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Union (NJ.com) – The singer-songwriter Common will not speak at Kean University’s graduation ceremony after an outcry from law enforcement, who say that the lyrics of a 15-year-old song paint a sympathetic portrait of a notorious cop-killer, NorthJersey.com reported Tuesday.
Just one day after announcing that the “Glory” composer would speak at the May commencement in Newark the university decided to pursue “other speaker options,” a spokeswoman told the site.
Common, 43, who was born Lonnie Rashid Lynn, has previously drawn the ire of the State Police over 2000’s “A Song for Assata,” about Joanne Chesimard, who was convicted of the 1973 killing of Trooper Werner Foerster. Chesimard was formerly known as Assata Shakur.