Longtime Common fans know the voice of his father, Lonnie "Pops" Lynn, all too well, as he's appeared on several of the rapper's albums. But on Monday, the Com confirmed that his dad passed away. Lynn was 71.

Common gave no details, but praised his dad's work. "He was truly a natural poet and master of words. His personality and soul shined through his work," the AP reported on Monday. "The way he said things made me look at life and the world in a new way, in a different way. 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."

Pops first appeared on Common's 1994 album Resurrection LP on "Pop's Rap" and not only taught his son, but passed on many lessons to those of us who were listening as well. Here are some of the biggest lessons we learned from Lonnie "Pops" Lynn.

Peace Grows From Love

On the original "Pop's Rap," Mr. Lynn told us what it was like back in his day and all about the hope he had for this hip-hop generation. "I see harmony, understanding and they're working on that love thing, too," he said optimistically.

Being A Father Isn't A One-Way Street

On "Pop's Rap, Part 2/ Fatherhood," Lynn was so proud of his son, who had grown to a certified rap star and was also expecting his first child. Pops went on to tell his Com how much he learned from him back when the MC was just a child.

Buy Some Land

By the time Lynn recorded "Pops Rap III... All My Children" in 2000, he had finally realized the power of his voice and his popularity. Not only did he send shout-outs to Erykah Badu, Lauryn Hill, De La Soul and the Roots, he also advised the hip-hop generation to buy land instead of diamonds and gold.

Put Your Family First

On 2002's "Heaven Somewhere" from Com's Electric Circus album, Pops collaborated with Cee Lo, Mary J. Blige, Erykah Badu, Jill Scott and, of course, his son. At the end of the all-star track, he described his perfect day, spending it with his grandchildren.

You Can Be Anything You Want To Be In Life

As Common's star continued to rise, he never forgot about Pops. On Be, Common's most celebrated album, Lynn told us we can be anything we want to be. "Be the author of your own horoscope," he advised with his poetry.

Dreams Come True

On his final recorded appearance, "Pops Belief," Lonnie Lynn told us all that dreams come true before he signed off singing, "see you next lifetime."