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Watch Common’s White House Performance

Despite drama, the emcee delivers.
Book Smarts - Common added yet another job to his expanding résumé when he released his first book, One Day It'll All Make Sense, earlier this year.(Photo: Rick Diamond/Getty Images for BET)

Rick Diamond/Getty Images for BET

Book Smarts - Common added yet another job to his expanding résumé when he released his first book, One Day It'll All Make Sense, earlier this year.(Photo: Rick Diamond/Getty Images for BET)
By Kenrya Rankin
May 11, 2011 / 11:38 PM

Conservatives tried to stop the show, but Common appeared at tonight’s White House celebration of American poetry. White House spokesperson Jay Carney defended the emcee in today’s press briefing, and said that critics were simply trying to create controversy. Common was joined by poets Rita Dove, Jill Scott, Billy Collins, Kenneth Goldsmith, Alison Knowles and Aimee Mann.
Watch his performance here.

(Photo by Rick Diamond/Getty Images for BET)

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