Question 1

Does Common write his own songs?

Accepted Answer

He is credited on 137 of his 175 studio tracks and is the only writer on two. Nothing on the first two albums is credited to anybody, so 28 of the 38 tracks he is not on are a gap in the record rather than someone else's work.

Question 2

Who writes with him most?

Accepted Answer

Karriem Riggins, on 43 tracks. No I.D., who produced the first three albums, is on 31, and J Dilla on 21. James Poyser is on 24 and Kanye West on 18.

Question 3

How many albums has he released?

Accepted Answer

Fourteen studio albums, from Can I Borrow a Dollar? in 1992 to A Beautiful Revolution, Pt. 2 in 2021.

Question 4

Which album sold the most?

Accepted Answer

Be, certified platinum by the RIAA. Like Water for Chocolate and Finding Forever are both gold. He has sold more than 2.8 million albums in the United States.

Question 5

Who wrote "I Used to Love H.E.R."?

Accepted Answer

Nothing published says. Resurrection gives its track listing as a table with performer and length columns and no writer column, and no Discogs release of it fills the gap.

Question 6

What awards has he won?

Accepted Answer

Three Grammy Awards, an Academy Award, a Primetime Emmy Award and a Golden Globe Award. The Academy Award came for "Glory", written for the film Selma, which is not on any of these albums.

Question 7

Why is he called Common?

Accepted Answer

He recorded as Common Sense until a band of that name forced the change, and the first three albums carry the longer version.

Question 8

What was the Soulquarians?

Accepted Answer

The collective around D'Angelo, Erykah Badu, Questlove and J Dilla that made Like Water for Chocolate. Questlove writes on 14 of his tracks and Badu appears on several more.

Question 9

Which album is he most alone on?

Accepted Answer

None of them, really. He has two solo writing credits in fourteen albums, one on Like Water for Chocolate and one on The Dreamer/The Believer.

Question 10

Is he still recording?

Accepted Answer

A Beautiful Revolution, Pt. 2 came out in 2021, and The Auditorium Vol. 1 with Pete Rock followed in 2024. That one is credited to the two of them and sits outside this catalogue.