Instead, there’s something really beautiful about the independence and freedom he’s mustered up to become a poet, instead of making the no brainer financial choice-becoming a rapper.
What’s even more incredible about Black Ice is, that once you watch him perform, it’s clear that he’s talented to become a rapper.
#Watch the message rise of the slam how to
Black Ice addresses the music industry explicitly where record labels control how rappers sing, what they create, and how to express themselves artistically while continuing to make the majority of the money. He talks about everything from slavery to consumerism and cultural norms that have evolved to be new forms of captivity, forcing people to work for others. It’s a great piece to watch because he’ll make you think about all the different ways the odds have been stacked against people of color, especially black people. His untitled piece performed on Def Poetry Jam, calls out the inner workings of society and the music industry in particular. Like Saul Williams, Black Ice is another incredible poet and performer.
See I’ve been destined to touch this world since the day I was born. Black Ice (USA), Def Poetry Jam “I don’t give a fuck how slick you flowin’ if you ain’t showin’ these kids nothing or adding nothing positive to the earth. I love that Eastern meditation and hip-hop slam poetry were combined 22 years ago in his work, and I’m sure you will too.ģ. Watch his video to see how he uses his hands to create a rhythm to show how meditation and hip hop are so interwoven. Not only is he an amazing lyricist, but he’s also an amazing performer. I’ve always said that these two worlds belong together and why Bling the book and album are such powerful ways to share eastern wisdom with the hip-hop community. Grandfather of spoken word lyrics, Saul Williams, was combining hip-hop and meditation back in 1998. Saul Williams (USA), Ohm “Through meditation, I program my heart to be breakbeats and hum baselines on exhalation. It brings it all back to how powerful love is and how you can have that right now. More importantly, he describes that we can have that kind of love at any point in our life, not only when we’re 85.
It’s a beautiful way to embrace long-lasting love, not just heat of the moment, passion. The way he describes love as growing old and dying together is potent. “The Only Reason We’re Alive” is number one for me because he talks about love in a whole new angle. He opened me up to a gift I didn’t know I had. He picked me out of hundreds of people to share a poem I wrote in the workshop and after I delivered it, he told me he had no notes! He gave me the confidence to start writing poetry which evolved into lyrics and eventually, my first album. A few years ago, I attended a workshop he put on for Entrepreneurs’ Organization of Colorado. IN-Q personally had a major influence on my life. IN-Q (USA), The Only Reason We’re Alive “And I’m gonna love her till she loses every last root and has to glue dentures to her gums to chew solid food. I encourage you to watch all the performances of the poetry with the links below and to watch the videos I’ve embedded directly into the post. They help foster my positive mentality and inner-journey, and I hope they will do the same for you. The slam poems I’ve selected are made of inspiring, positive words that will make you think while uplifting your mood.
If you’re trying to cultivate a positive and healthy mindset, you have to feed it something that nourishes it. When you feed yourself great art, the words can impact your life. Prose has the power to provide deep insights for self-discovery, what we enjoy about life, what we dislike about life, and give us a sense of meaning through articulated words. We enjoy tons of talented artists who put their words to music, but I don’t want us to forget that there are plenty of poets who don’t put their verses to music, and in many ways, their words are just as impactful. Poetry is an awesome creative medium that’s evolved into music, where modern-day poets are lyricists. Slam poems have played a significant influence in my life to the point where my dad named me after his favorite poet.