TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — Florida A&M University (FAMU) alumnus and Grammy award-winning rapper Common will be a guest lecturer on Saturday, December 10 at 7:30 p.m. in Lee Hall Auditorium as part of the 2011-2012 Lyceum Series.
Tickets will be available through the FAMU Ticket Office location in the Alfred Lawson Jr. Multipurpose Center and Teaching Gymnasium and ticketmaster.com for $20, $10 and $5, depending on the location of the seats. Tickets that were purchased previously for Common’s lecture will be valid for this event. The lecture was originally planned for September 28.
Known as the King of Conscious Hip Hop, Common will discuss his book titled One Day It’ll All Make Sense, which explores his upbringing and family relationships.
Common is considered one of music’s most poetic and respected lyricists. His introspective lyrics have pushed boundaries with their biting social commentary.
In 2007, he launched the Common Ground Foundation, which is dedicated to the empowerment and development of urban youth in the United States. Common also offers a younger generation a better understanding of self-respect and love, utilizing the cultural relevance of hip hop in the children’s books he has written. The first children’s book, titled The MIRROR and ME, teaches lessons of life, the human spirit and human nature. His follow-up book, I Like You But I Love Me, was recently nominated for an NAACP Image Award, and his third book, M.E. (Mixed Emotions), was released in 2008.
In January 2007, the rapper crossed over into movies and made his acting debut in the movie Smokin’ Aces. Subsequently, he starred opposite Queen Latifah in Just Wright, and co-starred in movies, American Gangster, Street Kings, Wanted and others.
Whether inspiring audiences through his music, his books, or his foundation, Common continues to break new ground, and remains one of hip hop’s most innovative and positive voices.
The next Lyceum performances include the Dance Theatre of Harlem Ensemble scheduled for January 27, 2012 and the Moscow Festival Ballet on March 1, 2012.
“The Lyceum Series is an essential part of Florida A&M University,” said FAMU Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs Cynthia Hughes Harris, who chairs the Lyceum Committee. “It is the university’s way to teach the students beyond the classroom and expose them to the arts and culture. The Lyceum committee is looking forward to sharing these experiences with our faculty, staff, students, alumni and the Tallahassee community.”
The FAMU Lyceum Series has been a part of the FAMU tradition since the university’s early beginnings. Throughout the history of the series, FAMU has enriched campus life and shared with the community the artists, performers and lecturers of the day.
For more information about this year’s Lyceum Series, contact the FAMU Office of Communications at (850) 599-3413.
