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Common exits Kanye West tour
Common is the latest rapper to answer the call of Hollywood. In order to do so, however, he's been forced to scratch his name off the bill for Kanye West 's Touch the Sky tour.
Common made that announcement just days before the tour was set to begin on Oct. 11 in Miami. According to Common's website, the rapper has landed a role in the upcoming film "Smoking Aces," which will also features a star-studded cast of Jeremy Piven, Andy Garcia, Ray Liotta, Ben Affleck and Alicia Keys. That's the good news. The bad news is that the film's shooting schedule made it impossible for the rapper to honor his previous commitment to West's tour.
Although his name is no longer on the bill, Common did make a surprise guest appearance at the tour opener at the University of Miami's Convocation Center. According to a review of the show on MTV.com, Common came on stage during West's set to help perform the songs "Get Em High" and "Go." Common is also expected to make appearances at other tour stops as his film schedule permits.
Instead of filling Common's spot with another hip-hop hero, West reportedly has decided to lengthen his own set to include more favorites from his two popular CDs, 2004's "The College Dropout" and the August-released "Late Registration."
West's two-month, 46-date tour brings the rapper through a mix of arenas, universities and theaters, and includes multiple-night stands in Detroit, New York and Los Angeles. The jaunt, which features openers Keyshia Cole and "American Idol"-star Fantasia , winds up on Dec. 11 in Vancouver, British Columbia.
