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Earlier this week, Common was announced as the commencement speaker this year at New Jersey's Kean University. Now, that announcement has been rescinded, according to Billboard, due to controversy over lyrics from "A Song for Assata", a track from 2000's Like Water for Chocolate. The subject of "A Song for Assata" is Joanne Chesimard, aka Assata Shakur, who was convicted of killing a New Jersey state trooper in the '70s and fled to Cuba.

As The Record reports, Chris Burgos, president of the State Troopers Fraternal Association of New Jersey, called it a “slap in the face” to law enforcement. A spokesman for the state police, Capt. Steve Jones, told The Record, "We can’t control who the university invites to speak. However, we will continue our efforts to make the public aware of Joanne Chesimard’s escape and life on the lam and continue to seek her return to New Jersey and justice.”

Kean spokesperson Susan Kayne told The Record, "The students expressed interest in Common because he composed the Oscar-winning song ‘Glory’ with our prior commencement speaker John Legend. While we respect his talent, Kean is pursuing other speaker options.”

"A Song for Assata":