Spoken Word Blog

When asked about how Barack Obama recently said that rap musicians should reform their lyrics, Russell Simmons said, “What we need to reform is the conditions that create these lyrics. Obama needs to reform the conditions of poverty. I wish he really did raise his money on the Internet, like he said. I wish he really did raise his money independently.”

I completely agree! Don’t change the lyrics, change the conditions that create them. If politicians don’t like hearing about violence, drugs, gangs, crime, and poverty, then stop allowing poor and black children to grow up surrounded by such things. Rappers (and spoken word artists) don’t create the problem, they report on them.

If politicians don’t like ghettos, get rid of ghettos not celebrities from the ghetto.

The following video makes a great point with the use of spoken word and video editing.

Short and to the point! I like that they used so many people of all different sizes, ages, races, and such. That shows that the problem they address affects all of us.

What do you think?

In the following video, National Poetry Slam Champion Mike McGee performs Mycrophone live at the Hawaiian Hut in Honolulu, May 3rd, 2007:

I enjoyed that spoken word poem about performing poetry very much. He especially entertained me with the hilarious sexual innuendo.

What did you think?

I found the following video on YouTube, posted by skylerc2008. I liked it, a short poem that captures some feelings of love & dating, called In The Mix.

What do you think?

In the following video, Geoff Trenchard performs his spoken word poem, This is Where:

I like this deep poem very much. Listen intently. I liked how he yelled away from the microphone when he imitated the angry man.

What do you think?