Episode 137: The BreakBeat Poets

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This week, we talk to Kevin Coval and Nate Marshall. Kevin and Nate, along with Quraysh Ali Lansana, are co-editors of the new poetry anthology The Breakbeat Poets. The book is billed as being “the first poetry anthology by and for the Hip-Hop generation,” and features the work of 78 different poets, representing several different generations of hip-hop fans and practicioners. The book is a first step in creating a Breakbeat Poet movement – a way of bringing the poetics and aesthetics of hip-hop into the world of poetry.

Kevin, who longtime Cipher listeners may remember from his appearance on Episode 52, is the author of many book including Schtick, L-vis Lives: Racemusic Poems, Everyday People and Slingshots: A Hip-Hop Poetica. He is the founder of Louder Than a Bomb: The Chicago Youth Poetry Festival, Artistic Director at Young Chicago Authors, and teaches at the University of Illinois at Chicago.

Nate is the author of NAACP Image Award-nominated book Wild Hundreds. He is a founding member of the poetry collective Dark Noise, and is also a rapper.

Tracks featured in this episode:

1. Idris Goodwin, “Introduction”
2. 2Pac, “Black Woman”
3. Common, “Chi-City”
4. Kanye West f/Theophilus London, Allan Kingdom, & Paul McCartney, “All Day”
5. ESG, “UFO”
6. The Notorious B.I.G. f/Ma$e & Puff Daddy, “Mo Money Mo Problems”
7. Chance the Rapper, “Paradise [Live on SNL]”
8. Pharoahe Monch f/Showtyme & DJ Boogie Blind, “Clap (One Day)”
9. Boogie Down Productions, “My Philosophy”
10. Big Daddy Kane, “Ain’t No Half Steppin’”
11. Public Enemy, “Fight the Power”
12. NWA, “Alwayz Into Somethin’”
13. Wu-Tang Clan, “Can It Be All So Simple”
14. Dr. Dre f/Snoop Dogg, “Still D.R.E.”
15. Juvenile, “Back Dat Azz Up”
16. Xzibit, “Year 2000”
17. KRS-One, “Maximum Strength 2008”
18. Odd Future, “Bitches”
19. Kendrick Lamar, “The Blacker The Berry”
20. Straight Outta Compton
21. Creed
22. Drake, “Know Yourself”
23. D.A. Smart, “Walk With Me”
24. Tony Medina, “Everything You Wanted to Know about Hip Hop But Were Afraid to Be Hipped for Fear of Being Hopped”
25. Cowboy Country Hip Hop Dancing
26. Push it to Pop It With Vin Diesel
27. 2015 soul train awards ERYKAH BADU disses rappers BADDDD!!!! poor iggy FULL version
28. The Last Poets, “When The Revolution Comes”
29. The Notorious B.I.G., “Party and Bullshit”
30. The Cipher Episode 19: Abiodun Oyewole
31. The Notorious B.I.G., “Party and Bullshit”
32. Aziza Barnes, “Juicy (an erasure)”
33. The Notorious B.I.G., “Juicy”
34. Gang Starr, “Full Clip”
35. Sugar Hill Gang, “Rapper’s Delight”
36. Common, “Take It EZ”
37. Kids These Days, “Hard Times”
38. Chance the Rapper, “14,400 Minutes (prod. by DJ SuchNSuch)”
39. No Name Gypsy, “Cherrypie Blues”
40. Save Money, “Save Money No Writtens (SxSW Cypher)”
41. Nick Cannon, “Pray 4 My City”
42. Chi-Raq
43. Lil Jay, “Bars of Clout”
44. Cinque Cullar - All Power
45. Daily Lyrical Product, “Hard”

Show notes:

1. WBEZ, “WORD: Across Generations with Kevin Coval, Haki Madhubuti, Aaron Samuels and Sage Morgan-Hubbard”
2. Poetry Foundation, “Quraysh Ali Lansana”
3. Poetry Foundation, “Gwendolyn Brooks”
4. Bean Soup Times, “Rev. Michael Pfleger Endorses Rahm Emanuel for Mayor”