Memeorable: Meme-unchies

So, I know I may have said in the past I don't particularly enjoy slam poetry, but let me share an exception to the average.

Many years back, when I was in High School, one of our theatre compatriots, perhaps even Mario, regaled us with a particularly amusing monologue which he then revealed was actually a slam poetry piece he had heard.

Back then we had a cassette tape recording of it (yes, I know, OLD, cassette tapes for crying out loud, who does that?) and didn't care anymore to find out more about it.

Fast Forward a couple years and I was wondering what to do for an audition piece and thought it would be a hoot to dig up this old story and throw it out on stage. So I had a grand ol' time rooting around the intarwebs and FINALLY found it, in all its glory.

Apparently, homeboy is a local legend in San Jose so I can count him as a fellow coastal/bay area artist, so enough blab, here is performing "Soul Food," enjoy, it's delicious.

and THAT"S why we never have anything to eat, at my house!

Put A Beat Under It

So, I have a confession to make, I don't particularly like Slam Poetry, Spoken Word, or even most poetry, really.

Now, hold up, I DO like SOME poetry, and I do like SOME slam poetry, and even some spoken word. I totally acknowledge that it is an art, a performance art, a viable expression of discourse that should be respected as such.

I, however, have a hard time getting into it, and have honestly never attended any such activities, nor had the inclination to.

And yet, I have this unwavering obsession with Hip-Hop and rap. To even go further, anyone remember back in the late 90's/early "double ots" (2000-2005) when there were a few spoken word poems floating around alternative stations that were like affirmations or that awesome etymology of the "F" word?
(Hey look, I found 'em)

These were great, I enjoyed them. It just seems strange to me that rap and hip hop, something I've been under the impression has shared roots and definite parallels in execution and design, have such appeal to me?

Perhaps it's because when you take the time to craft music and mix it it feels more polished and more well put together? If the "lyrics" suck I can always listen to the music? Or maybe I just haven't had the proper exposure? Maybe I need to immerse myself more in the culture to enjoy it, I know that happened when I took a "Worlds of Jazz" I found some things in that music form that made it more enjoyable. Perhaps I was working under the assumption my previous encounters were samples of exemplary pieces? I could very well be mistaken, and as shown by the few pieces I DO enjoy, its not ALL lame, to me.
Ah, mysteries of the universe, you confuse me so, perhaps a more coherent conclusion next time, but then, those are probably not the things you come to MY blog for eh?