Award-winning artist Common stopped by SiriusXM Studios to speak with Urban View Host Clay Cane about the release of his new album, Let Love, which hits stores on August 30.
While talking on SiriusXM’s The Clay Cane Show, Common shared an experience that made him evolve into the artist he is today who refrains from using homophobic lyrics in his music and says he “embraces people who are gay, who are Christian, Muslim, Jewish. I'm open to human beings and life.”
Common told Cane how this pivotal moment in time impacted his outlook and changed his perspective: “It just was like an awakening because it humanized everything that I was saying, and I was only using the word cause it was part of a culture that I grew up in ... this is what we said. I didn't even think about what the word meant and how it was affecting other people.”
CLAY CANE: So back in 2007, you apologized for some homophobic lyrics in your songs. You evolved, right? I know some folks who are not evolving on a lot of issues, but I'm curious to know what made you evolve on that issue? Was it a particular person? Was it an experience? What made you say, "You know what, I don't want to go there anymore?"
COMMON: It was an experience. Two gentlemen came to me, two guys who were gay came to me at a show. After the show and they said, "Common, man, we love your music. We love your music; like, your music touches us, but the fact that you're using the word fag is like, man that hurts us." And it just was like an awakening because it humanized everything that I was saying, and I was only using the word cause it was part of a culture that I grew up in . . . this is what we said. I didn't even think about what the word meant and how it was affecting other people. And I had to grow into the courage and the strength of within self to be like, man, I don't care what my homies saying. I don't care what these cats in hip-hop saying, this is where I am with it. I'm not homophobic. I embrace people who are gay, who are Christian, Muslim, Jewish. I'm open to human beings and life. So that being said, that was a real pivotal moment for me in changing my perspective. And I went on to do a song called "Between Me, You and Liberation." Actually, I did that song pre 2007 and it was talking about I just created this story of how one of my friends told me he was gay and how I dealt with it, and no matter what I still loved him as my friend, and I felt that was all part of that conversation I had with those gentleman.
