The Problem with Poets

Over the years I have taken note of hip hop emcees, rappers or whatever it is that they call themselves nowadays claiming to be part emcee and part poet. That, to me, is as good as saying that you are a part man and part woman. Both can be categorised as human, just as well as emcees and poets can be called artists.

My problem with this take on things is that poets have taken it upon themselves to adopt the same flawed mentality.

It seems that some poets, pleasingly enough not all poets share this destructive state of mind, figure that if they can write stanzas and prose with a brilliant “hook” then they can just as easily convert the hook to a punch line and sail on the great speedboat of hip hop.

The basic principle behind that is dishearteningly flawed.
It would be like taking a Shakespearean sonnet and saying it extra fast on a continuous backtracking beat and then figure oneself to be the next addition to Bone Thugz.
It is ridiculous.

Bloody ludicrous!

It is a lot like the rappers that think they can start reading their rhymes out slowly and pray to get away with calling it poetry.
Yes, poetry and hip hop/rap make a great combination when they have been well fused. I cannot argue with that. I love the results when it has been done right.

But, enough with the hybrids. Soon enough we will start having conversations with each other and at any sign of any insight, no matter how insignificant, we will call it conversational poetry.

MNXIM!

Namaste.