[Video] Common Holds "Nobody Smiling" Listening Party In Chicago

In support of his upcoming album Nobody Smiling, Common stopped in his hometown, Chicago, last night to host an exclusive listening party for his project at Untitled. It was presented by Miller Fortune and Complex Media and the place was packed with Com's family, friends, Chicago industry, & fans.

Kicking off the event, Rhymefest, the host of the evening, greeted the crowd and introduced Common to the stage. During their discussion, they talked about Common joining his longtime friend No ID at Def Jam/Artium and what inspired him to make his tenth studio album. They also talked about the violence going on in Common's hometown and why he reached out to Chicago artist for this project.

"We all know through my journey as an artist sometimes people felt I was separated from the crib, but Chicago always been in my heart. And this album is a chance for me to give back in ways that I never have before. So, one of the things we [Common and No ID] talked about is just connecting with some of the artists from Chicago that haven't... may not been on a larger scale but they're still out there with talent and I was able to do that with this album. On the album I have Little Herb. I got Dreezy... that's two Chicago artists that I'm really geeked about and Malik Yusef."

After the discussion, Common set the tone right by playing tracks from the album, which include contribution from artists such as: Jhene Aiko, Big Sean, Cocaine 80's, Vince Staples, and more.

After the jump, check out exclusive pics and video from the evening. Nobody Smiling drops July 22.