Common is a 'Believer' in Kanye West's 'slamming' new tracks

Common and Queen Latifah

Lately, Common has been busily promoting his first cinematic leading role in "Just Wright," but did have some words on his upcoming music work with kanye-west" class="autolink">Kanye West.

The latter is producing "multiple" songs for the former on forthcoming album "The Believer," Common's next full-length due this fall or winter. Though, Common wouldn't mind some additional value from the "808s & Heartbreak" performer.

"I want [West] to rap," Common said in his interview with HitFix, though he admits the two haven't laid down the tracks yet. "[The album] is just in the beginning, and how I choose the performers on each song just depends on the song."

West, No. I.D. and producer Why Not have each been tapped to work on the set, which will be the 11th proper full-length release from the Chicago-bred hip-hop vet. And it may boast one other big name: Queen Latifah.

The pair play opposite of each other in the romance-and-basketball flick "Just Wright," performing  a little music together onscreen and combining forces off, on the track "The Next Time." The song will be featured on a greatest hits package Common is releasing May 11 online and May 25 in stores.

"I'd love to see her singing and rapping," Common said, noting he hopes to include her on his album.

As far as he knows, Common won't be performing on West's new album, tentatively titled "Good Ass Job," though he has already heard some tracks. "What I heard is really good. It made me wanna go write, like, he’s smashing it. I'm sending good luck to my brother," he said.

Katie Hasty
Managing Editor

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After five years as a columnist and editor at Billboard, Katie Hasty joined HitFix in 2009 for music and film reporting out of New York. The Midwest native has worked as a writer, music promoter and in A&R since 1999 and performs with her band Numbers And Letters.