Hi everyone and thank you for tuning in to episode 175 of awards, the Hollywood Reporters Awards podcast.

I'm the host Scott Feinberg and my guest today is one of the most talented

rappers and outspoken activists of his generation, a 45 yearold who won the best original song Oscar in 2015 for

glory, a song he co-wrote and sang with John Legend for the film Selma and who now

is nominated for the best original music and lyrics Emmy for letter to the free,

a song he wrote and sang for the documentary 13th.

Lonnie Rashid Lynn Jr. or as you're more likely to know him, comment.

Over the course of our conversation at the offices of the Hollywood reporter,

Common and I discussed a wide range of topics, among them.

How he found his voice as a singer and socially woke person over the last

quarter century and how he withstood relentless attacks on his motivations and

character from the likes of Bill O'Reilly at Fox News.

How he came to add acting to his repertoire of talents,

most notably in films such as 2007

smoking aces and the aforementioned Selma,

and on the TV series Hell on Wheels between 2011 and 2014 and how his acting

impacted his singing and vice versa. How his friendship and collaboration with

Ava Duverne evolved first on Selma and later on 13th, and how John

Legends's Oscar Acceptance Speech for the former started him on a course to become more knowledgeable

and passionate about the problem of mass incarceration, which is the subject of the latter.

How he feels about the N-word, Donald Trump, and an E-got, which he would be one Tony

away from should he win an Emmy this year, much more so without further ado let's go

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