Fans attend Common's book talk and signing event at the Wilmington Public Library

Common, rapper, actor, writer and activist, poses for a photo with his young fan, Jackson Conley, 3, during a book signing event for his book And Then We Rise: A Guide to Loving and Taking Care of Self at the Wilmington Public Library on Friday, Jan 26, 2024. A capacity crowd of approximately 350 people attended.

Copies of And Then We Rise: A Guide to Loving and Taking Care of Self by rapper, actor, writer and activist Common are featured in advance of the book talk and signing event at the Wilmington Public Library on Friday, Jan 26, 2024. A capacity crowd of approximately 350 people attended.

Common, rapper, actor, writer and activist, talks to a fan during the signing of his book And Then We Rise: A Guide to Loving and Taking Care of Self at the Wilmington Public Library on Friday, Jan 26, 2024. A capacity crowd of approximately 350 people attended.

Common, rapper, actor, writer and activist, signs his book And Then We Rise: A Guide to Loving and Taking Care of Self at a book talk and signing event at the Wilmington Public Library on Friday, Jan 26, 2024. A capacity crowd of approximately 350 people attended.

Common, rapper, actor, writer and activist, signs his book And Then We Rise: A Guide to Loving and Taking Care of Self for a fan at the Wilmington Public Library on Friday, Jan 26, 2024. A capacity crowd of approximately 350 people attended.

Common, rapper, actor, writer and activist, prepares to sign his book And Then We Rise: A Guide to Loving and Taking Care of Self at a book talk and signing event at the Wilmington Public Library on Friday, Jan 26, 2024. A capacity crowd of approximately 350 people attended.

Fans wait in line for Common, rapper, actor, writer and activist, to sign his book And Then We Rise: A Guide to Loving and Taking Care of Self at the Wilmington Public Library on Friday, Jan 26, 2024. A capacity crowd of approximately 350 people attended.

Common, rapper, actor, writer and activist, holds up a drawing of himself gifted by a fan during the book signing of his book And Then We Rise: A Guide to Loving and Taking Care of Self at the Wilmington Public Library on Friday, Jan 26, 2024. A capacity crowd of approximately 350 people attended.

A fan gets her book signed by Common, rapper, actor, writer and activist, during a book talk and signing event for his book And Then We Rise: A Guide to Loving and Taking Care of Self at the Wilmington Public Library on Friday, Jan 26, 2024. A capacity crowd of approximately 350 people attended.

Common, rapper, actor, writer and activist, signs a book and interacts with a fan during a book talk and signing event for And Then We Rise: A Guide to Loving and Taking Care of Self at the Wilmington Public Library on Friday, Jan 26, 2024. A capacity crowd of approximately 350 people attended.

From left, Saige Everett, 18, interacts with, and gets her book signed by, Common, rapper, actor, writer and activist, during a book talk and signing event for his book And Then We Rise: A Guide to Loving and Taking Care of Self at the Wilmington Public Library on Friday, Jan 26, 2024. A capacity crowd of approximately 350 people attended.

From left, Ceonni Cannon, 18, interacts with, and gets her book signed by, Common, rapper, actor, writer and activist, during a book talk and signing event for his book And Then We Rise: A Guide to Loving and Taking Care of Self at the Wilmington Public Library on Friday, Jan 26, 2024. A capacity crowd of approximately 350 people attended.

Common, rapper, actor, writer and activist, reacts as he fields questions from moderator Forrest Foster, Assistant Dean of Libraries and Associate Professor at North Carolina's A&T, during a book talk and signing event for And Then We Rise: A Guide to Loving and Taking Care of Self at the Wilmington Public Library on Friday, Jan 26, 2024. A capacity crowd of approximately 350 people attended.

Common, rapper, actor, writer and activist, fields questions from moderator Forrest Foster, Assistant Dean of Libraries and Associate Professor at North Carolina's A&T, during a book talk and signing event for And Then We Rise: A Guide to Loving and Taking Care of Self at the Wilmington Public Library on Friday, Jan 26, 2024. A capacity crowd of approximately 350 people attended.

Common, rapper, actor, writer and activist, listens to a question during a book talk and signing event for his book And Then We Rise: A Guide to Loving and Taking Care of Self at the Wilmington Public Library on Friday, Jan 26, 2024. A capacity crowd of approximately 350 people attended.

Fans wait in line for Common, rapper, actor, writer and activist, to sign his book And Then We Rise: A Guide to Loving and Taking Care of Self at the Wilmington Public Library on Friday, Jan 26, 2024. A capacity crowd of approximately 350 people attended.

Common, rapper, actor, writer and activist, smiles as he fields questions during a book talk and signing event for his book And Then We Rise: A Guide to Loving and Taking Care of Self at the Wilmington Public Library on Friday, Jan 26, 2024. A capacity crowd of approximately 350 people attended.

A capacity crowd waits for Common, rapper, actor, writer and activist, at the start of a book talk and signing event for his book And Then We Rise: A Guide to Loving and Taking Care of Self at the Wilmington Public Library on Friday, Jan 26, 2024. A capacity crowd of approximately 350 people attended.

Common, rapper, actor, writer and activist, smiles as he fields questions during a book talk and signing event for his book And Then We Rise: A Guide to Loving and Taking Care of Self at the Wilmington Public Library on Friday, Jan 26, 2024. A capacity crowd of approximately 350 people attended.

Fans wait in line for Common, rapper, actor, writer and activist, to sign his book And Then We Rise: A Guide to Loving and Taking Care of Self at the Wilmington Public Library on Friday, Jan 26, 2024. A capacity crowd of approximately 350 people attended.

Common, rapper, actor, writer and activist, answers questions during a book talk and signing event for his book And Then We Rise: A Guide to Loving and Taking Care of Self at the Wilmington Public Library on Friday, Jan 26, 2024. A capacity crowd of approximately 350 people attended.

Fans stand in line to purchase And Then We Rise: A Guide to Loving and Taking Care of Self a book written by Common, rapper, actor, writer and activist, during a book talk and signing event at the Wilmington Public Library on Friday, Jan 26, 2024. A capacity crowd of approximately 350 people attended.

Common, rapper, actor, writer and activist, tries on a gift from moderator Forrest Foster, Assistant Dean of Libraries and Associate Professor at North Carolina's A&T, during a book talk and signing event for his book And Then We Rise: A Guide to Loving and Taking Care of Self at the Wilmington Public Library on Friday, Jan 26, 2024. A capacity crowd of approximately 350 people attended.

Common, rapper, actor, writer and activist, chats with and prepares to sign his book for a fan during a book talk and signing event for And Then We Rise: A Guide to Loving and Taking Care of Self at the Wilmington Public Library on Friday, Jan 26, 2024. A capacity crowd of approximately 350 people attended.

Fans wait in a long line for Common, rapper, actor, writer and activist, to sign his book And Then We Rise: A Guide to Loving and Taking Care of Self at the Wilmington Public Library on Friday, Jan 26, 2024. A capacity crowd of approximately 350 people attended.

Kennedy Casson, 8, listens to her dad's childhood friend Common, rapper, actor, writer and activist, during a book talk and signing event for his book And Then We Rise: A Guide to Loving and Taking Care of Self at the Wilmington Public Library on Friday, Jan 26, 2024. A capacity crowd of approximately 350 people attended.

A capacity crowd listens to Common, rapper, actor, writer and activist, during a book talk and signing event for his book And Then We Rise: A Guide to Loving and Taking Care of Self at the Wilmington Public Library on Friday, Jan 26, 2024. A capacity crowd of approximately 350 people attended.

Fans buy and pose with And Then We Rise: A Guide to Loving and Taking Care of Self a book by Common, rapper, actor, writer and activist, during a book talk and signing event at the Wilmington Public Library on Friday, Jan 26, 2024. A capacity crowd of approximately 350 people attended.

Fans stand in line to purchase And Then We Rise: A Guide to Loving and Taking Care of Self a book written by Common, rapper, actor, writer and activist, during a book talk and signing event at the Wilmington Public Library on Friday, Jan 26, 2024. A capacity crowd of approximately 350 people attended.

Damali Thomas reads a book by Common as she stands in line to enter a book talk and signing event for And Then We Rise: A Guide to Loving and Taking Care of Self a book by Common, rapper, actor, writer and activist, at the Wilmington Public Library on Friday, Jan 26, 2024. A capacity crowd of approximately 350 people attended.

"I came because I remember he sang Glory around the time my father passed away, that touched me," said Lorraine Muhammad, at far right, who along with other fans wait to enter the book talk and signing event for And Then We Rise: A Guide to Loving and Taking Care of Self a book by Common, rapper, actor, writer and activist, at the Wilmington Public Library on Friday, Jan 26, 2024. A capacity crowd of approximately 350 people attended.

Fans stand in line to enter a book talk and signing event for And Then We Rise: A Guide to Loving and Taking Care of Self a book by Common, rapper, actor, writer and activist, at the Wilmington Public Library on Friday, Jan 26, 2024. A capacity crowd of approximately 350 people attended.

Common, rapper, actor, writer and activist, is featured during a book talk and signing event for his book And Then We Rise: A Guide to Loving and Taking Care of Self at the Wilmington Public Library on Friday, Jan 26, 2024. A capacity crowd of approximately 350 people attended.