VladTV sat down with Common and had a brief discussion on racism. While only scratching the surface, Common shows himself to be well versed on the topic and discusses the research required for him to portray freed slave Elam Ferguson on the AMC drama, "Hell on Wheels."
While addressing the complex nature of slavery in the 1800s, Common relates the struggles to those of today, saying racism is still a prevalent issue, it just isn't as overt as it once was. When asked about the racist remarks Justin Bieber made, Com admits he was surprised because it seems like Justin respects black culture, and he doubts Bieber intended to demean black people.
When asked about Lord Jamar's now infamous interview where he said Whites are guests within Hip-Hop, Common disagrees, saying that while it's a known fact the culture was begun by Blacks and Latinos, you don't have to be from the ghetto to express Hip-Hop.
Check out the interview above.
