Common Reflects on 20 Year Anniversary of Debut, Can I Borrow A Dollar?

Twenty years ago, on October 6, 1992, Common’s debut album, Can I Borrow A Dollar?, was essential in laying the foundation for the Chicago rapper’s lengthy career. Despite limited success at the time, the No I.D.-helmed project (where, as Immenslope, he was credited with producing seven of the album’s tracks) showcased Com’s dexterous wordplay and asserted him as a notable new talent. Years later, the collection would be heralded as a classic. Here, in his own words, Common reflects on his entrance into the game.

That was just a time where I didn’t know anything about being in the music industry. I just wanted to be an artist and be a dope MC and be heard and represent Chicago, and KRS and De La Soul and N.W.A and A Tribe Called Quest and all them to know who I was. I was just a young artist, just hungry.

It was a lot of songs from my demo that ended up being on Can I Borrow A Dollar?. I can just remember going to New York, taking all my homies with me, and going to record in Calliope Studios. We recorded there ’cause we saw that the Jungle Brothers and De La Soul and Tribe had did some stuff there. We went there and most of the songs was done, but we just wanted to be in that environment. I remember getting to meet the Beatnuts. They was the first dudes from New York that I even really got cool with. They was dope. I would go to Queens and hang out. They would come around and just show me what New York was about.

“Take It EZ” was the first single that was on the radio. I was in this hotel room at the Best Western. We was doing some promo up on the north side of Chicago, and, at that time, you go to every radio station you can, and because they was open to mix shows, you could take your record and if they like it, they could put it on the radio quick. The DJ could if it was a mixshow thing. On the promo tour, you go out there and just have to make people aware of who you are. I was at the Best Western just chilling out. Man, I just got geeked. I was like, ‘I’m gonna be a star.’ That’s what I felt. You just don’t know what it take to even get—you never know from that point what it really take to be recognized as an artist on a greater level. It ain’t just being played on the radio one time. It’s a consistent thing of being heard and getting exposure and going out there, performing, getting your video played. There was so much more to it than you know when you first come into the music industry. That’s where I was at. That was a time that I got to hear my first song on the radio, as far as a record that I recorded. And see my album cover. It just was like a dream.

Since the debut of "Can I Borrow A Dollar?"., Common has gone on to perform in 16 films, and is one of the starts on Hell On Wheel's on A&E. His movie credits list as follows....2002 Brown Sugar, 2006 Dave Chapelle's Block Party, 2007 Smokin' Aces, Sir Ivy, 2007 American Gangster, 2010 Date Night, 2011 New Years Eve, 2012 Luv... I remember when I first saw the video for "Take it E Z" on The Box. I was excited because I actually KNEW this dude!! He went to Luther South High School with me, his locker was a few down from my sisters, and I was already a fan of the group that he was in called C.D.R. So when I saw this dude's video, I was proud for the city and the culture of Hip Hop. Not only was my mans from the midwest, not only was he from Chicago, not only was he from the East Side, but he was from Chatham Village! Even to this day, with all of his success, he still reps Chicago, and reps Chatham. We are very proud of Lonnie Rashid Lynn, Jr.