My auntie always says of technology, “Use it don’t abuse it.” I think its important to note all the tools we have with social media, youtube, facebook, wikipedia, google, etc. All these tools that overused create unsocial narcissistic behaviors, but when used effectively they can spark a whole new generation of knowledge seekers. We are heading towards another era. We are the other era. But its an era full of confusion because the lightning speed at which we have been handed technological gifts from the early 80’s until now, has been overwhelming. This with the reality that capitalism has in someways created a dam , only giving us part of the technology at a time. Imagine all of apple and steve jobs technologies, at the rate they really came into our life, like right when they invented it. Without them creating the supply and demand for a “better, faster technology” as it is these tools are creating so many layered social ills, with children being less familiar with nature, less familiar with themselves, less familiar without how to speak to each other.
Yes all of this is daunting and on the other extreme are some really tangible ways these tools can democratize education. How many books in the modern world are available for free or at low cost through the internet that were not available before. How many different teachings and learnings are there. Everything from the simplest thing of how to build a fire, how to plant different types of gardens, how to fix your the starter or alternator on your car, chicano and african american herstories, histories, their stories are available. anyone with a message can bring their message to the forefront. Yes this has afforded the alt-right a platform to form fear and hatred as a platform. But it has also brought to the forefront some of the ultimate, most important truths to all people.
Mni Wiconi, Agua Es Vida, Water is Life.
If this notion is still unfamiliar to you. If its not familiar to the very being of your soul. Google it. LOL. So we live at a critical time. As maybe we have always lived in the 21 century where we are in era of seeing technology as both our enemy and our friend. Of baring witness to the marvels and the disasters of technology.
All this to preface the ability to examine the new poetics of our generation. Hip hop. Not rap. Let me make a clear distinction in what i am referring to when i speak to Rap vs. Hip . and this is just one definition, distinction of many. Hip Hop being a space where collective consciouness , higher consciousness comes through our human body through different forms. Hip hop being the connectedness to social issues and wanting social change through music, through dance , through words, through poetry. And in this distinction i would classify rap as the capitalist infiltration of the art form and art forms. But with this distinction you have complex poets that get caught in the cross fire, for example Tupac. Who on one end can provide social political, introspective poetry like “Dear Mama” and then provide us with pop hits that are full of mysogyny, illicit abuses of all kinds.
As this article is intended to provided tools for teaching using the technologies that are available to us. Let me first begin by providing a couple of resources that are readily available online, to create a poetics that might be more suited for your young contemporary students.
Recalling what Ginsberg said, teach them Dylan and Hendrix and then you can teach them Wordsworth and Shakespeare. Paraphrasing his words ofcourse, but i want to look at Hip HOp and Spoken word as part of the contemporary landscape of poetry. With Hip HOp in all actuality being so TRADITIONAL, so strict, in the reality that with Hip Hop and rapping to the beat, you are a slave to the meter. The poetic meter, can never ever be off in hip hop. If you stray from this meter. You are a wack M.C. you are not worthy of being considered a rapper, a hip hopper, most definilty not worthy of being called a poet. But this new generation examining and listening to this art form. If bound by form like no other . in no other time. And the most amazing hip hop poets bring together, form, technique, ingenuity to the art form.
We will be examing in this space. different poetic forms, Hip hop meters, free verse of contemporary poets of different ethnicities, exploring the american landscape, american politics, contemporary political issues and hopefully providing inspirational tools for teachers and students alike.
“DEAR MAMA ” BY TUPAC
You are appreciated
When I was young me and my mama had beef
Seventeen years old kicked out on the streets
Though back at the time, I never thought I’d see her face
Ain’t a woman alive that could take my mama’s place
Suspended from school, and scared to go home, I was a fool
With the big boys, breaking all the rules
I shed tears with my baby sister
Over the years we was poorer than the other little kids
And even though we had different daddy’s, the same drama
When things went wrong we’d blame mama
I reminisce on the stress I caused, it was hell
Hugging on my mama from a jail cell
And who’d think in elementary?
Hey! I see the penitentiary, one day
And running from the police, that’s right
Mama catch me, put a whooping to my backside
And even as a crack fiend, mama
You always was a black queen, mama
I finally understand
For a woman it ain’t easy trying to raise a man
You always was committed
A poor single mother on welfare, tell me how ya did it
There’s no way I can pay you back
But the plan is to show you that I understand
You are appreciated
Lady
Don’t ya know we love ya? Sweet lady
Dear mama
Place no one above ya, sweet lady
You are appreciated
Don’t ya know we love ya?
Now ain’t nobody tell us it was fair
No love from my daddy cause the coward wasn’t there
He passed away and I didn’t cry, cause my anger
Wouldn’t let me feel for a stranger
They say I’m wrong and I’m heartless, but all along
I was looking for a father he was gone
I hung around with the Thugs, and even though they sold drugs
They showed a young brother love
I moved out and started really hanging
I needed money of my own so I started slanging
I ain’t guilty cause, even though I sell rocks
It feels good putting money in your mailbox
I love paying rent when the rent’s due
I hope ya got the diamond necklace that I sent to you
‘Cause when I was low you was there for me
And never left me alone because you cared for me
And I could see you coming home after work late
You’re in the kitchen trying to fix us a hot plate
Ya just working with the scraps you was given
And mama made miracles every Thanksgiving
But now the road got rough, you’re alone
You’re trying to raise two bad kids on your own
And there’s no way I can pay you back
But my plan is to show you that I understand
You are appreciated
Lady
Don’t ya know we love ya? Sweet lady
And dear mama
Place no one above ya, sweet lady
You are appreciated
Don’t ya know we love ya?
Pour out some liquor and I reminisce, cause through the drama
I can always depend on my mama
And when it seems that I’m hopeless
You say the words that can get me back in focus
When I was sick as a little kid
To keep me happy there’s no limit to the things you did
And all my childhood memories
Are full of all the sweet things you did for me
And even though I act crazy
I gotta thank the Lord that you made me
There are no words that can express how I feel
You never kept a secret, always stayed real
And I appreciate, how you raised me
And all the extra love that you gave me
I wish I could take the pain away
If you can make it through the night there’s a brighter day
Everything will be alright if ya hold on
It’s a struggle everyday, gotta roll on
And there’s no way I can pay you back
But my plan is to show you that I understand
You are appreciated
Lady
Don’t ya know we love ya? Sweet lady
And dear mama
Place no one above ya, sweet lady
You are appreciated
Don’t ya know we love ya?
Sweet lady
And dear mama
Dear mama
Lady, lady, lady
stupid america by Abelardo “Lalo” Delgado (1930-2004) QEPD
stupid america, see that
chicano
with a big knife
on his steady hand
he doesn’t want to knife you
he wants to sit on a bench
and carve christ figures
but you won’t let him.
stupid america, hear that
chicano
shouting curses on the street
he is a poet
without paper and pencil
and since he cannot write
he will explode.
stupid america, remember
that chicano
flunking math and english
he is the picasso
of your western states
but he will die
with one thousand
masterpieces
hanging only from his mind.
i like to cross reference this two poems and have a cross conversation around poetics, critical eye of americana and also to ask the question to students about what favorite hip hop song or rock song.
DEF POETRY WAS ONCE ON HBO AND FEATURED THE CONTEMPORARY VOICES FROM ACROSS THE AMERICA, BOTH SPOKEN WORD AND HIP HOP. NOW IT CONTINUES TO THRIVE IN ITS NEW HOME ON YOUTUBE.
https://www.youtube.com/user/AllDefPoetry
Button Poetry as an essential Spoken Word contemporary analysis.
https://www.youtube.com/user/ButtonPoetry
KRS One has been instrumental in speaking to the philosophy and poetics and WAY OF LIFE OF HIP HOP.
ITS IMPORTANT TO HAVE ANTHOLOGIES THAT CAN GIVE YOU A BROADER SENSE OF THE SCOPE OF CONTEMPORARY URBAN POETICS AND HIP HOP AS A LITERARY LANDSCAPE . THERE ARE ALSO CRITICAL TEXTS THAT EXAMINE HIP HOP FROM A UNIVERSITY LEVEL AND APPROACH ANALYZING THESE SONGS AND POETIC STRUCTURES.
“THE ANTHOLOGY OF RAP”
“THE BREAKBEAT POETS: NEW AMERICAN POETRY IN THE AGE OF HIP HOP”
“BOOK OF RHYMES: THE POETIC OF HIP HOP”
“HOW TO RAP: THE ART AND SCIENCE OF HIP HOP MC”
I WILL ELABORATE A LITTLE LATER ON THESE TEXT.
ON THE CONTEMPORARY ANTHOLOGIES OF SPOKEN WORD
“THE OUTLAW BIBLE OF AMERICAN POETRY”
“POETS RESPONDING TO SB 1070”
“ALOUD: VOICE FROM THE NUYORICAN POETS CAFE”
“THE SPOKEN WORD REVOLUTION: SLAM, HIP HOP AND THE POETRY OF A NEW GENERATION”
TO BE CONTINUED LATER IN THE DAY….
