Watch Common Channel 1980s-Era Lionel Richie on ‘Lip Sync Battle’
Common and John Legend stepped into the arena known as Lip Sync Battle Thursday night, where only one of the artists would walk away with both an Academy Award and the LSB championship belt.
Legend and Common found themselves following up Jimmy Fallon and the Rock’s explosive premiere episode. And while the “Glory” duo might not have the comedic chops of the late night host and action star, the duo still provided the two best performances with a pair of impersonations: Common channeling Lionel Richie and Legend reenacting MC Hammer.
Common’s “All Night Long” found the MC decked out in full Richie regalia, from the Jheri curl mullet to the leather pants to the “Hello” singer’s smiley onstage persona. While the rapper lacked actual “lip sync” skills – he didn’t even attempt to mouth along with the words at points – Common’s faithful rendition did include him breaking out some impressive breakdance moves.
Not to be outdone, Legend hopped into the parachute pants to bring a pitch-perfect “U Can’t Touch This” to the show. Legend’s high-energy performance featured both Hammer’s iconic dance moves and spot-on lip-syncing, but the rigorous rendition had Legend admitting when it was over, “I’m about to have a heart attack.”
Common also performed a jubilant version of the Jackson 5’s “I Want You Back,” while Legend revived Juvenile’s 2004 song “Slow Motion.” But there can only be one winner and in the end, Common prevailed.
Earlier that night, Jimmy Fallon brought a full choir to deliver an epic performance of Madonna’s “Like a Prayer,” while Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson took on Taylor Swift’s “Shake It Off” and the Bee Gees’ “Stayin’ Alive.”