Man of the Hour: Common

::At the Dirty Awards, yesterday in Atlanta::

Common is an American rapper and actor.

Common whose real name is Lonnie Rashid Lynn, Jr. was born March 13, 1972 on the South Side of Chicago. The two time Grammy award winner (once in 2003 and again in 2008) started his career in 1992 with the release of his first album, Can I Borrow A Dollar? In 2004, he signed onto Kanye West's G.O.O.D. (Getting Out Our Dreams) label and released (arguably) his best album to date, Be.

The rapper then got into acting on shows like Scrubs and Girlfriends, then starring in movies like Smokin' Aces, Wanted and American Gangster. Be sure to check him out in upcoming films like Terminator Salvation and Justice League of America.

His new album, Universal Mind Control, drops December 9.