Photo Brief: Common delivers moving lecture

Natalie Edgar// The Miami Hurricane

In 2009, our homecoming performer was hip-hop artist and actor, Common. Known as today’s Hip Hop Renaissance Man, he has received several Grammy nominations and awards for his influential and socially conscious music.  On February 9th, he returned to Miami to give a lecture at FIU’s Biscayne Bay Campus.  Although the topic of the lecture was “The Effects of Hip-hop on Modern Society” Common focused on the theme of greatness. His overall message was for students to achieve greatness by “finding their path, believing in their path, and living their path.”   He spoke about his personal struggles and experiences that only led him to do bigger and greater things. During our interview Common said “I really want them to walk away feeling like they can achieve whatever they really want in life, find that voice within them and use that voice for their higher purpose.”  After the event, students from the greater Miami area held signs, and shouted for autographs outside the conference room. “That was by far the most inspirational speech I’ve ever heard,” said FIU student Lisette Cabrera.