Lonnie Lynn | Rapper Common's dad, 71

Lonnie Lynn, 71, known to hip-hop fans for his soulful, spoken-word poems on albums by his son, the rapper and actor Common, died Friday, Common said in an interview Monday in Los Angeles. He gave no further details.

Mr. Lynn was a high school basketball star in Chicago and played in the 1969-70 season in the American Basketball Association. He struggled with drug addiction and with being a father to six children, topics he addressed in poignant, sometimes regretful, poems that concluded many of Common's albums.

"He was truly a natural poet and master of words. His personality and soul shined through his work," said Common, whose real name is Lonnie Rashid Lynn Jr.

Mr. Lynn, known as "Pops" on Common's albums, recorded his last poem for the rapper's 2011 release, The Dreamer/The Believer.

"For those of us who come from less-than-enviable circumstances," he intoned in the song "Pops Belief," "dreams - good dreams, sweet dreams - dreams come true. Truthful dreams, truthful dreams become life.

"Live the life you believe. The American dream, the black American dream, the universal dream. For the sake of the unwritten laws of humanity. . . . See you next lifetime." - AP