Lonnie "Pops" Lynn is the father of the rapper Common, and a regular contributor to his son's albums. Lynn's spoken poetry graces the last song on each CD. Lynn says tells Robert Siegel Common's influence set Lynn himself on the right path.
ROBERT SIEGEL, host: The last song on the album begins with Common rapping, and it ends with      his father.  He's become a regular feature at the end of Common's albums.      And since Father's Day is this Sunday, we resolved to talk with Common      and his father, who is 62 and a onetime professional basketball player.      He's known as Lonnie "Pops" Lynn.  Well, Common didn't quite make it to      the studio on time, but Mr. Lynn talked with us about his part in the      song "It's Your World," and how he started speaking poetry on his son's      hip-hop albums.</s>Mr. LONNIE LYNN: Be.  Be here.  Be there.  Be that.  Be this.</s>Mr. LONNIE LYNN: It started off as a joke, Robert.  I was just in the studio with him in      Chicago years ago, and they had pizza and what have you all over the      place. So when he got through recording, he came out and say, `Hey, Dad,      why don't you do something, man?'  So I stood up and I go, `What you want      me to do, go get some more pizza or something?'</s>Mr. LONNIE LYNN: `Oh, Dad, man, you can't even go in the recording room and say      you're my father, man?'  I say, `Man, I ain't got no fear.'  And the      perspiration was already running out from under my cap--You      understand?--just thinking about this.  And so I'm just--there's some      impromptu stuff; I guess the kids call that free-lancing nowadays, you      know.  And then he put it on the album.</s>Mr. LONNIE LYNN: (Rapping) Basically, I just dropped by the studio to see what      my son does, my main man, my son, Common Sense.  They used to call me No      Sense. Now they saying I got plenty sense.</s>ROBERT SIEGEL, host: Had you written before that?</s>Mr. LONNIE LYNN: No, no.</s>ROBERT SIEGEL, host: Had you done anything like this before that?</s>Mr. LONNIE LYNN: I'm just sitting there trying to enjoy some pizza.</s>Mr. LONNIE LYNN: Be grateful for life.  Be grateful to life.  Be gleeful every      day.</s>ROBERT SIEGEL, host: In this particular song, "It's Your World"--now that can't just      be spontaneous.  I assume you must have worked on this.</s>Mr. LONNIE LYNN: I wrote a lot of things out, you know.  I knew I didn't want      to talk about materialism and I didn't want to talk about who was the      best and who was the worst and things like that.  I wanted to get the      song toward some spiritual awareness, peaceful solutions and things like      that.  So I did have some material, but I'm going to tell what really the      difference was.  When my son come out here to perform, they give me the      respect of leading the prayer, I guess, as the elder, you know.</s>ROBERT SIEGEL, host: Mm-hmm.</s>Mr. LONNIE LYNN: But this time, me and my son's walking toward the recording      room and he stopped.  We put our heads together and he put his arms      around me and he led the prayer.  I cannot tell you the transition that      occurred during that prayer.  I mean, I believe I can do anything my son      believe I can do.</s>Mr. LONNIE LYNN: Be food for thought to the growing mind.  Be the author of      your own horoscope.  Be invited.</s>ROBERT SIEGEL, host: It sounds to me as though your relationship with your son has      come full circle, that when we're little, we believe we can do things      because our fathers believe we can do them.  And you're saying you      believe you can do anything because your son believes you can do that.</s>Mr. LONNIE LYNN: Robert, you know, on one of his earlier albums, I shared some      things about what a powerful influence he was on me.  And I tell the true      story that my professional basketball career had just ended and I really      was in bad shape, period, anyway you want to describe it.  And a lot of      people said, `Did you ever experiment with drugs?'</s>ROBERT SIEGEL, host: Mm-hmm.</s>Mr. LONNIE LYNN: I wasn't experimenting; I was dissipating, you know.</s>ROBERT SIEGEL, host: Mm-hmm.</s>Mr. LONNIE LYNN: I'm sitting there in my front room--my kid couldn't even walk      yet. He had to struggle to hold himself up to come around the table.  He      couldn't talk yet.  And he's just standing there and looking me right in      the eyes, you know.  And what I was perceiving was, `Man, what are you      doing?  Man, you got the responsibility to teach me love and safety,      etc.,' you know, right on, on and on.  And that was the day that the seed      was planted that gave me the strength to be able to quit.</s>ROBERT SIEGEL, host: From the look from toddler son of yours, looking at you...</s>Mr. LONNIE LYNN: Uh-huh.  I said, `It's the baby's eyes,' you know.  I feel      like my son added years to my life.</s>ROBERT SIEGEL, host: Hmm.  Well, I hope on Sunday, you have a happy Father's Day.</s>Mr. LONNIE LYNN: Well--Are you a father, Robert?</s>ROBERT SIEGEL, host: I certainly am, yes.</s>Mr. LONNIE LYNN: Well, you have a great Father's Day, too.  And if you see my      son, tell him I say, `Be on time, but know when to go.'</s>ROBERT SIEGEL, host: OK.  Mr. Lynn, thank you very much for talking with us.</s>Mr. LONNIE LYNN: All right.  Peace.</s>ROBERT SIEGEL, host: That's Lonnie "Pops" Lynn, who is the father of the rapper      Common and also a once-in-a-while poet himself.</s>Mr. LONNIE LYNN: Be eternal.</s>ROBERT SIEGEL, host: You're listening to ALL THINGS CONSIDERED from NPR News.