How did you get started in hip hop?

Common: I first started hearing hip hop when the records from new York finally reached Chicago around 1980 when the Sugar Hill Gang came out. In '83 was when I first started writing rhymes. During that era Run-DMC was blowing up with "Sucker MCs," and that inspired me to rhyme. In 1986 I started making demos on and off, and in 1990 I sent a demo to "The Source" and they put me in the Unsigned Hype category. That's how I got signed.

When you were making demos, how did you put them together?

Just playing beats and rhyming to them. Eventually we started learning about the studio — we started with the 8-track and then 16-track.

A lot of people don't think of Chicago as really having a hip hop scene. What's the hip hop scene like out there?

The club scene is just starting to happen. The hip hop scene — breaking and graffiti — was in existence back in the day. There was nowhere for the kids to go 'cause house music was the prevalent thing; now there's lots of kids throwing parties. They throw a lot of parties at warehouses and stuff.

What do you think of the hip hop scene in the West?

It's kinda like Chicago. I guess the majority might prefer gangsta music, but there's a lot of hip hoppers who like the dope stuff, the B-boy stuff. Some of it might be leaning towards the East Coast. You know, the West Coast gets labeled as "gangsta rap," but I'm learning that there's a lot of other stuff going on there.

What old school rappers had an influence on you?

Run-DMC, and I know everyone says that. The one person that had an influence — and people probably don't like his now — is Big daddy Kane. I think Kane is a dope lyricist. Oh yeah, and Kool G Rap.

Any advice for upcoming rappers?

Find out what direction you want to go in and get your image together — the whole package. You don't have to sign a contract real quick. Get with the right people. As long as you don't copy and be phony and be true to yourself, you'll be all right.



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