Thanksgiving was just last Thursday, but what I have not seen yet is a spoken word poem in which someone lists all of the things that they are thankful for. I’m sure there are some out there like that. If you know of any, send me a link. If it is on YouTube, I’ll post it here.
Harrison Jordan interviewed the Juno-winning Canadian hip-hop artist Buck 65 and his DJ, Skratch Bastid. This Buck 65 interview is about about 14 minutes long. In it, Buck 65 talks about his youth, growing up in Nova Scotia, his new album ‘Situation’, and his perception of the mainstream hip hop scene. The following is a ‘teaser’ for the interview:
What do you think?
I found a great spoken word video on YouTube today. In the video, Rachel McKibbens and Marty McConnell perform their group piece at Bar 13. Check it out (NSFW):
That’s a good poem and a great performance. Those ladies are real crowd pleasers. A few of their lines about their love for love had me literally laughing out loud in front of my computer screen.
I think those two spoken word poets are also featured in Word Warriors: 35 Women Leaders in the Spoken Word Revolution
What do you think?
Kesed, I Am performed the following poem about climate change at Powershift 2007, a gathering of over 5,000 youth from all across the US who came together to discuss solutions to the clmate crisis. The sound quality of the video is not too good, but I want to post anyway because I like this performance poem so much. Check it out:
Global warming needs the attention, especially from the younger generations. In the past, powerful people have cared more about making a quick buck than about the future of the planet. We have sold our grandchildren’s future for SUVs and corporate profits. I hope to see more poems address serious global issues such as climate change and the environment.
What do you think?
Mozart Guerrier sent me the following video in which he talks about his poetry for a bit and then performs a poem:
That’s a well produced video. I think Mozart has a great delivery style. While he delivers it with style and power, the listener can still easily hear what he is saying.
What do you think?
I haven’t heard of the artists or organizations featured in the following video, but I just found the spoken word poem on YouTube and want to post it:
I like to see positive and intellectual messages made through poetry, and the current state of mainstream hip-hop is a topic definitely worth addressing. I hope to see more poems and videos by Bro. Earl.
What do you think?
In the following video, Ami Mattison performs her poem entitled Anti-Love Poem live at Echo Verse Poetry in Detroit:
To the best of my knowledge, this is the first poem I heard by this artist. I like her style. She has a lot of charisma. I plan on seeing more of her work.
What do you think?
In remembrance of 9/11, as today marks the sixth anniversary, I will post a video of a spoken word poem that addresses 9/11 and the aftermath. The following is one of my favorite spoken word poems, so I may have posted about it before. In the following video, Suheir Hammad performs her poem First Writing Since:
I like how she explores both extreme anger and desire for peace and love. I think she really sums up the emotions and issues that surround war and terror. Though, the poem makes me sad more than anything. She communicates so much in it. What do you think?
In the following video, Daryl L. Hennix Jr. performs spoken word:
What do you think?
In the following video, R. Lawrence Jenkins performs a piece called Respect, at the national tour of “One Race, One People, One Peace.”
I like the ending of the performance much more than the rest, where he says he has the drive of Tiger Woods, the struggle of Mumia, and so on and so forth. Of course, I like the message about respect.
What do you think?