It’ s just Common knowledge
Rap per discusses life with Keanu Reeves, fighting and unspoken bonds
LOS ANGELES — If you’re Common it’s easy to be modest despite the fact that you would have a lot to be conceited about.
The rapper and actor has a best original song Oscar for co-writing Glory, which was showcased in the Martin Luther King biopic
Selma. However, he also has four Grammys and recent acclaim for his 11th studio album Black America Again. On the movie front, the 44- yearold had a cameo in last year’ s Suicide Squad and a key role in the ensemble Barbershop: The Next Cut.
Fans can enjoy next enjoy Common in John Wick: Chapter
2, which stars Keanu Reeves as an assassin on a mission he can’t refuse. The assignment puts Reeves’ Wick on a collision course with Common’s bodyguard Cassian, leading to an epic confrontation.
It is co-ordinated by director Chad St ah el ski who co-directed the first Wick film and wasco-leader of the 87Eleven Action Design fight team on The Matrix trilogy.
At a West Hollywood hotel, the easy going Common offers his opinions on his career and getting his brawl on with Reeves.
Is it accurate to say your Cassi an and Reeves’ Wick have an unspoken bond?
Yeah, they both have a code to live by, and they have to take care of their business. We purposely wanted to make sure it was not just good guy versus evil guy in our fight.
Were you prepared to train for two months to get into combat shape?
Put it this way, I told Chad (Stahelski) I would commit to working out because I wanted to be the best. But, I didn’ t really understand what I was committing to.
How was it shooting the fight sequences?
It was like learning a new lan- guage. We took pieces of different martial arts fights and blended them. Did anybody get hurt? It’s always safety first but sometimes you have to let go. K ea nu was hurting and I was hurting but you have to stay with it.
How did you get along with Reeves off camera?
I naturally have an affinity for K ea nu and his work ethic. There is something about his energy I really love. I think our characters reflect that mutual respect. Is Reeves focused? Yeah, he’s intense. And I think I am the same even though there is an outward calmness about me.
You did Street Kings together eight years ago. Did you think about that while filming the John Wick sequel?
I only had one scene with him in ( Street Kings), but I do remember thinking, ‘Man, we’ve come along way since.’ How so? Keanu’s in an interesting chapter of his career and I’m sort of in a new place, so I was excited to be working with him again in something we both really like. Is music still a priority? I love mixing it up, making music, writing music for films and acting. I feel blessed that I can.
Is it easy to balance the two worlds?
Because I am doing music I have a place to put my creative energy, so I usually have patience with the roles I choose.
How do you stay so grounded?
I think it’s my mother, my faith in God and being humble enough to know I have a long way to go to be better at what I do.
You can catch Common and Reeves in John Wick: Chapter 2 when it opens Feb. 10.