Rapper Common spent Monday promoting his new album The Dreamer/The Believer, but also took the time to clear up the media-spun ”beef” between himself and author/poet Maya Angelou. Common featured Angelou on his song “The Dreamer” in which the rapper used the “n-word” several times. After hearing the track, Angelou had this to say in a recent interview with the NY Post:
“I had no idea that Common was using the piece we had done together on [a track] in which he also used the n-word numerous times. I’m surprised and disappointed. I don’t know why he chose to do that. I had never heard him use that [word] before. I admired him so because he wasn’t singing the line of least resistance.”
While Common paid a visit to BET’s 106 & Park Monday afternoon, Angelou phoned in to clear up the controversy and ensure that she still had love for the rapper.
“I don’t think the word disappointment quite makes it, I was surprised. I know that Common is brilliant. He may in fact be close enough to be called a genius—I’m not sure—I know that we are all in process, and young artists are in process [...] He is brilliant, he’s a genius maybe but he’s certainly smart enough to know that he’s in process. And next week he might not use the N-word or the B-word. It maybe even take two, or three weeks or a month but I’m not going to be separated from him.”
Common went on to defend his choice to put Angelou on that specific record by saying:
“I first and foremost know that as an artist I have to be allowed to express myself. And that expression is necessary. And one thing Dr. Angelou said was use your voice and let your voice be heard. So that song is definitely not based on those words being used. It’s a song called ‘The Dreamer’ and it’s about uplifting. In my language– and some of the language we use– we use the ‘n-word’ and I didn’t want to hide from that.”
He said he was honored to have her on the album and considers her a mother figure.
The Dreamer/The Believer is in stores now.
Check out the full interview below!