Common Net Worth 2024: How Much is the ‘Glory’ Rapper Worth?

Common net worth is estimated to be around $45 million as of 2024. Common is an American rapper, actor, writer, and activist born on March 13, 1972. He has received several prestigious awards including three Grammys an Academy Award a Primetime Emmy and a Golden Globe.

Starting his career at 20 Common signed with Relativity Records and released his debut album “Can I Borrow a Dollar?” in 1992 which was well-received. His subsequent albums “Resurrection” and “One Day It’ll All Make Sense” also gained critical acclaim. He built a loyal fan base in the underground scene before gaining mainstream recognition with the Soulquarians collective in the late 1990s.

Transitioning to a major label he released “Like Water for Chocolate” and “Electric Circus” both praised by critics though achieving moderate commercial success. His collaboration with Erykah Badu on “Love of My Life (An Ode to Hip-Hop)” earned him a Grammy for Best R&B Song in 2003.

Common’s career soared with his sixth album “Be” under Kanye West’s label which was both critically acclaimed and commercially successful. His seventh album “Finding Forever” debuted at number one on the Billboard 200 with the track “Southside” (featuring Kanye West) winning a Grammy for Best Rap Performance.

In 2011, He launched his label Think Common Entertainment and released “The Dreamer/The Believer” and “Nobody’s Smiling” addressing social issues within the Black community. “Black America Again” his eleventh album received widespread critical acclaim.

Beyond music, He won an Academy Award for Best Original Song for “Glory” (with John Legend) from the film “Selma” where he also starred as civil rights leader James Bevel. His acting career includes roles in films such as “Smokin’ Aces,” “American Gangster,” and “John Wick: Chapter 2” and he starred in the AMC series “Hell on Wheels” from 2011 to 2014.

In television, He won a Primetime Emmy for his song “Letter to the Free” for the Netflix documentary “13th.” He recently made his Broadway debut in “Between Riverside and Crazy” which won a Pulitzer Prize for Drama.

What is Common Net Worth in 2024?

Common is an American rapper, actor, writer, and activist with a net worth of $45 million as of 2024, according to Celebrity Net Worth. He started his music career in the early 1990s, using the name Common Sense. His first album, “Can I Borrow a Dollar?”, made him known in hip-hop, but his later albums like “Resurrection” and “Like Water for Chocolate” made him famous.

Common’s music is different because he talks about love, spirituality, and social justice. His 2005 album Be was a big success, earning him Grammy nominations. He won his first Grammy in 2003 for the song Love of My Life (An Ode to Hip-Hop) and later for Southside in the Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group category.

In addition to music, Common also acts. He has appeared in movies like Smokin’ Aces, American Gangster, and Selma, where he played Civil Rights leader James Bevel. His work in Selma was praised, and he co-wrote the song Glory with John Legend, which won an Oscar in 2015.

Common is also an author, with books such as his memoir Let Love Have the Last Word.

Common’s Early Life and Education

Lonnie Rashid Lynn, known professionally as Common was born on March 13, 1972, at Chicago Osteopathic Hospital in the Hyde Park area of Chicago. His mother Mahalia Ann Hines was an educator and former principal at John Hope College Preparatory High School. His father Lonnie Lynn used to play basketball professionally in the ABA and later became a youth counselor. Common grew up in the Calumet Heights neighborhood.

When Common was six years old his parents separated and his father moved to Denver Colorado. This meant that Common was primarily raised by his mother but his father stayed involved in his life. His father helped him land a job with the Chicago Bulls when he was a teenager.

He started his college education at Florida A&M University on a scholarship where he studied business administration for two years.

Common’s Music career

Career beginnings

Lynn started rapping in the late 1980s while at Luther High School South in Chicago. Alongside two friends he formed C.D.R. a rap trio that opened for big names like N.W.A and Big Daddy Kane. After C.D.R. disbanded in 1991 Lynn launched his solo career under the name Common Sense. His first big break came when he was featured in The Source magazine’s Unsigned Hype column. In 1992 he released his debut single “Take It EZ” and followed up with the album Can I Borrow a Dollar?

In 1994, Common Sense gained critical acclaim with his album Resurrection which expanded his fan base beyond Chicago. Produced mostly by his longtime collaborator No I.D. the album resonated well with alternative and underground hip hop fans. No I.D. later mentored a young Kanye West.

Common also contributed to the Red Hot Organization’s AIDS awareness efforts featuring on the compilation CD America Is Dying Slowly in 1996. His song “I Used to Love H.E.R.” sparked controversy with Westside Connection leading to a back-and-forth of diss tracks. To avoid confusion with a reggae band he shortened his stage name to Common.

One Day It’ll All Make Sense

From 1996 to 1999, He released his album “One Day It’ll All Make Sense” showcasing collaborations with Lauryn Hill, De La Soul, and others. The album was well-received and marked his transition to a major label MCA Records. During this time he also became a father which deeply influenced his music and personal growth.

Soulquarians era

In the late 1990s to early 2000s, He joined the Soulquarians collective and moved to New York City. His album Like Water for Chocolate (2000) produced by Questlove and J Dilla earned him commercial success and critical acclaim. The single “The Light” was nominated for a Grammy Award. However, his next album Electric Circus (2002) received mixed reviews for its experimental style blending hip hop with genres like pop rock and electronic music.

GOOD Music era

In early 2004, He appeared on Kanye West’s first major album “The College Dropout” which was a huge hit. He then signed with West’s new label GOOD Music. Kanye and Common both from Chicago even had a friendly rap battle on the radio where Kanye teased Common about his style and choice of clothes. They teamed up again for his next album “Be” mostly produced by Kanye with some help from J Dilla another favorite of Kanye’s. “Be” came out in May 2005 and did well selling around 800000 copies. It got great reviews from magazines like The Source and XXL and was nominated for four Grammys in 2006.

After “Be” Common continued working with Kanye West and other producers like Will.i.am and Devo Springsteen for his next album “Finding Forever” released in 2007. It featured artists like D’Angelo and UK singer Lily Allen. Kanye predicted it would win a Grammy and though it was nominated Kanye’s album won instead. Common did win a Grammy for Best Rap Performance. The album debuted at #1 on the Billboard 200 chart.

During this time Common also helped bring together UK and US hip-hop by signing UK artists Mr. Wong and J2K to Kanye’s label. He also had a deal with Zune mp3 players and made about $12 million in 2008 putting him among the top-earning hip-hop artists.

Common’s eighth album was originally called “Invincible Summer” but he changed it to “Universal Mind Control” released in late 2008. The lead single “Universal Mind Control” featured Pharrell Williams and was well-received.

Think Common Ent.

In 2011, Common released “The Dreamer/The Believer” produced by No I.D. and Kanye West. He left GOOD Music but was still featured on their compilation album in 2012.

In 2014, He released “Nobody’s Smiling” an album deeply influenced by the violence in his hometown of Chicago. He signed with Def Jam Recordings and continued to release albums like “Black America Again” in 2016 and formed a jazz group called August Greene in 2018.

In recent years, Common has continued to release music including the albums “Let Love” in 2019 and “A Beautiful Revolution Pt. 1” in 2020 followed by a sequel in 2021. He was also featured in Men’s Health’s Hip-Hop 50th Anniversary edition in 2023.

Looking ahead to 2024, He is set to release a collaborative album with Pete Rock called “The Auditorium Vol. 1” and has already released the first single “Wise Up.”

Common’s Personal life

Common used to only eat plant-based foods but now he includes fish in his diet. He’s a big fan of the Chicago Bulls and Chicago Bears and he follows the Christian faith at Trinity United Church of Christ in Chicago.

In 2019, he gave the spring commencement speech at Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University (FAMU) and received an honorary degree afterward. He studied at FAMU’s School of Business and Industry.

Common has a daughter named Omoye Assata Lynn born in 1997 from his past relationship with Kim Jones. Omoye graduated from Howard Law School in 2022.

From mid-2020 to November 2021 Common was in a relationship with comedian and actress Tiffany Haddish.

In 2022, while working on the film “Breathe” Common met singer and actress Jennifer Hudson who is also from Chicago. They confirmed their relationship on “The Jennifer Hudson Show” in January 2024. Common described Jennifer as someone incredibly beautiful smart grounded and talented.

Common’s Activism

In 2003, Common made his debut on the UPN sitcom Girlfriends appearing as Omar a slam poet competing for Lynn Searcy’s affection against fellow poet Sivad (played by Saul Williams). He also had a cameo as a drama class instructor named Darius on UPN’s One-on-One. Additionally, he guest-starred on ABC’s Scrubs.

In 2007, Common took on his first big screen role as the villainous Mob enforcer Sir Ivy in the crime film Smokin’ Aces alongside Ryan Reynolds, Jeremy Piven, and Alicia Keys. The same year he appeared in the crime thriller American Gangster with Denzel Washington and Russell Crowe. Just before Smokin’ Aces premiered he even showed up in a Saturday Night Live sketch hosted by Piven.

In the music world, Common played Alicia Keys’s boyfriend in her 2007 music video “As You’ll Never See Me Again”. He continued to expand his film career appearing in “Wanted” alongside Angelina Jolie and Morgan Freeman as well as “Street Kings” with Keanu Reeves and Forest Whitaker. He also portrayed John Connor’s Lieutenant Barnes in “Terminator Salvation.”

Common’s diverse roles included playing a hitman in “Run All Night,” a gangster in “Suicide Squad,” and a corrupt cop in “Date Night.” He gained critical acclaim for his role in the 2018 Tribeca Film Festival premiere All About Nina. Additionally, he starred in movies like “The Hate U Give” and “John Wick: Chapter 2.”

Beyond acting he ventured into film production founding Freedom Road Productions under a deal with HBO in 2015. He’s also been involved with Amazon Studios and American Girl as an executive producer. In fashion, Common has modeled for brands like The Gap and New Era and launched his clothing line “Softwear” in partnership with Microsoft.

Common is also an author publishing memoirs such as “One Day It’ll All Make Sense” and “Let Love Have The Last Word.” He’s known for his activism supporting causes like animal rights HIV/AIDS awareness and youth empowerment through his Common Ground Foundation.

He’s performed in prisons founded Imagine Justice to combat injustice and launched initiatives like #WeMatterToo during the COVID-19 pandemic.

In 2022, Common is set to make his Broadway debut in Second Stage Theater’s production of Between Riverside and Crazy.