Poet? Rev. Wright Defender and Promoter of Cop Killing Invited to White House

According to the Associated Press, Obama "will celebrate American poetry and prose with a gathering of poets, musicians and artists at the White House next Wednesday night." One of the poets who will attend is Lonnie Rashid Lynn, Jr. who goes by the name “Common.”

It is likely Obama met Common at the Rev. Jeremiah Wright’s Trinity United Church of Christ were both men were members...

In fact, Common defended his minister.

“What I picked up from the pews…was messages of love," Common said at the time."Anything that was going on against that love he would acknowledge and expose. He’s been a preacher that’s helped raise one of the greatest political figures in the world, and hopefully, the next President. He’s also raised one of the greatest rappers in the world [meaning Common himself]." Read more ...

Common Critiques Media Coverage of Former Pastor ... Rev. Jeremiah Wright
In 2008, Common weighed in on the firestorm surrounding Rev. Wright…“Obviously, the media has an agenda,” Common said. “I don’t follow what the media says. I’m a thinker for myself. And I just encourage people to be objective: When you’re watching, use your inner eye and really try to watch the person and see what you think about them. Because you can never really capture a person in the media blitz.”

Common added that he feels Wright is more than the sum of his sound bites. “I may not agree with people that I love, but if we understand, that what’s important. I’ve been going to that church since I was eight years old. So what he’s doing is giving people an understanding of a man’s perspective that grew up in the era of racial prejudice and has since progressed. The only way we’re going to progress is not judging and not quickly becoming offended. Just because somebody believes in something different from you don’t make them against you.” Read more ...

Chickens Come Home to Roost… Obama To Honor Cop-Killer Promoting Poet From His Old Church

In fact, Common rapped at the 2008 New Year celebration at Wright’s church. “I’m gonna let you know / No people want drama / We gonna vote for my man / What’s his name? Obama … Revolution is here,” he sang, and the Rev. Wright danced in the background.

Some of Common’s poetry could also raise some eyebrows among those who might find cop-killing and racially-tinged or misogynist language beneath the Office of the Presidency.
“Tell the law my Uzi weighs a ton … I hold up a peace sign but I carry a gun,” raps Common in one appearance that was posted onto YouTube.

“Flyer say Free Mumia on my freezer,” he raps in another. Mumia Abu-Jamal is an incarcerated former member of the Black Panther Party who was convicted in 1981 for killing a Philadelphia police officer. Agitating for his release from prison has become a cause for many leftwing activists…
Common has also been a vocal opponent of mixed race relationships and believes black men and white women should not date. In one rap he says, “I don’t know what it is / but white girls gettin’ ass / I know what it is / It’s cash.” Read more ...

Palin Raps White House Rapper

Sarah Palin tweeted into the growing controversy over Michelle Obama’s decision to invite Chicago rapper "Common" to a White House arts event for students.
"Oh lovely, White House," she said about Common’s “A Letter to the Law” rap-poem, which was transcribed and published in yesterday’s Daily Caller. The 2007 rap includes threats to kill police and a call to kill then-President George W. Bush. Read more ....

A Sample of Common's Work

Here’s a sample of Common’s work, transcribed from a 2007 video with 837,613 viewers on YouTube. Students, please compare and contrast the two poems. You’ll get extra credit for counting the death threats. There is no extra credit for identifying spelling errors. By the way, ‘Uzi’ is slang for a compact machine gun:

A Letter to the Law

Dem boy wanna talk ... [indistinguishable]
Whatcha gon do if ya got one gun?
I sing a song for the hero unsung
with faces on the mural of the revolution
No looking back cos’ in back is what’s done
Tell the preacher, god got more than one son
Tell the law, my Uzi weighs a ton
I walk like a warrior,
from them I won’t run
On the streets, they try to beat us like a drum
In Cincinnati, another brother hung
A guinea won’t see the sun
with his family stung
They want us to hold justice
but you handed me none
The same they did to Kobe and Michael Jackson make them the main attraction
Turn around and attack them
Black gem in the rough
You’re rugged enough
Use your mind and nine-power, get the government touch
Them boys chat-chat on how him pop gun
I got the black strap to make the cops run
They watching me, I’m watching them
Them dick boys got a lock of cock in them
My people on the block got a lot of pok* in them
and when we roll together
we be rocking them to sleep
No time for that, because there’s things to be done
Stay true to what I do so the youth dream come
from project building
Seeing a fiend being hung
With that happening, why they messing with Saddam?
Burn a Bush cos’ for peace he no push no button
Killing over oil and grease
no weapons of destruction
How can we follow a leader when this a corrupt one
The government’s a g-unit and they might buck young black
people
Black people In the urban area one
I hold up a peace sign, but I carry a gun.
Peace, ya’ll.”