Common is already a rapper, actor, and activist, among other roles, but he can now add ‘author’ to his resume. The star penned a book containing various forms of life advice and stories about his own journey. The book, titled And Then We Rise is split into four sections – The Food, The Body, The Mind, and The Soul – each one offering suggestions for how to improve that respective aspect of one’s life.
How the Book Connects to Parenting
Common says that writing the book helped him become a better parent, as he discovered a lot of who he is today based on his early years. The rapper explained, “One of the most introspective moments of my journey was recognizing that some of the things that I do in life and the way I deal with people have to do with my eight-year-old self. Like the things that affected me when I was eight or nine and how that appears in my relationships now.”
Making Choices
Common went on to explain the revelation that changed how he views his daughter, Omoye, who’s in her 20s now. He said, “I think a lot of things that my mother and my stepfather implanted in me resonate with me now, but some things I had to choose my path and figure out what was for me, what is my purpose, and what I’m choosing now. Is it in alignment with my purpose? I had to learn as a teenager, as a young adult, and as an adult to find what things are really me, what things I am going to choose for my life.”
Common went on to express how important it is for parents to let their children think for themselves, make their own choices, and come to their own conclusions about life. He said parents have to refrain from allowing their egos to step on their kids’ paths. Common added, “We also got to trust that we’ve been planting seeds and giving them the best we have for their lives.”
Artists Rock the Grammys This Year in Cool and Casual Menswear
The recent 2023 Grammys witnessed the vast ensemble of the planet’s most-listened, most-sold, and most-streamed artists on stage on Music’s Biggest Night, and most of the men were looking dapper in, well, casuals! While there was a pair of casual washed jeans for every tailored suit, Dodgers caps and snapback hats had their moments too! The staunchly normal menswear surely set the tone of the star-studded night.
The Normcore Attires
Even big-ticket award shows like Grammys are no longer immune to the trend of normcore. Harry Styles, the Album of the Year winner, hit the carpet in his recent-staple gender-fluid clothing – a harlequin-print jumpsuit with a plunging neckline. Later during mid-show, he changed into a relatively relaxed cropped tux jacket from Gucci and tan trousers. Bad Bunny, the winner of the Best Musica Urbana Album, opened the broadcast by leading a procession of bomba y plena dancers in colorful skirts. He himself donned a plain white T-shirt paired with hip-bone-high-rise jeans, no belt, a snapback hat placed backward, and white tennis shoes. To accept his award, later, he changed into a black suit but didn’t forget to tuck his curls underneath a dark green LA Dodgers fitted cap, also placed backward!
The Quiet Luxury
This is another route the celebs took to prevail normcore at the Grammys. Omar Apollo, Best New Artist nominee, appeared in an open leather blazer worn over an unbuttoned striped shirt over a white T-shirt. A pair of hefty black shoes and light blue jeans completed his relaxed look, which was highly luxurious, only if you know to look at the brand tickets! Apollo’s luxe outfit was head-to-toe Bottega Veneta, with the jeans and the tee made of printed leather. GloRilla collaborator Hitkidd slayed on the red carpet in his near-cosplay rendition of normcore. His cool outfit included a tan jacket over a white collared shirt, blue jeans, a red striped tie, and a white trucker cap.