All About Common's Daughter Omoye Assata Lynn

Mar. 15, 2025

Common and daughter Omoye Assata Lynn attend the premiere of New Line Cinema’s “Barbershop: The Next Cut” on April 6, 2016 in Hollywood, California.Photo:Rob Latour/Variety/Penske Media/Getty

Rob Latour/Variety/Penske Media/Getty

Commonis a proud dad to his only daughter: Omoye Assata Lynn.

The rapper welcomed Omoye, 27, with his ex Kim Jones on Aug. 17, 1997. However, the couple split when Omoye was only 1 year old — which led to difficulties in Common’s relationship with his daughter.

“It’s the typical things you hear about with two parents who are splitting up, especially young,” he told PEOPLE in 2019. “That love is obviously there. But it’s like sometimes I wasn’t able to have as much access and without that we couldn’t build the strongest relationship.”

However, the two have since worked on their relationship and theSelmaactor couldn’t be prouder of his daughter, who is now a lawyer.

From working with her dad on music to becoming a lawyer, here’s everything to know about Common’s daughter, Omoye Assata Lynn.

She was born in 1997

Common and Omoye Assata Lynn at the premiere of ‘Happy Feet Two’ on November 13, 2011 in Hollywood, California.Kevin Winter/Getty

Kevin Winter/Getty

Common welcomed his first and only child with Jones on Aug. 17, 1997. Though he and Jones split when she was still an infant, Common told PEOPLE that he made an effort to stay close to Omoye, despite often being on the road touring.

“I remember teaching her how to ride a bike,” he said. “I was on the move a lot so being able to do that was good. It was like a metaphor, when I let her go and she first started riding, it hit me that at some point I’ll really have to let her go. That was a good moment.”

She is critical of her dad’s music

Common and daughter Omoye Assata Lynn attend The Art Of Elysium’s 11th Annual Celebration with on January 6, 2018 in Santa Monica, California.Phillip Faraone/Getty

Phillip Faraone/Getty

During an appearance onLive with Kellyin 2016, Common said that his daughter wasn’t always too impressed with his music — and often had notes to share with him.

“She likes some of the music, but she’s really honest about my music,” he said. “She’ll say ‘Nah, that’s not good,’ or ‘You could do better.’ ”

He added that she also compared him to other artists, saying he wasn’t “as good as” Chance the Rapper.

“She’s into Chance and of courseBeyoncé,” Common said.

They worked on their relationship in therapy

Common and Omoye Assata Lynn.Common Instagram

Common Instagram

Common learned that his daughter felt like he wasn’t present enough in her childhood during a late-night conversation that ended in tears when she was 19 years old, he told PEOPLE. Omoye told her father she often questioned how much he cared about her growing up.

“It kind of shocked me because that’s the first time I had ever heard it,” he said. “I was like, ‘What do you mean?’ "

She added that she experienced feelings of abandonment as a child, telling her father she felt like he didn’t “fight” for her. The rapper attributed the feelings to both his split with her mother but also his own career aspirations. “It was like, not only am I fulfilling a dream but I’m also using it to take care of her, the family,” he said.

“We had a therapy session together, and I loved it. Well, not everything that was said, but I knew it was something that would help her move forward,” he says. “A woman’s relationship with her father definitely affects how she is in relationships.”

She starred in one of his music videos

Common and Omoye Assata Lynn in the ‘Show Me That You Love’ music video.Common/YouTube

Common/YouTube

Common also described onThe Viewin 2019 that the video was “healing” for the father-daughter duo, and every movement was intentional to represent their struggles and bond.

“This video actually had a dance we were doing, it was artistic but it was movement that was based on our relationship,” he said. “It was an experience we never would have had an opportunity to do but sometimes art brings out even more healing and that’s what it did.”

He said that after they filmed the clips, Omoye felt the impact too, marveling at how beautiful and unique the experience was.

She went to Howard University for law school

Common and Omoye Assata Lynn celebrating her graduation from law school at Howard University.Common Instagram

After graduating from Howard University with her bachelor’s degree in May 2019, Omoye stayed at the same school to receive her law degree. She graduated in May 2022, prompting her father to shower her with praise on Instagram.

“There are no words to describe how proud I am!” he wrote in his caption, alongsideclips of Omoye’s graduation day. “Finishing Law School at Howard University in the 3 years is pretty AMAZING! Congrats to my daughter and all the graduates of 2022. Now go out in the world and be great!”

Common takes pride in being able to provide for her

Common and daughter Omoye Assata Lynn attend the premiere of New Line Cinema’s “Barbershop: The Next Cut” on April 6, 2016 in Hollywood, California.David Livingston/Getty

David Livingston/Getty

Common joinedFOX Soulin 2021, where he discussed how his relationship with his daughter continued to get “closer” and “more fun” as she got older.

“Some days she calls me and she’s like ‘Look Dad, I gotta take this trip,’ and I’m like ‘Cool, I gotchu’ — I feel like that’s where the balances come in,” he said. “Some things she might have felt she missed, I feel like I’m able to provide now in a way that’s helping fulfill her. She graduated and went to Thailand — I’ve never been to Thailand.”

He said that being able to send her places he’s never been to or do things he hasn’t experienced is “valuable” to him, including going to law school.

source: people.com