Larry Dixon
Compare/Contrast Essay
9/25/07
A Very Thin Line
Spoken word poetry is vastly becoming more popular with the fifth installment of Russell Simon’s Def Poetry Jam airing on HBO. Also with the rise of local open mic nights at your local bar and the popularity of MySpace, spoken word artist are making a name for themselves. It appears that the conventional way of just writing poetry is fading away. Not so, just because some poets do not choose to perform their work doesn’t mean that they are not working. It seems there is a very thin line between writing poetry and being a spoken word artist.
A poet may be considered as a creative writer. He/she chooses a certain style of writing to call their own. Most poets usually have some sort of writing background relating to or dealing with literature. Including creative writing of short stories or essays. They may work as a bookkeeper or in a publishing company. It seems that poets express themselves best through writing. Many stem from loneliness, stress, or depression. These people are introverts. Many genuine poets don’t like the spotlight or sharing their work with the rest of the world.
A spoken word artist is a natural performer. Yes, they often may write poetry to get a foundation of what they really love to do, perform their work. Spoken word artist often “Freestyle” or make up the words as they go along while performing. They seem to love the spot light and being the center of attention. With today’s technology it’s easy for a spoken word artist to record his or her own CDs and sell them at their shows. These people are extraverts. They often have strong personalities and are very outgoing.
Poets are “Old School” writers that may have been influenced by great poets and writers of the past. This may include Edgar Allen Poe-1809-1849. An American poet, critic, and short story author, Poe’s most famous works include “The Raven” 1845. He was one of the leaders of the American Romantic movement. Best known for his stories of mystery and macabre, Poe was an early practitioner of the short story consisting of detective and crime fiction. He was also credited with contributing to the emergence of science fiction. Langston Hughes- 1902-1967 was an African-American poet, novelist, playwright, and short story author. His more recognizable works include “A dream deferred” 1951. Hughes life and work was enormously influential during the Harlem Renaissance. A strong voice in the civil rights movement and published many books, short stories of fiction and non-fiction alike. Maya Angelou- 1928 to present. Hailed as one of the great voices of contemporary literature Angelou’s more recognizable works include the book “I know why the caged bird sings” 1969. Angelou read her poem “On the pulse of morning” at Bill Clinton’s inauguration. It was only the second time in U.S. history that a poet was asked to speak at the inauguration of a president. The first was Robert Frost at President Kennedy’s. It seems that today’s poets may be intrigued by the poets of past. This may be to try and achieve the height of success that they reached in their careers. The ultimate goal would be the Nobel Prize in literature. Conventional poets seem to use conventional methods for entertainment. Such as, reading a good book or listening to music. Maybe jazz or the blues is what they can relate to the most.
Spoken word artists are “New School” entertainers. They love to perform on a stage in front of an audience. They may have attended a performing arts school, and love to sing or dance. They are socialites and may have been influenced by Rhythm and blues or hip-hop videos. Let’s take some Hip-Hop artists for an example. Tupac Shakur- 1971-1996 Artist, actor, and poet. Tupac viewed by many as the greatest rapper ever was the son a Black Panther and activist. The author of “The rose that grew from concrete-1999”a very well-crafted book of early poetry by Tupac. Tupac was known to write poetry and then turn the poems into songs. The Notorious B.I.G. 1972-1997 is considered by many as the greatest rapper ever. Big was known for his ability to freestyle his raps off of the top of his head. A mastermind of his dark embodied story-telling lyrics about street life and drug dealing. A lot of rappers emulated Big’s style including another Brookyn born rapper named Jay-Z. Jay is known to be a great freestyle rapper. Keeping as many as 12-20 songs in his head at a time. Jay has been known to complete great albums such as “The Blueprint 1999”in just a week’s time. On the other hand Nas Hip-Hop’s street poet got critical acclaim for his 1991 debut album “Illmatic” a classic LP representing street life in a most poetic form. Nas is known for being a bookworm and intellectual rapper and often refers to some great writers and poets in his songs. It’s funny how we can tell the difference is these rapper style and music by Tupac and Nas being poets, and B.I.G. and Jay-z being more like spoken word artists. The rappers themselves also could tell the difference too with Tupac and B.I.G’s famous beef ending with both rappers dying at gunpoint. And Jay and Nas’ more recent feud about who’s the King of NY rap eventually ended with both rappers resolving their differences and working together. This all ties in together with writers and performers but in a different time and culture. The same is with poets and spoken word artist. A lot of people think they are basically the same thing but in reality they are worlds apart.
A poet is a person who actual writes poetry. This is usually influenced by a culture and intellectual tradition. Some consider the best poetry to be timeless and universal to some extent. It should address issues common to all humanity. Spoken word is a form of artistic performance in which lyrics or poetry is spoken over a musical or acapella background. This form of performance poetry grew popular with poetry slams and competitions.
It seems that the Hip-Hop culture of yesterday is gone. Original artists that were also writers and poets seem to be fading away. The new “Bling-Bling” rappers seem superficial in this new Millennium. Only concerned with money, cars, and women the lil’ Waynes are popping up everywhere now. It seems the more conventional rappers, such as KRS and Rakim are fossils and fearing extinction like dinosaurs. An average hip-hop fan over the age of thirty doesn’t seem to have any good music to listen too anymore. Keeping him/her stuck to listening to antiquated albums of hip-hops past. Keeping the entire new dirty south rap for the young kids. It seems like yesterday we had great artists like A Tribe Called Quest, Run-DMC, and Public Enemy. They had me writing raps, dancing, and proud of my heritage. Now we’re stuck with the likes of Cash Money, Lil’ Jon, and the Yin-Yang Twins which makes me ashamed to be the same race as these people. Maybe we can get back to our roots one day and teach our kids about pride and education. Reading books and stop watching so much television and internet. Then we could get our children too actually like the read and write stories which is fun and creative. Not just playing video games and updating their MySpace page. .
