Look To The Stars News: Common

Kanye West Takes To Stage At Charity Event

Tue, 29 Sep 2009 15:30:00 -0000

The Common Ground Foundation held its second annual “Common & Friends” concert at the famed Hollywood Palladium on Saturday night. The show raised funds for the foundation, created by Grammy-Award winning hip-hop artist and actor, Lonnie Rashid Lynn, best known as Common.

The concert featured live performances from Common, The Roots, Nas, De La Soul, Ludacris, Queen Latifah, Kanye West, Mos Def, Talib Kweli and Heavy D, while Freddy Rodriguez, Garth Trinidad, Rasual Butler, Toccara Jones, Serena Williams, Amber Rose, Erica Hubbard, Alyssa Milano, Eva Amurri and Ian Ziering were all in attendance to support the Common Ground Foundation.

“I am very grateful and thankful to all who attended and supported the 2nd annual Common Ground Foundation event. To all the gifted artists that participated – I thank you for giving your time, energy, and creativity,” said Common. “To all the sponsors, thank you for your ongoing commitment to the progress of the future of our youth. God bless… Love.”

The Common Ground Foundation continues to show support through partnerships, events and programs reaching many dynamic groups. Recent initiatives have included being the recipient of Cartier’s LOVE Charity program; the Chicago White Sox’s “Be in the Game” day at Cellular Field; and the Emmy-award nominated “A Minute” campaign. Last year’s inaugural event, “Start the Show & Bowl” featured will.i.am, Lupe Fiasco, The Roots, Talib Kweli, Bilal, and Marsha Ambrosius.

Ludacris Joins Common For Charity Hip Hop Concert

Thu, 20 Aug 2009 15:30:00 -0000

The Common Ground Foundation has announced the second annual “Common & Friends” concert to be held at the famed Hollywood Palladium on September 26, 2009.

The show will raise funds for the foundation, created by actor and hip-hop artist, Lonnie Rashid Lynn, best known as Common. Tickets are available through Live Nation, and the show will feature live performances from Common, Ludacris, Nas, The Roots, De La Soul and many special guests. Tickets are $100 for general admission and $200 for VIP Balcony seating. All proceeds will benefit the Common Ground Foundation.

“For the second year in a row Common and the biggest artists in hip-hop will come out and lend their support for the Common Ground Foundation,” said Executive Director, Jodie Blum. “With proceeds from this amazing event, we are able to raise much needed funds to empower youth in the United States.”

Chicago White Sox Team With Common Ground

Wed, 24 Jun 2009 18:44:00 -0000

The Chicago White Sox are once again teaming with hip-hop superstar, actor and children’s author Lonnie Rashid Lynn – better known as Common – and the Common Ground Foundation this season for a night at the ballpark to help serve Chicago youth.

On Friday, July 17 at 7:11 p.m., the White Sox will play Baltimore at U.S. Cellular Field. A portion of every ticket purchased on behalf of the Common Ground Foundation when using the special promotion code of “CGF” will go toward the organization.

The Common Ground Foundation was created by Common to serve as an inspiration for equality, opportunity and hope among youth in underserved communities. The Foundation is committed to empowering youth in urban neighborhoods and providing life skills needed to achieve their dreams.

“I am thrilled to again partner with my hometown Sox to help build awareness for the Common Ground Foundation and do something special for young people in Chicago, as well as communities across the nation,” said Common, who is a South Side-native. “We invite everyone to support us on this special night.”

The Common Ground Foundation is also hosting a contest to raise funds for the Foundation by selling group tickets to the White Sox game. The person who sells the most tickets by June 19, will get to throw out the ceremonial first pitch with Common at the July 17 game.

Tickets for the foundation’s event are available via a special order form and entering in “CGF” in the special promotion code box. Orders submitted on behalf of the Common Ground Foundation must be received by the White Sox no later than Tuesday, June 30th. Rules and regulations for the contest can be found under news and events.

Bid2Beat AIDS For Special Christmas Gifts

Tue, 25 Nov 2008 14:00:00 -0000

Written by Tim Saunders

One of the biggest celebrity charity auction events of the year is currently gearing up for its launch on December 1.

Bid2Beat AIDS is an annual event that will feature over 1000 items from top stars such as 50 Cent, Adam Sandler, Adrian Grenier, Aerosmith, Alec Baldwin, Amy Winehouse, Antonio Banderas, Britney Spears, Cameron Diaz, Common , Death Cab for Cutie, Denzel Washington, P. Diddy, Donny Osmond, Elton John, Fall Out Boy, Foo Fighters, Good Charlotte, Green Day, Hanson, Hilary Duff, Jake Gyllenhaal, James Blunt, James Earl Jones, James Morrison, Jamie Foxx, Jay-Z , Jennifer Hudson, Jennifer Lopez, Jennifer Love Hewitt, Jeremy Piven, Jessica Alba, John Legend, Johnny Depp, Kanye West, Kirsten Dunst, Ludacris , M.I.A., Madonna, Mariah Carey, Neil Patrick Harris, Ozzy Osbourne, Phil Collins, Raven Symone, Razorlight, Rihanna , Sacha Baron Cohen, Sharon Osbourne, Victoria Beckham, Whoopi Goldberg, Will Ferrell, Wyclef Jean, and many, many more. Also up for grabs will be VIP tickets to concerts and backstage visits with stars like Bernadette Peters, Jewel, Aimee Mann, Joan Rivers, and Michael Feinstein.

The annual auction will raise money for LIFEbeat, the music industry’s AIDS fundraising and service charity. The first three BID 2 BEAT AIDS auctions raised nearly $250,000, and this year’s looks set to be the biggest yet.

More info about the auction can be found at the Bid2Beat AIDS website, and the auction will go live on World AIDS Day here.

Look To The Stars will keep you posted as the items are announced.

Stars To Be BRAVE For Veterans

Wed, 22 Oct 2008 14:30:00 -0000

Written by Tim Saunders

Hip Hop stars 50 Cent and Ludacris will perform at a concert to raise awareness of veterans causes next month.

“A Night for Vets: An MTV Concert for the BRAVE” is part of MTV’s Choose or Lose campaign, an initiative designed to engage, inform and empower young voters on the political issues that matter to them most. The concert hopes to draw attention to a new petition launched by MTV called the Bill of Rights for American Veterans (or BRAVE) which calls on politicians to support vets’ issues and enact positive legislative changes.

“It doesn’t matter where you stand on the war — we can all agree that young veterans serving our country must receive the benefits they’ve earned for their sacrifices,” said MTV President Van Toffler. “By raising awareness through ‘A Night for Vets: An MTV Concert for the BRAVE,’ and by launching the BRAVE petition, we aim to elevate these issues and ensure they’re a top priority for our government officials.”

The concert – which will be taped on October 23 and aired on MTV on October 24 – will also feature performances by Kanye West, Kid Rock, Fall Out Boy, Juanes, Nelly and Taylor Swift, with appearances from Beyoncé Knowles, Will Ferrell, Common, Fat Joe, Seth Green, Jennifer Hudson, John Legend and Wyclef Jean.

Dave Dobbyn Promotes Hearing Awareness In Fiji

Mon, 22 Sep 2008 11:30:00 -0000

Written by Tim Saunders

You may have heard of Heal The World – well, now some of the world’s greatest musicians are taking part in a campaign to raise awareness of hearing loss called Hear The World.

Hear the World is an initiative by Phonak – a leading manufacturer of hearing aids – that aims to raise awareness of the topic of hearing and hearing loss and to promote good hearing all over the world, and musician Dave Dobbyn spent the weekend in Fiji doing exactly that.

“I see other people who support ‘Hear the World’ like Harry Belafonte, Annie Lennox, Placido Domingo,” said 51-year-old Dobbyn, whose new album, Anotherland, has just been released. “I’m in great company when we’re all thinking about our ears and our health. Your ears get fatigued like every organ in your body so to treat them with respect and keep the volume down.”

One in five children in Fiji are profoundly deaf, and there is no audiology service in the South Pacific nation – children with hearing loss are often not diagnosed until they reach school.

“A child needs to be able to hear sounds in the environment to hear speech and language in order to produce speech and to develop language,” said Logan McMeekin, a Phonak Audiologist who is fitting hearing aids – free-of-charge – to children affected by hearing loss in Fiji. “Our goal isn’t to restore normal hearing we try and give them cues for awareness of their environment so they’re able to be safe in their environment.”

Dave Dobbyn – who has had 10 songs in New Zealand’s Top 100 Songs of All Time, including Loyal and Slice of Heaven – joins a long list of celebrities who support the Hear The World campaign. Amy Winehouse, Annie Lennox, Bobby McFerrin, Michael Buble, Common, Dave Stewart, Dionne Warwick, Franka Potente, Josh Groban, Jerry Hall, Harry Belafonte, Joss Stone, Chad Kroeger, Diane Kruger, Lindsay Lohan, Moby, Placido Domingo, Kelly Osbourne, Eric Roberts, and Rod Stewart are all ambassadors for the initiative, whose goal is to educate the general public about the importance of hearing, the social and emotional impacts and the benefits of available solutions for those with hearing loss. Rocker Bryan Adams is the official photographer for the campaign, and his photos of the ambassadors can be seen on the campaign’s website.

Dave Dobbyn’s message is simple – don’t take it for granted because the ability to hear is a gift. To see a video of him performing for Fijian schoolchildren, click here. To learn more about Hear The World, visit www.hear-the-world.com.

Rapper To Host Common Ground Concert

Wed, 27 Aug 2008 13:30:00 -0000

The Common Ground Foundation is to host the first annual “Common’s Start the Show n’ Bowl” and “Common & Friends Concert” to raise over $350,000 for charity.

The event will kick off on September 26 with a VIP gala at the Cartier Boutique in Chicago, with the bowling competition and concert taking place the following day. Joining rapper Common for the festivities will be Black Eyed Peas member will.i.am, as well as The Roots, Talib Kweli, Bilal, Marsha Ambrosius of Floetry, and many more yet to be announced.

The Common Ground Foundation was established by Common and is dedicated to the empowerment and development of urban youth in the United States. The event is set to help raise money for two programs: BE empowered – which provides life, career, and educational mentoring as a means for youth participants to achieve understanding, confidence, and self-respect – and Read for Change – which addresses the national problem of illiteracy which motivates youth to read through The Corner, a national online book club.

“I started the Common Ground Foundation because I wanted to help,” said Common. “Most of all help people to help themselves. I always believed that if we started with the youth, then we would be planting the seeds for our future to blossom. Give the children a sense of hope, self-esteem, and love that will better the world. I think making a difference in the lives of others is my life’s greatest purpose. I walk this path with faith knowing the Common Ground Foundation will change the world.”

More information can be found at www.commongroundfoundation.org.

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