Watching Kanye and chatting with Common at the Nike Human Race

Nike's Human Race event drew well over 12,000 red-shirt clad runners to the L.A. Coliseum last Saturday, even a running Elvis. It was the last leg of Nike's ambitious fund-raising event, which made the most of new technologies in running (participants were given a computer chip that logged their miles, contributing to a global mileage meter for the event) and music (certain Nike running shoes, for instance, can sync to an iPod or other devices).

The 6.2-mile race had already hit several countries around the globe, including Germany and Japan, with proceeds going to environmental organizations and the Lance Armstrong Foundation.  Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa gave some opening comments, as did Councilman Bernard Parks, as runners stretched and warmed up.

The runners were there to compete, but there was no doubt that the closing performance by Kanye West, Mr. Nike Air Yeezy himself, was on everyone's mind. It was one of the benefits of finishing the race, which went up Figueroa Street with turns at Adams Boulevard and Exposition Boulevard, as fast as possible, though many participants played their own personal soundtracks on earbuds or enjoyed the entertainment provided en route -- dance and music, including Chinese lion dances, Brazilian capoeira dancers, Japanese taiko drummers and Mexican mariachis.

After a brief awards presentation to the top two runners by Randy Jackson of "American Idol," West got his grand introduction to thousands of screaming post-run fans. A short burst of techno music, then smoke and lights flashed as he hopped on stage just after 10 p.m., sporting a designer jacket and what looked like the beginnings of fro-hawk.

He touched on most of the best from his three-album-deep catalog in assured fashion, including "Touch the Sky," "Gold Digger" and Flashing Lights." This was no Glow in the Dark tour performance, but West's energy never let up.

At one moment when he started to sing (several blogs picked up on this moment too), West went slightly off key, then turned to his band and backup singers, either forgetting his words or deciding to tease the audience by saying into his microphone that he messed up and couldn't give the crowd the "exclusive" song he wanted to debut.

No matter, the crowd still screamed for him to continue and just a little later, towards the middle of his nearly hourlong performance, rapper and actor Common brought a double-dose of Chi-town cool when he joined West onstage for "Get Em High,” a track from "College Dropout." They also traded verses on Common's "Go," before Common went solo with “U.M.C (Universal Mind Control)," his Neptunes-produced single off the upcoming "Invincible Summer."

The track seamlessly mashes techno and electro influences that gave rise to hip-hop music, and also tips its hat to Chicago's current hipster scene.

Common, who recently finished working on "Terminator Salvation," is listed by Forbes as the 12th richest performer in hip-hop (tied with Akon and Eminem -- West is No. 4).

"As much as I want to achieve success financially, some of the most important things to me are happiness and spirituality, and just being myself, ” he said about his ranking. He did add, however, that he'd like to rise up that list one day.

And as his profile rises with Gap ads and movie roles, Common says he wouldn't mind playing a movie character who doesn't carry a gun, like his latest hitman character did in "Wanted."

"[My daughter] loves it, but she always asks 'why don't you play a good guy in a movie?' I say, 'Look, the guys I play ain't always bad. We all have bad and good in us.'

"So I try to teach her the dynamics of life," Common said. "She sees me with a gun and automatically: that's a bad guy. She kinda wants to see me do other things and so do I.”

-- post and photos by Camilo Smith