My Publicist Note Book

Common’s  new album “Black America Again,” featuring the recently released title track about race issues in the United States, will be released on Nov. 4 – four days before the presidential election. The album, which follows 2014’s “Nobody’s Smiling,”  boasts    guest appearances from  John Legend (“Rain”),  Bilal  (“Joy and Peace,” “Home,” “Letter to the Free”) and  BJ the Chicago Kid  (“The Day Women Took Over”) as well as  Stevie Wonder  and  Marsha Ambrosius Grammy-winning gospel artist  Tasha Cobbs  appears on “Little Chicago Boy,” the initial title for Common’s album before he renamed it to the timely “Black America Again.” “Letter to the Free,” the album’s second single, is featured in  Ava DuVernay’s  Netflix documentary “13th,” which highlights the racial inequalities within America’s criminal justice system. In keeping with the “Black America Again” theme, Common will speak on...

Common and John Legend provided Sunday's Oscars with its most powerful moment: a performance of "Glory" that brought the entire Dolby Theatre to its feet. To celebrate "Selma" and their Oscar nomination for Best Original Song, the duo took the stage in front of a group of singers and projected imagery of the  Selma-to-Montgomery march  depicted in "Selma." but  Sunday night was a big moment for both Common and John Legend as they took home the Oscar for Best Original Song at the 87th Annual Academy Awards for their song “Glory” on the Selma soundtrack.  The song, which runs during the end credits of the film, and it was co-written by Rhymefest. The anthem about racial injustice -- which touches on everything from the civil rights movement of the 1960s to the recent events in Ferguson, Missouri -- won Best Original Song shortly after the performance.  The award became just the third given to a Hip Hop song in the category follow...

PRINCE MAKES SURPRISE APPEARANCE AT GOLDEN GLOBES TO PRESENT AWARD TO COMMON AND JOHN LEGEND Prince  made a surprise appearance at the Golden Globe Awards tonight, captivating the star-studded audience with his sheer presence. The iconic musician popped up to present the award for Best Original Song in a Motion Picture. The award was won by  Common  and  John Legend  for their collaboration, ‘Glory’, taken from the film  Selma.  The pair won the category ahead of efforts from Lana Del Rey, Lorde, Patti Smith and Sia. When Common and John Legend accepted their best song Golden Globe from Prince for their song "Glory" from "Selma," the rapper-actor launched into an acceptance speech that sounded like, well, a rap. He touched on the news-making civil right issues of the day and those that harken back to the '60s, and it was so smooth, we were waiting for the beat to drop. Here's what he said during the speech: Click to...