Free The Dead Emcee Scrolls by Saul Williams

people that served at the lowest rung of capitalist hierarchy to not buy into the mentality that originally bought them as slaves? At what point does the power of hip-hop begin to work against itself? At what point does hip-hop reflect more of its American birthplace than its African roots?
    The power of the spoken word is very much a part of the power of hip-hop. The emcee stands in direct lineage to the African griot. The African griot/story-teller plays a major part in the history of spoken art forms and the oral traditions of poetry. A tradition that has a much longer and more widespread history than that of the written word. The sport of spoken word, as relates to modern phenomena, such as slam poetry, is not a newfound interest, rather it is a return to ancient rites and gatherings that have been known to have occurred for thousands of years. Ancient poets such as Kabir, Rumi, Hafiz, and even the Greek Homer were known, in their time, for the recitation of their work. Thus, the young poets of today are part of an ancient tradition that is perhaps the eldest in creative expression. The spoken word movement in connection to hip-hop has become a place where the youth have stripped away the beat of the drum to simply focus and sharpen the attention paid to the word. Listening to young poets read in a poetry slam, you are bound to hear them recite their own coming of age stories, which may often be inclusive of the story of their parents, grandparents, or ancestors. Through the simple act of reciting their poem they are adding their voice to the telling of his/story, which was once linear and exclusive of themand the particularities of their story, their perspective. These new poems allow us new insights into the past, which then allows us a broader conception of the present and grants us the ability to re-envision the future. Simply stated, it changes everything.
    Most emcees are also concerned about telling their own coming of age stories. Their voices are easily likened to the voices of young poets, often contemplative and introspective to the point of questioning their reality, upbringing, and the society that bore them. Yet, where a special form of attention is paid to crafting a poem or a prayer, it is seldom the same sort of attention used in writing a rhyme. The braggadocio aspects of emceeing are a distinguishing factor. Part of the unique power of hip-hop is its internal sense of competition. Every emcee is automatically pitted against the others. The competitive nature of the art helps create an environment where most are concerned about displaying their skills while at the same time putting down the skills or abilities of others. As in any gladiator-like sport, those involved are most concerned about not leaving themselves vulnerable on any given side. It is this factor that serves to distinguish the emcee from the poet. Whereas an emcee may see displaying his or her vulnerabilities as a weakness, a poet will often see the ability to display vulnerability as a strength. It is when the careful balance between the two is found that hip-hop is at its most powerful.
    My experience with these texts has been life-changing, to say the least. I have discovered that there are distinct experiences to be had through reading or reciting them. For instance, the experience of reading the words NGH WHT, spelled with no vowels, as was commonly practiced in spelling the name of God (YHWH) or gods in the written forms of ancient Hebrew and Kemetic languages(KMT is the original name of ancient Egypt), is quite distinct from hearing the commonly used “nigga” or “nigger.” It takes a step further the idea of a term once used to degrade now being used as a term of endearment. In fact, the document brings to question whether it is actually asserting that NGH WHT is the name of God (absurd, I know, but it definitely seems to imply so).
    The rhythm of these seven poems is also of great interest. Whether read aloud or to