15 celebrities who got political in 2018

6. Common

This one is admittedly a bit of a cheat, as rapper, actor, and activist Common has made politics very much a part of his brand and legacy for quite some time now. That said, it’s still worth a few minutes to highlight his work, especially in light of recent political developments in 2018.

For the vast majority of his career, Common (born Lonnie Corant Jaman Shuka Rashid Lynn in 1972) has been political. And, though clear political messages have traditionally been taken to be tantamount to career suicide, Common’s experience, along with that of many others, proves otherwise.

In general, the vast range of Common’s work has strong political themes. When then-first lady Michelle Obama invited him to appear at a 2011 poetry reading held at the White House, Common’s poem caused minor controversy. The New Jersey State Police and New Jersey State Troopers cited concerns about Common’s poem-based support of Assata Shakur.

A controversial figure, Shakur was convicted of the 1977 murder of a New Jersey state trooper. She escaped from prison in 1979 and fled to Cuba, where President Fidel Castro and his government granted her asylum.

More recently, Common has supported activist causes such as gun control and police shootings. In March, he appeared with singer songwriter Andra Day in the opening for the March for Our Lives gun control rally held in Washington, D.C. In April, he performed at the 50th anniversary of Martin Luther King, Jr.’s death, an at event co-hosted by Unite Here, a labor union. In November, he also appeared at a rally in support of Florida gubernatorial candidate, Andrew Gillum.