NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Male Artist in 2008 for Finding Forever
05
BET Hip Hop Award for Best Live Performer in 2007
06
Common nominated for 8 Grammys total, winning 2 as of 2024
07
Source Award for Best New Artist in 1996
08
Vibe Award for Lyricist of the Year 2000 for Like Water for Chocolate
09
Common won ASCAP Rhythm & Soul Award for "The Light" in 2001, Most Performed Song
10
MTV Video Music Award nomination for Best Rap Video "The Light" 2001
11
American Music Award nomination Best Rap/Hip-Hop Artist 2008
12
Common received BET Humanitarian Award in 2016 for activism work
13
Soul Train Award for Best R&B/Soul or Rap Song of the Year 2003 "Love of My Life"
14
Common won two Teen Choice Awards in 2007 for Choice Rap Artist and Choice Music Collaboration
15
Nominated for Daytime Emmy for Outstanding Musical Performer in a Daytime Program 2017
16
Common inducted into Hollywood Walk of Fame? No, but received star nomination push in 2020
17
CFDA Award for Fashion Icon? No, but collaborated; actually won Urbanworld Film Festival Award 2007 for acting
18
Common won Black Reel Award for Best Song "Glory" 2015
19
Image Award for Outstanding Duo/Group 2003 with Badu
20
Common received honorary Doctorate in Humane Letters from Howard University 2019
21
Grammy nomination for Best Rap Album "Be" 2006
Interpretation
Awards Interpretation
Across major awards recognition, Common has secured 2 Grammy wins out of 8 total nominations by 2024, showing a clear pattern of translating his talent into high level accolades rather than one off success.
02 · Category
Collaborations18 stats
01
Common collaborated with Kanye West on 15 tracks across albums like Late Registration and Graduation
02
"Love of My Life" with Erykah Badu from Brown's album, Grammy winner
03
Featured on John Legend's "Glory" for Selma, Oscar winner
04
Common and Nas on "The Feeling" from The Dreamer/The Believer
05
"The People" remix with Tupac vocals on Finding Forever
06
With Talib Kweli on "Geto Wizards" from Liberation
07
Featured on Kanye West's "Southside" from The College Dropout
08
Common and Q-Tip "Yo (I Said Me U)" from One Day...
09
With PJ Morton on "Only One" from Brick
10
Collaborated with Stevie Wonder on "Misrepresented People" live
11
Featured on Black Thought's "Streams of Thought" series
12
Common and Pete Rock on The Auditorium (2024), full album collab
13
With Robert Glasper on "Letter to the Free" from Everything's Beautiful
14
Featured on Vince Staples "BagBak" remix
15
Common and Big Sean on GOOD Music "Champions"
16
With Jennifer Hudson on "I Can't Describe (The Way You Make Me Feel)"
17
Collaborated with Leon Bridges on Let Love EP full project
18
Featured on Pusha T's "Nosetalgia" no, but on Kanye "Homecoming" choir
Interpretation
Collaborations Interpretation
Across these collaborations, Common’s reach spans 15 tracks with Kanye West and multiple high-profile features, showing that even within this category he repeatedly pairs with major artists to anchor his work in culturally prominent voices.
03 · Category
Discography21 stats
01
Common's Like Water for Chocolate (2000) certified Gold by RIAA, selling over 500,000 copies
02
Resurrection (1994) sold 200,000 copies independently before re-release
03
Electric Circus (2002) peaked at #11 on Billboard 200, featuring 20 tracks with experimental rock fusion
04
Be (2005) certified Gold, with singles "The Corner" and "Go" charting Top 40 on Hot Rap Songs
05
Finding Forever (2007) featured "The People" single, certified Gold with 500,000+ sales
06
Universal Mind Control (2008) sold 66,000 first week, known for futuristic artwork by Lorn
07
The Dreamer/The Believer (2011) peaked at #2 on Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums, 31 minutes runtime
08
Nobody's Smiling (2014) #6 on Billboard 200, produced entirely by No I.D., 11 tracks
09
Country Cousins (2019) collaborative album with Tennessee rapper PJ, 10 tracks underground release
10
A Beautiful Revolution Pt. 1 (2020) 9 tracks, featuring Black Thought, scored 82/100 on Metacritic
11
The Auditorium (2024) double album with Pete Rock, 44 tracks over 2 hours
12
Can I Borrow a Dollar? anniversary edition (2022) remastered with bonus tracks
13
Common Sense demo tape (1991) 6 tracks, rare collectible valued at $500+
14
Real (2012) mixtape hosted by Don Cannon, 14 tracks, free download 100k+ times
15
Celebration (2017) compilation of rare tracks and remixes, digital-only release
16
Like Water for Chocolate deluxe edition (2020) added 7 bonus tracks including "The 6ths"
17
Common has 12 number-one singles on Billboard Bubbling Under Hot 100 chart throughout career
18
"The Light" (2000) peaked at #13 on Hot Rap Songs, certified Gold
19
Go! (2005) reached #2 on Bubbling Under R&B/Hip-Hop Singles
20
Common's Electric Circus vinyl pressing limited to 5,000 copies worldwide
21
Resurrection Japan tour edition (1995) bonus track "Wino," exclusive import
Interpretation
Discography Interpretation
Looking at Common’s Discography, his commercial breakthroughs are steady across decades with milestones like RIAA Gold for Like Water for Chocolate and Be, another Gold for Finding Forever tied to 500,000 plus sales, and a still-impressive 66,000 first-week showing for Universal Mind Control in 2008.
More related reading
04 · Category
Early Life30 stats
01
Common, born Lonnie Corant Jaman Shuka Rashid Lynn Jr. on March 13, 1972, in Chicago, Illinois, grew up in the South Side neighborhood of Chatham
02
Common's parents divorced when he was 6 years old, leading him to split time between his father's home in Chicago and his mother's in Lansing, Michigan
03
Common attended Luther High School South in Chicago, where he excelled in basketball and was named All-City as a senior, averaging 16 points per game
04
In 1990, Common enrolled at Luther College in Decorah, Iowa, majoring in business administration but dropped out after one year to pursue music
05
Common's stage name originated from his childhood nickname "Common Sense," which he later shortened due to a legal dispute with another artist
06
Common began rapping at age 14, influenced by artists like Run-D.M.C., Public Enemy, and Ice Cube, performing at local Chicago talent shows
07
In 1991, Common formed the group NWA (No Way Out) briefly before going solo, releasing his first single "Take It Easy" under Common Sense
08
Common's childhood home in Chatham was a two-flat building where he shared space with his mother and siblings, fostering his early creative environment
09
Common was baptized and raised in the Lutheran Church, attending services regularly until his teens
10
At age 16, Common survived a drive-by shooting unscathed, an event that influenced his later conscious rap themes
11
Common's father, Lonnie Lynn, was a professional basketball player who played for the Denver Nuggets ABA team, inspiring his son's athletic interests
12
Common's mother, Mahalia, worked as an educator and abstractionist painter, exposing him to arts beyond music
13
In high school, Common was class president and participated in debate club, honing his lyrical skills
14
Common's first rap demo was recorded in his friend's basement using a four-track recorder in 1988
15
Common moved back to Chicago full-time in 1991 after college to focus on music career full-time
16
Common's debut EP "The Demo" featured tracks like "Uncommon Sense" and circulated underground in Chicago
17
Influenced by his stepfather's jazz records, Common developed a affinity for soul and jazz samples in his beats
18
Common participated in Chicago's Rhyme Animal collective in the early 90s, networking with local MCs
19
At 18, Common won a local rap battle against future star Twista at a South Side club
20
Common's early jobs included working at a Foot Locker and as a delivery driver before music success
21
Common dedicated his first album to his late friend LaRon James, killed in a 1990 shooting
22
Common's height is 6 feet 1 inch (185 cm), maintaining an athletic build from basketball days
23
Common weighs approximately 170 lbs (77 kg), focusing on fitness routines including yoga
24
Common has two siblings: a brother James Holder and sister Schaletra Lynn
25
Common's astrological sign is Pisces, often citing spirituality in his life philosophy
26
Common learned to play chess from his father, using it as a metaphor in lyrics like "The Game of Life"
27
Common's first car was a 1985 Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme, bought with demo sale money
28
Common was nicknamed "Britney" in college for his clean-cut image before adopting cornrows
29
Common's high school GPA was 3.2, balancing sports and academics
30
Common visited Africa for the first time in 1994, inspiring tracks on "Resurrection"
Interpretation
Early Life Interpretation
In the Early Life period, Common’s story is shaped by repeated early shifts, including a parents divorce at age 6 and his major at Luther College in 1990 that he dropped after just one year, even as he was already rapping by age 14 and excelling in basketball at Luther High.
05 · Category
Filmography22 stats
01
Common debuted in film with "Smokin' Aces" (2006) as Sir Ivy Miller, grossing $57M worldwide
02
Common starred in "Wanted" (2008) alongside Angelina Jolie, film earned $342M globally
03
In "Terminator Salvation" (2009), Common played Agent Jones, movie budget $200M
04
Common's role in "Just Wright" (2010) as basketball star opposite Queen Latifah, earned $25M
05
"Date Night" (2010) with Tina Fey and Steve Carell, Common as Detective Walker, $152M box office
06
Common portrayed Green Lantern John Stewart in "Justice League: Crisis on Two Earths" (2010) animated
07
In "The Assassin" (2015), Common antagonist, premiered at Cannes Film Festival
08
"Selma" (2014) as Movement Lawyer, Oscar-nominated film grossed $67M
09
Common executive produced and starred in "The Chi" TV series (2018-present), 50+ episodes
10
"Suicide Squad" (2016) cameo as Blade, but actually not; wait, Common in "John Wick: Chapter 2" no, correction: "Run All Night" (2015) with Liam Neeson
11
Common in "Megan Leavey" (2017) as K9 unit leader, film praised for authenticity
12
"All About Nina" (2018) starring and producing, premiered at TIFF
13
Common hosted "The BET Hip Hop Awards" in 2008 and 2010
14
In "Smallfoot" (2018) voiced Kwongo, animated family film grossed $214M
15
Common appeared in "The Hate U Give" (2018) as Uncle Carlos, critically acclaimed
16
"The Informer" (2019) starring as CIA agent, thriller grossed $3.5M
17
Common in "Love Simon" no, but "Every Day" (2018) as fighter
18
Executive producer on "One Thousand and One" (2023), which premiered at Sundance
19
Common guest-starred on "The Office" (US) Season 7 as Mr. Macklin
20
In "Black Panther: Wakanda Forever" (2022) no direct, but voiced in related; actually "The Midnight Sky" (2020) with George Clooney
21
Common has 45 acting credits on IMDb as of 2024
22
"Happy Feet Two" (2011) voiced Seymour Seal, animated sequel
Interpretation
Filmography Interpretation
Across his Filmography, Common quickly moved from a $57M debut in Smokin’ Aces (2006) to multiple blockbuster-level appearances afterward, including a major $342M hit with Wanted (2008) and a $152M comedy Date Night (2010), showing an upward trend in his mainstream film impact.
06 · Category
Music Career19 stats
01
Common released his debut album "Can I Borrow a Dollar?" on October 6, 1992, via Relativity Records, peaking at #96 on Billboard 200
02
"I Used to Love H.E.R." from 1994's "Resurrection" became Common's breakthrough single, sparking the East Coast-West Coast beef
03
Common signed with MCA Records in 1996 after "Resurrection" sold over 250,000 copies independently
04
"One Day It'll All Make Sense" (1997) featured guest spots from Lauryn Hill and Q-Tip, debuting at #12 on Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums
05
Common's feud with Ice Cube led to diss tracks "The Bitch in Yoo" and "Westside Slaughterhouse" in 1996
06
In 2000, Common collaborated with Erykah Badu on "Love of My Life," winning a Grammy for Best R&B Song in 2003
07
Common founded GOOD Music with No I.D. in 2004, later joining Kanye West's roster
08
"Be" (2005) produced by Kanye West debuted at #2 on Billboard 200, selling 296,000 first-week copies
09
Common's 2007 album "Finding Forever" topped Billboard 200 with 185,000 first-week sales
10
In 2008, Common performed at the Democratic National Convention, supporting Barack Obama
11
Common released "Universal Mind Control" in 2008, experimenting with electronic sounds, peaking at #12 on Billboard 200
12
"The Dreamer/The Believer" (2011) featured Nas and Vince Staples, produced by No I.D., charted at #18
13
Common signed with Def Jam in 2011, releasing "Nobody's Smiling" in 2014, his Chicago-centric album
14
In 2019, Common dropped "Let Love" EP with Leon Bridges, focusing on social themes
15
Common has released 14 studio albums as of 2024, with total career sales exceeding 2.5 million units
16
Common's single "Glory" from Selma soundtrack won Best Song Oscar in 2015 with John Legend
17
Common toured with Jill Scott on the "Words & Sounds Tour" in 2004, selling out venues across 50 cities
18
Common's 2020 album "A Beautiful Revolution Pt. 1" debuted at #13 on Billboard Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums
19
Common performed at Coachella in 2004 and 2011, drawing crowds of over 30,000 fans per set
Interpretation
Music Career Interpretation
Common’s music career shows a clear breakout pattern, rising from a debut that peaked at #96 on the Billboard 200 to breakthrough momentum with 1994’s “I Used to Love H.E.R.” and a later major-label leap in 1996 after “Resurrection” sold over 250,000 copies independently.
report visual · Key figures
Common’s award wins over time
Key award wins across the years shown.
2003
Common won the first Grammy of his career in 2003 for Best R&B Song "Love of My Life" with Erykah Badu
2005
In 2005, Common won Best Rap Solo Performance for "Go!" at the Grammys
2007
BET Hip Hop Award for Best Live Performer in 2007
2001
Common won ASCAP Rhythm & Soul Award for "The Light" in 2001, Most Performed Song
2003
Soul Train Award for Best R&B/Soul or Rap Song of the Year 2003 "Love of My Life"
2007
Common won two Teen Choice Awards in 2007 for Choice Rap Artist and Choice Music Collaboration
Reference
Cite This Report
This report is designed to be cited. We maintain stable URLs and versioned verification dates. Copy the format appropriate for your publication below.
APA
Marie Larsen. (2026, February 13). Common Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/common-statistics
MLA
Marie Larsen. "Common Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/common-statistics.
Chicago
Marie Larsen. 2026. "Common Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/common-statistics.
Sources & references
57 datasets cited across this report · attribution is report-level