Growing Up Hip-Hop

Event: Growing Up Hip-Hop Plugged-in
Venue: Nuyorican Poets Cafe
Date: 12/6/08 7PM-8PM

At the event Growing Up Hip-Hop Plugged-in, kahlil almustafa, the award-winning hip-hop poet presented select pieces from his collection using visuals and music to support his words. He started by explaining how he became a poet, and how the circumstances of his life and those around him inspired him to pick up a pen and express himself with words- to express the reality of life in America for African American people with words. While many of the topics his poems cover can be harsh and depressing, such as aids, war, consumerism, and White supremacy, he makes it clear that his objective isn't just to uncover the faults of American society and the American government. His message really is one of social justice, and his aim is to envision the world as a better place. He starts his performance by asking people to write down their vision of the world, but to reframe it in a positive light. Instead of writing "My vision is a world where people don't insult each other based on their differences," we would write "My vision is a world where everyone accepts each other and respects each others' differences."

Like many other hip-hop artists, kahlil almustafa tells it as it is, but what I especially liked about his poems is that although there is truth to his words, he expresses things in a way that makes you want to get up and make a difference. We each received a copy of his book of poems, and reading through the poetry, I think he makes controversial issues and political issues more accessible through his language, and most of the poems are appropriate for some of the upper grades in elementary school, and definitely could be used in middle school and high school. I think it's a great way to show students that there are a multitude of ways that you could put social justice in action. Writing poetry, books, plays, performing songs, dances- any of these art forms can have such a huge impact. It's really hard for me to express just how powerful this presentation is, but I think everyone should go hear kahlil perform his poetry at least once! And good news- at the end of the show, Bree informed Mila and I that kahlil would be coming to our class next semester, so everyone will get a chance to see him!