Common, Bilal and Robert Glasper Perform New Songs at The White House

Common got to be part of a very special edition of NPR's Tiny Desk Concert series. The Chicago rapper teamed up with Bilal, Robert Glasper, Karriem Riggins and a few others for a Tiny Desk performance at the White House. The artists were at the presidential residence for South By South Lawn, an event created by South By Southwest organizers.

This unique version of the Tiny Desk Concert saw Common perform his classic single "I Used to Love H.E.R." from his 1994 album Resurrection. Common also debuted three new songs from his highly anticipated Black American Again LP. The tracks are titled "Letter to the Free,” “The Day the Women Took Over,” and “A Little Chicago Boy."

Common said the first cut, "Letter to the Free," is part of the soundtrack for Ava Duvernay's documentary The 13th, which recently premiered on Netflix. The final record, "A Little Chicago Boy," is a tribute to Common's father Lonnie Lynn, who passed away in 2014. A recurring feature of Common's work was having a spoken word poem by Lynn close the MC's albums.

Black America Again is scheduled to drop on Nov. 4 through Def Jam and ARTium Records. At a recent listening party, Common said the LP would showcase “the whole spectrum” of Black life in America today. Jay Rock, BJ The Chicago Kid, The Internet's Syd, Marsha Ambrosius and the legendary Stevie Wonder are among the confirmed guests appearing on the album.

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