#the getback

So.

I got this post together at the beginning of the month...and then never posted it from the Drafts. Whoops.

But! As you may know, April is National Poetry Month! And while it may be the last day of the month, it is still April! So now we have:

National Poetry Month: The GetBack Edition

Diggs may be known for his lightning-quick tongue in the music world, but before he found his niche in rap, he honed his writing skills with poetry. Granted, he likes to say he was a terrible poet, but...humble is as humble does.

Right after he left Hamilton, he hosted the Glam Slam Finals of Brave New Voices, where he got to showcase his spoken word skills on the stage.

Shoot

Take a good look at the writing; it’s one of my favorite things that he’s done, quite honestly. I think it’s brilliant; I love the way he uses wordplay and metaphor, imagery and alliteration to speak his truth.

Fresh From the Hood

Also, if you want to examine the differences and similarities between rap and spoken word, check out Daveed doing Fresh From the Hood as spoken word, above.

Chinaka frickin’ Hodge: BAMF-ass poet extraordinaire.

If you’ve never seen Nak speak, I suggest starting with her TED talk, guaranteed to make you cry while your spirit soars:

What Will You Tell Your Daughters About 2016?

Chinaka’s a poet, playwright, & screenwriter, so she makes her living often with her written word. But if you’ve listened to The GetBack or even Watsky, you know how powerful her voice is, so now check out some of her spoken word, below.

All Power to the People: Black Panthers at 50 Barely Audible Bulletproof Dress Cousin Make It Fresh

But if you’re interested in her written word, she’s published a number of works. She’s powerful & eloquent, witty & wise.  Her most recent collection, below, had me weeping poolside on my last vacation.

Dated Emcees

And then there’s this uber-talented fool, whose work has the easiest online accessibility. I’ve waxed poetic on his genius before and it all still bears repeating: he has a way with words that is stunning. Check out a number of his poems that he’s shared over the years, collected below:

90 MPH *//* 911 *//* A Beggar's Psalm *//*A Writer's Death *//*Alice *//* Dear Annie *//*Eden *//* Escape Artists *//* For Girls With Clouds *//* For the Firemen *//* Gun Affairs *//* Haberdashery *//* Honor Among Thieves *//* In Lieu of Not *//* Infidels *//* Knots *//* L-DOPA *//* Lest You Forget *//* Lies We Tell Our Souls *//* Lift *//* Listen Closely *//* Macbeth *//* Masks *//* Mermaids *//* Monster *//* Mother's Favorite *//* My Want List *//* Novel Girls *//* One Way To See It *//* Over *//* Ready *//* Reminder #485 *//* Ride or Die *//* Saturday Nights *//* Scowl *//* Spells *//* Talkers *//* The Blur *//* The Death of Things *//* The First Time I Prayed *//* The Grey *//* The Next Man's Plate *//* The New Right of Passage *//* The Pen *//* The Purgatory of Boys *//* The Walk *//* The Year of the Wolf *//* To the Scoundrels *//* Toxic *//* Trump *//* Types *//* What's Your Creative Process? *// *When You Know *//* You Just Got To Know The Right People *//* You Missed a Spot *//* Your Younger You

Then, of course, there’s his spoken word poetry, so different, yet so similar to his written work, and always just as powerful. His words still pack a punch that leaves me in awe.

Abortion *//* A.D.D. *//* Alice *//* Barbie & Ken 101 *//* Beaches *//* Billing Them for My Rights *//* Ego *//* First Week of a Break Up *//* Monster *//* My Miller Chill *//* Name *//* Quit Treating Life Like We're Just Driving Through