As well as music, Common has worked as an actor, on films such as 'Smokin' Aces' (as Sir Ivy) 'American Gangster' (as Turner Lucas), 'Wanted', and 'John Wick: Chapter 2'. He may also be seen in cameo roles in films such as 'Brown Sugar'.
His debut was the 1992 album Can I Borrow A Dollar, but he achieved little critical or commercial success until 1994's Resurrection, an instant classic. He produced several more albums, notably Like Water For Chocolate and the highly experimental Electric Circus, before releasing the Kanye West and J Dilla-produced Be in 2005, which was his first album to receive widespread mainstream appeal and radio playtime.
Common is considered a "cred" artist, which has lead him to collaborations with the likes of De La Soul, Jadakiss, T.I, Talib Kweli, The Roots, Kanye West, Lily Allen, Erykah Badu, and Fort Minor.
The 2007 album Finding Forever was produced mainly by long-time collaborator, Kanye West. Common released his eighth album Universal Mind Control in 2008, which was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Rap Album but lost to the Eminem album Relapse. He released his ninth album The Dreamer/The Believer in 2011. Nobody's Smiling, his tenth album, was released in 2014. The concept of the album was inspired by his troubled hometown of Chicago.
Nuthin' To Do
Common Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Check it on the one you Com is gonna come
Check it on the one you Com is gonna come
And check it out ha
My raps do laps around tracks and adapt
To any environment, I'm the comma comma chameleon
I use to pop a wheelie on my blue and gray stingray, it had mags
And wasn't rockin' Starters, looking harder than niggas
Hoes wore clothes, that exposed they figures
8-7 stepped in the jam, next the police come
Fights there would be one, numbers I'd get at least one
We'd come to the get-together with whoever
You wouldn't know how deep we was, we all didn't sit together
Eat up all your vittles, drink your brew
And then step to the next cue, let's do it again y'all
That was when mad was tall and phat was cold
The days of Old Chicago and Fun Town
As shorties we run 'round, play strike outs till sun down
But the shit ain't as fun now, and the city's all run down
We'd troop down to Jew Town, talk a cat down on some gear
Have enough for a Polish and car fare
I stare, at what use to be better
And think about who use to cop our liquor
(Who?) Our neighborhood father figure
I'm out with my crew, ain't nuthin' to do but uh
(Niggas be rollin')
Ain't nowhere to go, so I hook up with a ho while I
(Niggas be rollin')
Gotta make a stop, take a leak and get some tops, cause um
(Niggas be rollin')
We gonna hit the streets for some brew and some eats cause um
(Niggas be rollin')
I got more rhymes than The Manor got folks
Had style since I went to McDowell, wearin' boats
And penny loafers though I had the nickel in mines
We use to hoop in my yard but now I dribble the rhyme
It's like rain drops couldn't make our game stop
Skeeter would hit from the same spot
'Til Marlon tore my shit down, get down
Put your body in motion only the strong survive
But on the 6 or the 5
Live is how the sets used to be, at the Racquet
Ball Club with music by, Andre Hatchett
Or either a beat by Pharris at them country club parties
We'd be hot as hell and House studs would yell "Aight, now money!"
Sauers I would go there, hip-hop clubs were so rare
I liked the music anyways and it was always hoes there
Whitney Young and Kenwood was said to have the best chicks
But mostly Hyde Park and V hoes is who I messed with
The best shit was troopin' to the loop in your precisions
Cut class to get ass, but still go to division (I remember that)
Over Yamela's crib while his old girl was at work
Bust a spoolie on the spread, but still have some on your shirt
I'm out with my crew, ain't nuthin' to do but uh
(Niggas be rollin')
Ain't nowhere to go, so I hook up with a ho while I
(Niggas be rollin')
Gotta make a stop, take a leak and get some tops, cause um
(Niggas be rollin')
We gonna hit the streets for some brew and some eats cause umm
(Niggas be rollin')
I tuned into BMX, and taped Farley on the tonemaster
Took the 6 instead of the 28 to get home faster
Then HPK was the only station that would fuck with rap
You was on The Shore by yourself cats'd (would) say "up your hat"
What you could you'd make of it, if you was a gump they'd take your shit
Either fight or break for it, we'd go to the lake and get full
My drink then was Boone's and Red Bull
I remember swimming in Avalon, and peeing in the pool
I thought I was cool, with my "Members Only" and a bald fade
Walk to Walgreens to get the Sportin' Waves pomade
And soft brush, as we got older we would stalk, rush, and bang fags
Go to Marshall's and change tags, I snagged 'nuff niggas
In games of Off the Wall, and softball, "Piggy one" I would call
When I first got my three way callin', I caught marks tryin' to lie
Home of the original gangbangers, and ain't nobody shy
I'm out with my crew, ain't nuthin' to do but uh
(Niggas be rollin')
Ain't nowhere to go, so I hook up with a ho while I
(Niggas be rollin')
Gotta make a stop, take a leak and get some tops, cause um
(Niggas be rollin')
We gonna hit the streets for some brew and some eats cause um
(Niggas be rollin')
("I'm Petey Wheatstraw from the Southside of Chicago")
("I'm Petey Wheatstraw from the Southside of Chicago")
("I'm Petey Wheatstraw from the Southside of Chicago")
("I'm Petey Wheatstraw from the Southside of Chicago")
(Southside of Chicago, southside of Chicago)
(Southside of Chicago, southside of Chicago)
The song "Nuthin' To Do" by Common is a nostalgic track about the rapper's experiences growing up in Chicago. He reminisces about the simpler times when he and his crew used to hang out with nothing much to do, talking about their experiences like hoop sessions, cruising down streets and alleys, and partying in clubs. The beat is simple and repetitive, with a sample from Ol' Dirty Bastard's "Protect Ya Neck" adding to the laid-back vibe of the song. Common's flow is smooth and effortless, capturing the carefree energy of his youth.
The first verse of the song sets the scene, taking the listener back to a time when Common was popping wheelies on his blue and grey stingray bike, surrounded by girls and friends. He talks about the fashion and style of the time, how everyone would roll up to parties with whatever they had, and how everyone ate each other's food and drank each other's drinks. Everything was free and effortless as they all did things together. It was a time when life was slow and had no rush, and they cherish the idle times.
In verse two, Common talks about the music scene at the time, how hip hop clubs were so rare, but whenever they went, there were always girls. He remembers the hot clubs and parties they went to, the music they danced to, and the fun they had. Life was simple back then, and everything was about partying, having fun and making memories. In the last verse, he talks about the memories of his teenage years, the sports they played, how they spent their time and how they got up to mischief. The nostalgia of his memories is strongly felt in his bars.
Line by Line Meaning
Check it on the one you Com is gonna come [Repeat: x3]
Attention everyone, listen up because Common is about to come and bring something great
My raps do laps around tracks to the days
My rap skills surpass those of the past and continue to improve with time
The idiot vibin' I'm the comma comma Chameleon
I am adaptable to any situation, unlike those who are unskilled and unaware
I use to pop the willy on my blue and gray sting ray
I used to ride a cool bike and show off by popping wheelies on it
It had maxed I was with bitches that had coochie
My bike had a lot of features and I used to hang out with women
Bassum wasn't rollin' Starters looking harder than niggas
One of my acquaintances was not doing well, while some others were trying too hard to look cool
Hoes wore clothes that exposed their figures
Women dressed in revealing clothing
Ain't 7 steps in the jam, next the police come
Soon after arriving at a party, the police would show up
Heist there would be one, numbers I would get at least one
There was always a chance of a robbery or some trouble, so I would make sure to get phone numbers before leaving
We come to the get together with whatever
We would show up to a party or gathering with whatever we had
You wouldn't know how deep it was, we all did shit together
Nobody could understand how close we were and the things we did together
Eat up all your vittles, drink your brew and then step to
We would eat and drink at parties and then move on to the next thing
The next cue, let's do it again y'all
We would move on to the next activity and do it all over again
That was when mad was tall and phat was cold
That was when being angry was popular and being cool was desirable
The days of Old Chicago and Fun Town and shorties we run round
Those were the days when we used to run around the neighborhoods of Old Chicago and Fun Town
Play strike outs till sun down, but the shit ain't as fun now
We used to play a game called strike outs until sunset, but it's not as enjoyable anymore
And the city is all run down, we troop down to Jew Town
The city is falling apart, so we go to Jew Town to hang out
Talking cat down on some gear, have enough for a Polish incom fair
We would talk each other into buying new clothes so we could go to a Polish street fair
I stare, at what use to be Bubbles and think about who use to cop our liquor
I think about how Bubbles' old store used to be and who we used to buy alcohol from
(Who?) Our neighborhood father figure
We used to buy alcohol from a trusted adult in the neighborhood
I'm out with my crew, ain't nuthin' to do but ah
I'm hanging out with my friends and there's nothing to do
"Niggas be rollin'" Ol' Dirty Bastard from Protect Ya Neck
We're just rolling around without anything specific to do, like Ol' Dirty Bastard said in 'Protect Ya Neck'
Ain't nowhere to go, so I hook up with a hoe while I
Since there's nothing to do and nowhere to go, I decide to meet up with a woman
"Niggas be rollin'"
We're still just rolling around without a clear destination or purpose
Gotta make a stop take a leak and get some chops cause um
We need to stop to use the bathroom and get something to eat
"Niggas be rollin'"
We're still aimlessly driving around
We gonna hit the streets for some brew and some eats cause um
We're going to go out and get some beer and food
"Niggas be rollin'"
We're still just driving around, without a clear destination
I got more rhymes then the Manor got folks had style
I have a lot of rhymes and am more skilled than most people in my community
Since I went to McDowl, wearin' boats
I've had style since I went to McDowl and started wearing boat shoes
And penny loafers know I had the nickel in mines
I used to have a nickel inside my penny loafers
We use to hoop in my yard but now I dribble the rhyme
We used to play basketball in my yard, but now I focus on writing and performing rap songs
It's like rain drops couldn't make our game stop
Our basketball game was not easily stopped, not even by rain
Skeeter will hit from the SAME spot
One of our friends was really good at shooting the ball from the same spot every time
Torla tore my shit down, get down, put your body in motion
One of my friends, Torla, knocked me down during the basketball game, so I had to stay active and move my body
Only the strong survive, but on the 6 or the 5
This phrase reminds us that life is tough, but it was especially difficult in neighborhoods like the one we grew up in
Live as hot as sex use to be at the Racket
Living life well was as amazing as sex used to be when we went to the Racket club
Wrong club with music by Andre Hatchet
We would go to the wrong club, but still enjoy the music by Andre Hatchet
Or either Beat Box Ferris at them country club parties
We would go to parties at country clubs that had music by Beat Box Ferris
Would be hot as hell and house stud would get "Find a body!"
The parties were really good and women would be interested in finding someone to hook up with
Sawyers I would go there, hip hop clubs were so rare
We used to go to Sawyers, a bar where hip hop music was rare
I like the music anyways and it was always hoes there
I enjoyed the music at Sawyers and there were always women there
Was said to have the best chicks but mostly High Park and V hoes
There were rumors that there were really attractive women at a certain place, but it turned out they were mostly from the High Park and V neighborhoods
Is who I mess with, the best shit was troopin' to the loop
I mostly hung out with women from those neighborhoods, but the best thing was to go downtown to the loop area
With your posisions held class crooked ass but still got the division
We would walk around holding ourselves confidently, and sometimes we would even do things that weren't necessarily legal, but we still managed to keep ourselves out of trouble
Over Yamela's crib while his old girl was at work
We used to hang out at Yamela's house while his girlfriend was at work
Bust a smoothie on the spread, but still have some on your shirt
We would spill drinks on the furniture, but some would also end up on our clothes
I tuned into BMX and taped Farly on the tone master
I listened to BMX radio and recorded Farly's rap performance on a cassette tape
I took the 6 instead of the 28 to get home faster
I took a different bus to try to get home more quickly
Then HBK was the only station that would fuck with rap
HBK was the only radio station that would play rap music
You was on the shore by yourself castin' stay up your act
If you were at the lakefront by yourself, people would judge you for being alone
What you could make of it, you was a gump they was takin' shit
If you didn't fit in or couldn't handle the environment, people would make fun of you
Either fight or break for it, we go to the lake and get full
Your options were to either fight or leave, so we would go to the lake and eat a lot of food
My drink there was Boons and Red Bull
I would drink a combination of Boons Farm wine and Red Bull at the lakefront
I remember swimming in Avenlon, and being in a pool
I have fond memories of swimming in Avenlon and a community pool
I thought I was cool, with my "members only" and a bold fade
I used to think I was really cool because I wore a 'Members Only' jacket and had a bold, trendy hairstyle
Wall to wall greens to get the sport gray and palmade
I used a lot of green colored products to try to get my hair to look gray and shiny
And soft breasts, as we got older we would star crush and bang fags
We were really into women's breasts, and as we got older we would hook up with men who were interested in men
Go to Marshals and change tags, I snagged nuff niggas
We would go to Marshalls and switch price tags on items, and sometimes we would steal things
And games were off the wall, in softball, Piggy one I would call
We used to play a lot of fun games, and I was always good at calling out rules in a game called Piggy
When I first got my three way callin', I caught Marsh tryin' to lie
When I first got a three-way calling feature on my phone, I caught Marsh trying to deceive me
Home of the original gangbangers, and ain't nobody shot
Despite being the birthplace of gang activity, there weren't many shootings in our community
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: Ernest Don Wilson, Lonnie Rashid Lynn
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind