Spoken Word

Monday's discussion about Lipsitz's article on hip hop and post-colonialism reminded me of the development of "spoken word." Spoken word is a form of poetry that is written with the intention of being performed which emerged from the Postmodern Art Movement in the 1980s. It actually developed predominantly here in New York in small poetry cafes. Similar to in hip hop music, the subject of spoken word poetry can vary greatly. Oftentimes it is used to make important statements regarding political agenda, social and cultural oppression, empowerment and protestation. Also like hip hop, spoken word takes a place in social and political movements from a cultural perspective, using the power of the human voice to influence and move others to action. Because of its prevalence in the African American community, many spoken word performances celebrate the history of black Americans and raise awareness of the African diaspora. In particular a piece that reminds me of the "diasporic intimacy" addressed in the article is Julian Curry's Def Poetry Jam performance "Niggers, Niggas and Niggaz" which speaks powerfully to the transformation of the word "nigger" from a derogatory term for slaves to casual slang used by youth across America today. I posted the link below to give an example of another form of artistic movement adjacent to hip hop that lends the power of voice and performance to economically marginal societies.

"Niggers, Niggas and Niggaz" - Julian Curry