Waxing Poetically: Addressing Culture with a Twist of Poetry

Featured at both Waxing Poetically and Art from the Outskirts

Enter the wham bam world of slam poetry! From the beaten path of the “beat” generation of the 1960s and Alan Ginsberg to the soulful cries of James Brown in the 70’s, Public Enemy in the 80s and the capricious coffeehouse wordplay of folk-influenced artists of the 90s such as Jewel and and jazzy, cultural upstarts like Arrested Development, Spoken word or “slam poetry” has arguably snatched the new millennium by the proverbial throat and thrust itself into the semi-mainstream consciousness . Still, with prolific voices like Saul Williams, Beau Sia and Ishle Park crooning and spittooning their words like arrows from slings into both the willing and reluctant hearts of their listeners, the slam family may have much more art to impart before quite poetically speaking, all is said and done.

The following piece is from a documentary of the slam poetry movement entitled 4 Walls
featuring Carlton “S.T.A.R.R.” Releford, a slam poetry artist from Knoxville, Tennessee.

Produced and directed by George Washington Rogers, IV. Executive Producers: Wash Rogers, Brian Greer, Kenneth Stephens. Editor: Brian Greer. Copyright 2007 Brass Knuckles Productions. For more information, please visit www.4wallsfilm.com.

Slam on!

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With America’s banks being bought out by the Fed, credit problems at all time highs and the national unemployment reaching its lowest trough since the Great Depression while corporations like AIG and Citigroup spend millions on their personal offices and lavish lifestyles. One might wonder how the average Joe or Josephine might use a Federal bailout. What would you spend it on? What would you do? where Would you go? The Average AIG payout in bonuses was 7 million dollars. I know having a stash of a few million bills might ease my troubles. Even if I were to spend $80,000 per year for few years years, or take four million of and invest the rest and I could at the very least work at something I loved like writing, art, music, or travel. … I really wonder what it’s like to be able to give back that much money.

Wax with good credit.

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Today, no political interviews, no news, just funk and fun! Enjoy!

Wax b-boy style!

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This is a bit creepy again in keeping with yesterday’s video’s trend. This video was uploaded just to days ago.

Uploaded by YouTube member mechanismstudios

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Dr. Michael Dyson schools Bill Mahr on the culture
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Uploaded by YouTube member yousonastyomg

Leave a comment.

Wax and discuss.

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Featured at Art from the Outskirts

In a world where digital vendors such as itunes and Amazon are quickly becoming buyers’ method of choice to shop for music. Spin Magazine columnist David Merchese notes an all too insidious down side to it all: the white power rock movement.

In a short essay in the January 2009 issue of Spin Merchese tells the little-told tale of white power music’s rise in the digital age:

“Like any musician, Brutal Attack’s Ken McLellan wants to be heard. Only, what he wants people to hear are self-described ‘white power’ anthems with lines like ‘This is the Final Solution / Our turn / They’ll burn,’” says Merchese. But whereas in previous brick and mortar times, patrons would be reluctant to purchase the music of aryan revelers, it’s all now one click away.

Bands such as the questionably named Brutal Attack have spent many years being banished from retailers for the fear that those stores carrying the titles would face sales-eviscerating protests and logically enraged shoppers. So for many years mail order and concerts were the main line of both promotion and distribution. But now that the digital era has allowed a much more faceless and clandestine distributor to sell through a third party on sites like Amazon and itunes with out much of a middleman or content filter, these titles creep into the growing plurality on content from excellent to horrible.

“For $9.99, you can download Brutal Attack’s anti-immigrant, pro-white Tales of Glory from iTunes. It’s a buck cheaper on Amazon. A physical copy is yours for $16 on CD Baby,” says Merchese. However, impossible it may sound, in America under the First Amendment, it is perfectly legal to sell songs of any type of protest so long as it does not directly advocate unprovoked injury, or death to another living being. But according to Nora Flannigan of the anti-defamation organization Turn It Down, it has never been a legality issue, but simply an issue of right and wrong. She tells Merchese, “Companies could choose not to sell this stuff. Instead, they hide behind the First Amendment. Refusing to make money from racism isn’t censorship; it’s the right thing.”

But Amazon spokesperson Patti Smyth and others present a slippery slope agrument that if they were to censor one, than any number of others may equally be in trouble. Smyth says “[Amazon] doesn’t feel it should be deciding what’s right for consumers. That’s a slippery slope that we don’t want to be on.”

Finally, Merchese points to the recent election of Barack Obama as a mark agaist the white power rock moment saying that though Ken McLellan and others like him may have a right to an opinion, like the opinion of the world being flat, it is just wrong.

After reading the piece, one might consider online retailers’ changing their tunes (for risk of a bad pun) and realizing the voice of consumers. But with the ever-expanding diversity of product available online, that voice becomes increasingly schizophrenic. So it may be that that old mantra of Libertarianism of “If ya don’t like it, don’t buy it!”

(Read the full article here).

Wax without hatred.

Archived from November 21, 2008 from my arts blog

The Black Mozart Ensemble is a far-out, far reaching dream-like fusion of Jazz, hip hop, blues, blue grass and classical music in a melting pot stew of wonderful, and joyously youthful energy conducted by Roy “Futureman” Wooten. The original intent of the project was to tell the story of little-known Eighteenth Century French maestro and composer Joseph Boulogne de Saint Georges while celebrating diverse musical and cultural landscapes in a vibrant live concert/theatre setting. The current show also features several Eastern influences to add even more terrific flavor to an already spicy lineup!

…St. Georges used his abilities to find fame and fortune, yet as the son of a slave, remained an outsider. He fought against racism all his life, and can serve as a powerful hero for all of us as we struggle against the racism and divisiveness of today.

The Black Mozart Ensemble is composed of young virtuoso violinists and cellists under the direction of Futureman. The music is complemented by the addition of hip hop artists, and actors/narrators. The music of Black Mozart has a message for the ears, eyes and moves of today’s modern world. Futureman states that this composition, The Black Mozart is a personal statement of New American Classical Roots and Dance Music with social aspirations that embraces all races of humanity. (Read more at Futureman’s Myspace page).

Video by YouTube member Thien10

Get funky on the Outskirts!

The Meaning of the Season

Archived from November 27, 2008

Listen to this song and lyrics.

James Morrison - “Man in the Mirror” (Michael Jackson cover)

Audio and picture uploaded by YouTube user lacyness

What does it mean to you?…

Being Thankful

Many people have things about themselves they wish to change. those things may be physical, as in their teeth, their body weight or their hairlines. They may be material as in a better house, car, job, nice clothing or a certain type of food. But if those same needs are magnified by extreme poverty, terrible disease and a lack of basic food, these wants become more and more trivial. There are always those who focus so much on what they don’t have that they often miss what they do have. This is what Thanks-giving is - to recognize what opportunities and blessings have already come true and to be grateful for them. In the same way, giving during the holidays, whether they be Christmas, Hanukkah or the new year are times to be thankful for what is and the hope of what can be.

Complaining Versus Being Pro-active

People might want their situations to get better by chance. They will spend hours on end praying and hoping for problems to get better on their own, but the problems don’t go away. People will lose hope, give up, or say, “My prayer didn’t work” never realizing that the change they want may be possible through their own actions. To that point, this song is a message of active participation in making change happen by looking at the “person in the mirror” for a solution rather than just wishing upon a star and hoping it’s enough to save the day.

Wax for a better world.

Also featured at Art from the Outskirts

Charlie Rose sits down with music production icon, TV producer, social activist and unofficial American ambassador of music, Quincy Jones on his life and legacy. The man whose friends affectionately call him “Q”’s list of collaborators include such noted folks as Frank Sinatra, Miles Davis, Count Bassie, Peggy Lee, Ray Charles, Michael Jackson, Stevie Wonder, Will Smith and Oprah Winfrey. His humanitarian efforts have lead him to areas like world aids relief, poverty relief, world literacy, arts education and he has been an honored guest in such hallowed arenas an the United Nation’s and the Vatican. At age 75, he has 60 years in the music industry, 27 Grammy awards, has traveled the world over and he has just released his second autobiography entitled The Complete Quincy Jones: My Journey and Passions.

Q from the Outskirts (waxfully)

Lenny Kravitz’s eighth studio album It’s Time for a Love Revolution was released in February.

Lenny Kravitz is that funky, semi-retro rock star whose music has sold millions of albums worldwide in the name of spreading some cool riffs and powerful love. But did you know that Kravitz ( half Russian-Jewish heritage and all) has been a devoutly believing Christian since age 13? After having a conversion of heart in conversation with a friend, Kravitz’s Christianity became prominent in his life and eventually in his role as an artist, and with the titles of his most recent albums 2004’s Baptism and 2008’s It’s Time for a Love Revolution he’s certainly keeping that faith front and center.

But more importantly, Kravitz’s lyrics cannot deny his faith at all. Love Revolution’s “A New Door” expresses compassion for a friend encouraging him to surrender to Christ singing, “Close your eyes and know that God is there/And if you reach out, He’ll do the same/Just ask for what you need in Jesus’ name.” (read more) In the title track to Baptized he pleads,”I don’t want to know emptiness/Take me down to the water/Wanna be baptized in your love/Far away from the loneliness/Take my heart and wash away the fear/Let me be baptized in your love”

Yet, it was Kravitz’s 1993 mainstream debut Are You Gonna Go My Way? that started off the love train boasting hit like “Let Love Rule” and the Gospel inspired title track “Are You Gonna Go My Way?” whose lyrics reflect the words of Christ himself within the backdrop of a Hendrix-esque rock show fireworks display of joyous guitars and uptempo dance rhythm:

Full Lyrics to “Are You Gonna Go My Way?”

I was born long ago
I am the chosen I’m the one
I have come to save the day
And I won’t leave until I’m done
So that’s why you’ve got to try
You got to breath and have some fun
Though I’m not paid I play this game
And I won’t stop until I’m done

But what I really want to know is
Are you gonna go my way?
And I got to got to know

I don’t know why we always cry
This we must leave and get undone
We must engage and rearrange
And turn this planet back to one
So tell me why we got to die
And kill each other one by one
We’ve got to love and rub-a-dub
We’ve got to dance and be in love

But what I really want to know is
Are you gonna go my way?
And I got to got to know

Are you gonna go my way?
‘Cause baby I got to know, yeah

Source: lenny-kravitz.com

But Kravitz’s faith never goes untested by his often sung about sexual desires amid rumor of several high-profile relationships. His video for his cover of the 60’s smash “American Woman feature a sexed up car top dance by actress Heather Graham. and his latest work boast a song called “Dancin’ ‘Til Dawn” where he declares, “The way that she winds is truly divine/… She moves her behind/That only God could design.” But since those times Kravitz’s has made an honest attempt toward chastity. His stance was solidified in recent interviews:

…Kravitz has apparently begun to recognize this inconsistency as well. In a 2004 interview with Charlie Rose, he said he had embraced abstinence, a commitment that he reaffirmed in a recent Spin interview: “[I’ve been celibate] three years. [It’s] a promise I made until I get married. Where I’m at in life, the women have got to come with something else, not just the body, but mind and spirit. [That] usually trips them out, but that’s the way it’s going to be; I’m looking at the big picture.” - Adam R. Holtz for Plugged In Online

As Kravitz’s journey continues, where might it lead him? One might say that only God can know for certain.

Wax and roll for the love of God!