On the album's 20th anniversary, it's much easier to recognize Be as a crucial intersection record — not simply for Common, on his way to becoming rap's hokey, well-intentioned uncle, but for hip-hop ...

LOS ANGELES -- Common was trying not to crack a smile. The rapper-turned-actor-turned-author was in the midst of having his face powdered in preparation for an interview with a cable music channel.

I can’t think of a more ideal place to talk about literacy than a public library. Common, the actor and used-to-be rapper, visited a public library in Cleveland recently to drop knowledge on Gen Z’ers ...