A day before his album, The Dreamer, The Believer is preparing to hit retail stores, Common was hit with a little bad press. During the summer, Common made headlines when he announced his album would boast a collaboration with Maya Angelou. The legendary poet was a fan of Common because of his socially-conscious lyrics.
However, after their collaboration, Maya Angelou was speaking a different tone with the New York Press. Maya Angelou said she was surprised and disappointed when she heard her vocals over Common’s song. The surprise and disappointment came from Common’s excessive use of the “N-word” throughout the song, something she did not endorse.
Common quickly responded to Maya Angelou’s comments, saying he explained everything to her before she did the collaboration. In the time since then, Common revealed to Hot 97 that the two have talked things over. Their rift comes over the usage of the “N-word” and Common said he and Maya Angelou decided to agree to disagree.
Speaking with Angie Martinez, Common said they were both grateful to have worked together. When asked if he had to humble himself when working with Martinez, Common admitted he had to. In the end, Common said she is like a mother to him and everything is all love between them, regardless of their disagreement.
