Common's father Lonnie “Pops” Lynn "passed away peacefully," the Grammy Award-winning rapper confirmed Monday (Sept. 15).

"He was truly a natural poet and master of words. His personality and soul shined through his work," Common said of his late father. He provided no details as to the cause of death. Common and his dad, a former American Basketball Association player who succumbed to drug addiction, were estranged at times; however he supported his son’s dreams and career.

Lynn appeared on Common’s 2011 album The Dreamer/The Believer, offering spoken-word on the closing track “Pops Belief.” "Live the life you believe/The American dream, the black American dream, the universal dream/For the sake of the unwritten laws of humanity, I believe in God," Pops said profoundly on the track. “I believe in my ancestors, I believe in my offsprings ... I believe in the truth, truth/See you next lifetime.”

Common’s poetic insight and ability to deliver thoughtful verses was certainly inspired by Pops. "The way he said things made me look at life and the world in a new way, in a different way,” Common said. “They always sparked a thought in my head. His words would always make me strive to achieve higher, to write better, to be more truthful with my words."

The news of Pops's passing comes a week after Common opened up about his father's battle with prostate cancer alongside Lupe Fiasco and Jennifer Hudson on the Stand Up to Cancer track “Remission.”

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(Photo: Karl Gehring/The Denver Post via Getty Images)