July 1999'
When we got off the plane, we took this picture!
I was living in Jersey City, NJ off of Old Bergen Rd around this time. I went back home to Michigan to quick visit. On my way back to NJ, I was sitting in DTW airport with my mom waiting on my flight. This was before “9-11” in 2001, so your homies or family could go into the airport and wait at the gate with you before you boarded the plane. While we were at the gate having a conversation, I began telling her how Common was my favorite emcee at the time. As I was telling her, I saw a guy walking towards my gate holding a small stack of records in his hand. As he got closer, I realized it was actually Common! I started whispering to my mom that the guy I was talking about was at the check- in counter getting on the same flight. I was freakin out a little, but I played it cool.
It was time to board the plane and there were only like 10 people on the flight. I felt like it was only me and him on the flight though. I felt like it was my chance to meet him. So I left my seat and walked up to Common and told him how much I appreciated him and his music. He let me sit next to him and talk for a second. I got to talk to him about being from the midwest and attending FAMU because we both went to college there (and dropped out).
I asked him what he was up to in Detroit. He says, "I was there in the studio working with a producer named Jay Dee, do you know Jay Dee?" I was like, "Hail yeah..well I don't know him like that, but im a big fan of Jay Dee's music." Com said, "Word!". He had a Bible and a cassette tape player with him. Common told me that he needed to finish writing to this beat Jay Dee gave him so he politely asked me to let him zone out. He still let me sit next to him which was cool. When he put his headphones on, I can't front, I was trying hard to hear the Jay Dee beat he was writing to. All I could hear was the drum pattern on repeat, the snare snapping, no bassline, no piano riffs, just the drums bleeding through the headphones…
When the flight landed, I asked Common if I could take a photo with him. At the time, I carried around a Polaroid Camera. A driver came to pick him up so he was holding the sign with his name on it. I asked the driver if he would be able to take the picture, and that's the photo you see above. Super humble guy and I was grateful to have finally met him. Much love to one of my favorite emcees in the game, Common!
Wait, I know what you're thinking. So, did you ever find out what song it was that you heard that Common was playing in his headphones??