PERFECT STRANGERS
James McAvoy Oh really? Why?
Common: He say he don’t know rap that much, that’s a tough question. I had a beef with him ’cause did this song called “I Used to Love H.E.R.,” which was dealing with the evolution of hip-hop and I used hip-hop as a woman and during the song I talked about how hip-hop evolved and then went to the West Coast and lost some of the consciousness—but I wasn’t saying that the West Coast caused that. Anyway, Ice Cube was a West Coast rapper and actor. He felt offended by it and said I was dissin’ the West Coast, so him and his guys came out with a song dissin’ me.
James McAvoy: No!
Common: [Laughs.] Yeah, so then I came back, you know, I’m a warrior, James. I’m like one of them silent warriors, I ain’t gonna start nothin’ unless someone come at me, you know. Anyway, he came at me, I came back at him strong, that’s what it was. War.
James McAvoy: What was the song?
Common: It was called “The Bitch in Yoo.” [Laughs.]
James McAvoy: I’m fascinated by this war, I’m gonna have to investigate this. And did you make it up with Ice Cube?
Common: Yeah, we made it up. We made it up after, it was a tough time in hip-hop when Biggie Smalls and Tupac had died, so it was like, “We don’t need this beef to escalate.” ’Cause cats were—it was gettin’ to that point where it could have been a physical thing. Much love to that brother.
James McAvoy: I knew it had to be something very American. [Both laugh.] Chess!
James McAvoy: Rashid? Was it Rashid?
Common: No. Think of—use your common...
James McAvoy: Sense? Common Sense?
Common: Yeah. That was my first rap name.
Common: Yeah, hip-hop.
Common: Yeah, that’s good. I would say fish now, even though I do love pizza. [Both laugh.] We didn’t know either, but we wanted to see if you did. What’s Common’s best dance move?
James McAvoy: Oh, I dunno. I’ve seen you grind particularly well. [Both laugh.] I’ve seen you do that particularly well. That’s the move I’ve seen you use to best effect.
Common: [Laughing.] Man, these are the most difficult questions.
James McAvoy: Why don’t you watch the Bulls?
Common: In a line on “Resurrection,” I said, “My mom says some of my songs sound like noise, don’t watch the Bulls as much, they got too many white boys.” [Both laugh.] So, you know, it was one of them true things that you really feel, ’cause after Michael left, it was just—no, that was when Michael was still there. Or, he had just left to play baseball.
James McAvoy: That was so strange. Was he a success in baseball?