Soul Fixin'

Common Teams Up With Microsoft
Common is following in the footsteps of fellow rappers Jay-Z and 50 Cent by partnering with a major corporation.  In what seems like a cool partnership, Common has joined forces with Mircosoft. The duo hasn't wasted any time builiding a beneficial branding partnership, Microsoft is sponsoring Common's current tour with N.E.R.D and backstage footage from a gig in Seattle is being used for a new artist video-podcast series called 'The Green Room' available exclusively on Zune's newly revamped desktop software. The team of Common and Microsoft are also venturing into fashion, a T-shirt line is in the works, the Common designed tees will hit stores next month. Microsoft's Zune made a brief cameo in Common's latest music video. Common revealed his motivation for joining forces with Microsoft in an Q&A with Ad Age, "I know that Microsoft has been around for 20 years, they established themselves in the mid-80s and since then they've progressed. Microsoft is classy, it's a timeless brand, and it means something to the world, internationally, and I felt like that's the direction of what I want Common to be, to be honest."

Common's upcoming album, Universal Mind Control, will hit stores November 11. Check out his latest video, 'Universal Mind Control', featuring Pharrell.