Common’s father, Lonnie Lynn, dead at 71

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Lonnie Lynn, Common‘s father, passed away Friday at the age of 71.

Common remembered his father as continually supportive of his artistic and professional endeavors in an interview Monday in Los Angeles. He refused to share information about his father’s cause of death but spoke glowingly of his life and impact.

His early legacy

Although his son became a famous musician, Lynn’s career was more athletically focused to start. He played for the American Basketball Association — a brief rival league to the NBA — before the two organizations merged.

But his life took a more difficult turn in later years, when he became gripped with drug addiction, according to Billboard.

Lynn channeled his battles into art, developing his poetry. He appeared on many of his son’s albums, using the stage name “Pops” and often riffing about his drug use and also the struggle of fathering six children.

In his Monday interview, Common, whose legal name is Lonnie Rashid Lynn Jr., declared his father a “natural poet and master of words. His personality and soul shined through his work.”

He continued by saying: “The way he said things made me look at life and the world in a new way, in a different way. They always sparked a thought in my head. His words would always make me strive to achieve higher, to write better, to be more truthful with my words.”

The last poem

The last poem Pops composed was on Common’s 2011 album, “The Dreamer/The Believer”.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b5RvrQNE_1E

Nearly all of Common’s fans know the voice of Lonnie “Pops” Lynn. He first appeared on his son 1994’s album “Resurrection” LP on “Pop’s Rap.” He introduced himself on that album by expressing how hopeful he felt about the young hip hop generation. “I see harmony, understanding and they’re working on that love thing, too,” is what Mr. Lynn says on the original “Pop’s Rap”.

“Pop’s Rap, Part 2/ Fatherhood” introduced audiences to a proud Mr. Lynn. He spoke proudly about his son, who was already a great rapper and a soon-to-be father.

By 2000, the elder Lynn was clearly aware of his great voice and immense popularity. On “Pop’s Rap III … All My Children,” he sent shout-outs to De La Soul, Lauryn Hill, the Roots and Erykah Badu.

In 2002, Pops and his son collaborated with Mary J. Blige, Jill Scott, CeeLo and once again, Erykah Badu. Pops chimed in on the track “Heaven Somewhere,” where he warmed hearts as he talked about the joys of being a grandfather

Heaven? Heaven is being Pops
Heaven is spending a day with the grandchildren
Listening to their voices and laugh to them play
And then at the end of the day we hug, we kiss, and slowly they walk away
And then suddenly they turn and rush back to me and hug me around the knees
Yeah … thats heaven to me

On Common’s Be album, Pops encouraged others to have courage and weave their own fate. “Be the author of your own horoscope,” he said.

“Pop’s Belief” is the last track Lynn recorded before he died, speaking about the importance of finding something to believe in when you feel all is lost.

Live the life you believe. The American dream, the black American dream, the universal dream. For the sake of the unwritten laws of humanity, I believe in God. I believe in my ancestors, I believe in my offsprings … I believe in the truth, truth. See you next lifetime.

A fitting final message…. Condolences to the Lynn family.