Common exits Kanye West tour

Common is the latest rapper to answer the call of Hollywood. In order to do so, however, he's been forced to scratch his name off the bill for Kanye West 's Touch the Sky tour.

Common made that announcement just days before the tour was set to begin on Oct. 11 in Miami. According to Common's website, the rapper has landed a role in the upcoming film "Smoking Aces," which will also features a star-studded cast of Jeremy Piven, Andy Garcia, Ray Liotta, Ben Affleck and Alicia Keys. That's the good news. The bad news is that the film's shooting schedule made it impossible for the rapper to honor his previous commitment to West's tour.

Although his name is no longer on the bill, Common did make a surprise guest appearance at the tour opener at the University of Miami's Convocation Center. According to a review of the show on MTV.com, Common came on stage during West's set to help perform the songs "Get Em High" and "Go." Common is also expected to make appearances at other tour stops as his film schedule permits.

Instead of filling Common's spot with another hip-hop hero, West reportedly has decided to lengthen his own set to include more favorites from his two popular CDs, 2004's "The College Dropout" and the August-released "Late Registration."

West's two-month, 46-date tour brings the rapper through a mix of arenas, universities and theaters, and includes multiple-night stands in Detroit, New York and Los Angeles. The jaunt, which features openers Keyshia Cole and "American Idol"-star Fantasia , winds up on Dec. 11 in Vancouver, British Columbia.

[Note: The following tour dates have been provided by artist and/or tour sources, who verify its accuracy as of the publication time of this story. Changes may occur before tickets go on sale. Check with official artist websites, ticketing sources and venues for late updates.]
 tour dates and tickets
October 2005
15 - Greenville, SC - Bi-Lo Center
16 - Knoxville, TN - Thompson-Boling Arena
18 - Columbia, MO - Mizzou Arena
19 - Champaign, IL - Assembly Hall
21 - Buffalo, NY - Alumni Arena
22, 23 - Detroit, MI - Fox Theatre
26 - Kingston, RI - University of Rhode Island Ryan Center
28 - University Park, PA - Penn State University Bryce Jordan Center
29 - Cleveland, OH - Cleveland State University Convocation Center
30 - Fairfax, VA - Patriot Center
31 - Amherst, MA - Mullins Center

November 2005
2, 3 - New York, NY - Theatre at Madison Square Garden
4 - Baltimore, MD - First Mariner Arena
5 - Hampton, VA - Hampton Coliseum
6 - Philadelphia, PA - Liacouris Center
8 - Pittsburgh, PA - AJ Palumbo Center
9 - Toronto, Ontario - Air Canada Centre
11 - East Lansing, MI - Michigan State University Breslin Student Events Center
12 - Rosemont, IL - Rosemont Theater
13 - DeKalb, IL - NIU Convocation Center
14 - Evanston, IL - Welsh Ryan Arena
15 - Carbondale, IL – SIU Arena
17 – Murfreesboro, TN – MTSU Murphy Center
18 - Greensboro, NC - Greensboro Coliseum
19 - Statesboro, GA - Georgia Southern University
20 - Birmingham, AL - Birmingham Jefferson Convention Center
22 - Oklahoma City, OK - Ford Center
23 - Memphis, TN - Mid-South Coliseum
25 - Houston, TX - Reliant Arena
26 - Dallas, TX - Nokia Live
27 - Kansas City, MO - Kemper Arena
29 - Denver, CO – Magness Arena

December 2005
1 - Phoenix, AZ - Dodge Theater
2 - San Diego, CA - Cox Arena
3, 4 - Los Angeles, CA - Universal Amphitheatre
5 – Irvine, CA – Bren Events Center
6 - San Francisco, CA - Bill Graham Civic Auditorium
7 - Las Vegas, NV - Mandalay Bay
9 - Portland, OR - Memorial Coliseum
10 - Everett, WA - Everett Event Center
11 - Vancouver, British Columbia - GM Place

 tour dates and tickets
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