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[7.29.04][3.10.04]

Zack Wolk aka Nutty Mong 4.19.04
What Saul and I thought of the evening.

This all took place on Saul William's message board.

zackwolk

Junior Member
Member # 322

posted April 18, 2004 04:29 AM
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NuTTy MoNg: oh my god
IxI maHaLiN IxI: what?
IxI maHaLiN IxI: the poetry?
NuTTy MoNg: no
NuTTy MoNg: magic
IxI maHaLiN IxI: ?
NuTTy MoNg: the poetry WAS awesome
NuTTy MoNg: but
NuTTy MoNg: the last poets
NuTTy MoNg: did this shitty thing
NuTTy MoNg: they did this like musical hip-hop freestyle piece
NuTTy MoNg: and there was a beatboxer 2 singers and 2 poets
NuTTy MoNg: and the poets started freestyling
NuTTy MoNg: and it was the end of a night to amazing poetry
NuTTy MoNg: and words
NuTTy MoNg: and... they stated on stage
NuTTy MoNg: the poets
NuTTy MoNg: "It's not all about the competition"
NuTTy MoNg: and it was a sentiment passed on from a previous person
NuTTy MoNg: and the crowd was all clapping to the beatboxer
NuTTy MoNg: and the shitty freestylist was freestyling
NuTTy MoNg: until
NuTTy MoNg: the singers started to sing it
NuTTy MoNg: "It's not all about the competition"
NuTTy MoNg: and then someone in the audience said it
NuTTy MoNg: and then I said it
NuTTy MoNg: and we started chanting it
NuTTy MoNg: and the Leeds, United Kingdom team
NuTTy MoNg: they jumped on stage
NuTTy MoNg: and started singing it into the mix
NuTTy MoNg: mic
NuTTy MoNg: after the freestylist started singing it into the mix
NuTTy MoNg: mic
NuTTy MoNg: and then the whole ******* auditorium started chanting it
NuTTy MoNg: and slowly
NuTTy MoNg: more poets jumped on stage
NuTTy MoNg: and everyone was chanting it
NuTTy MoNg: until everyone was on stage
NuTTy MoNg: all the poets that is
NuTTy MoNg: for example, I was running back and forth in front of the stage dancing and chanting it
NuTTy MoNg: and everyone was hugging and crying
NuTTy MoNg: and clapping
NuTTy MoNg: and singing
NuTTy MoNg: and then
NuTTy MoNg: we stopped
NuTTy MoNg: and the guy who runs the organization
NuTTy MoNg: said
NuTTy MoNg: "okay... that was crazy"
NuTTy MoNg: "there's one more poet"
NuTTy MoNg: "the mc"
NuTTy MoNg: "saul williams"
NuTTy MoNg: and saul williams made his way center stage
NuTTy MoNg: and all the young poets surrounded him
NuTTy MoNg: leave the 4th wall open
NuTTy MoNg: to the non-poets
NuTTy MoNg: and I was front and center
NuTTy MoNg: and Saul Williams said "I have never experienced anything like this, ever"
NuTTy MoNg: and he said it was taking him everything not to cry
NuTTy MoNg: and he said it was the dopest most crazy slam ever
NuTTy MoNg: and he started his poetry
NuTTy MoNg: which half the people on stage and myself know almost by heart
NuTTy MoNg: and so when he hit words we all felt, we all shouted them
NuTTy MoNg: and we were in unison
NuTTy MoNg: with ******* life
NuTTy MoNg: and it was so amazing
IxI maHaLiN IxI: :)
NuTTy MoNg: and saul was crying during his ******* poetry
NuTTy MoNg: and I was crying
NuTTy MoNg: and I was holding the hand of the coach from the united kingdom
NuTTy MoNg: and it was a moment
NuTTy MoNg: in time
NuTTy MoNg: that made everything
NuTTy MoNg: in the entire universe
NuTTy MoNg: insignifigant
NuTTy MoNg: because
NuTTy MoNg: WORD
NuTTy MoNg: IS
NuTTy MoNg: BOND
NuTTy MoNg: and everyone has a right to life
NuTTy MoNg: and there was so much respect
NuTTy MoNg: and it was amazing
NuTTy MoNg: truly
NuTTy MoNg: awesome
NuTTy MoNg: in the most literal fashion of the definition
NuTTy MoNg: Saul Williams, is the voice of God
NuTTy MoNg: and it was like... he had nothing to do with any of that shit
NuTTy MoNg: any of the ******* chanting
NuTTy MoNg: any of the poetry that night
NuTTy MoNg: but at the same time
NuTTy MoNg: he inspired us all
NuTTy MoNg: for a second I thought, it wasn't right for him to read

NuTTy MoNg: and then I thought.... of course it's right, it is the most right thing that could ever ******* happen NuTTy MoNg: it was so honest
NuTTy MoNg: and hardcore
NuTTy MoNg: and beautiful
NuTTy MoNg: the most beautiful 20 minutes of my life
NuTTy MoNg: nothing left to say
NuTTy MoNg: had to share

http://www.bravenewvoices.org/
Brave New Voices was the 7th annual international youth team poetry slam competition that took place in Los Angeles California.

It was breath-taking.
-z
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Posts: 9 | From: Torrance, Ca | Registered: Sep 2003 | IP: Logged

saul
Administrator
Member # 77

posted April 18, 2004 05:17 AM
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yeah, i just logged on, 'cause i fugured i needed to write something about that moment. it was truly surreal. from the feeling of the final team forfeiting their place for the sake of saying it's not about the competition to the point of everyone coming on stage and feeling themselves so heavilty in the moment...that alone was enough to make the night magical for me. but then, having the opportunity to read, and then, to unexpectedly hear dozens of voices saying these poems of "mine" along with me. these poems that are not mine, that never have been mine, which so many people said tonight in unison, universe....surreal. i never expected to have that experience. i never expected to feel that sort of energy. i am ever thankful. words do bring worlds.

the strangest thought that came to mind tonight, before that final moment, when i was still simply tripping off of how many amazing poets i had heard tonight, was i have never felt so proud to be american. i know that sounds weird. but i'm so used to be being embarrased by so many aspects of our current state of society, that these kids tonight, made me feel proud and truly excited about our future. i've always believed in the power of poetry, and the power of this age, but i've never felt such a strong conformation. the way things were, are no more. the new world is being called into existence. and it may not be reflected in the media or even the upcoming elections, but the future is upon us and it ain't bleak. it's a million poems at a billion watts. and a trillion "what?"s and a zillion asnwers. 10, ooo choreographers and 1000 dancers. and it ain't mtv or cnn. it is so f....n' untelevised, so uncorporate, yet incorporated in the corporal essence of us all. and i think it's obvious that i'm pretty excited about it. and furthermore, i felt blessed to be alive in this age. to experience that changing of the guards. and i know this poetry is happening everywhere, but these kids from across these divided states tonight helped confirm the real reasons as to why american youth are so damn influential to youth culture across the world. and it ain't only because we run the market. theirs something magic happening. something that cannot be marketed. something that is felt. sensed. and it may not have it's home here, but i'm so thankful that it passed through. so that we are given the opportunity to play are part in the unification of humanity.

ps. don't read any patriotic bulls... into this. i am not for the corporate state of america. i am speaking of thr youth. the aspects of america which would very easily be deemed "unamerican". i'm just saying that after years of being in love with either dead musicians, european filmmakers and bands, south american music, african culture, eastern religions, and holding up a consistent middle finger to the america i've seen represented on the tube, tonight, i felt excited. i felt like america is on fire. the youth are burning it alive. and it's emo. and it's hip hop. and it's alternative. and it's electronic. and it's f...k.. poetry.and the new world order is being new word ordered.
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Posts: 83 | From: los angeles | Registered: Jun 2003 | IP: Logged

zackwolk
Junior Member
Member # 322

posted April 18, 2004 05:57 AM
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ya know, it's like you've said several times. "It's a great time to be alive". For us to realize we're human and all that that entails is going to be our greatest accomplishment.

The youth of America as well as the rest of the world has to ante up the traditions that keep us trapped in order to have access to that world that you talk about in Not In Our Name. A world we feel proud to take responsibility for and not one that is over-run with corruption.

The thing that really struck me tonight was how supportive everyone was of each other and the whole process of doing what they do (the writing poetry, slamming, performing, living) even if they don't know why they're doing it. I saw those kids from a distance and immediatly thought Oh Boy, a bunch of prententious hip-hop kids looking to regurgutate political agendas they don't fully understand.

But I realized that I didn't understand! I didn't understand that taking notice of injustice or miscommunication or misunderstanding or any combination of the three and drawing attention to it as a way of saying "F this, THIS IS WRONG" is the only way we'll ever come to a global agreement of the way that we should maintain it.

I'm still kind of high off tonight but what better time is there to examine what makes us alive? The language of poetry is infinite, it has no bounds. There were 150 or so 13-19 year olds saying the same shit all week long, but they were saying it differently, personalizing their experiences and making us realize what THEY thought of what was going on.

It's as if we're at this gigantic unseen roundtable in an underground conference room deciding the details of the future. Our own and "the greatest american"'s "waiting patiently for the past to die".

From my vantage point, watching everybody listening to you from around you and behind you. I saw the stage as a gigantic heart beating, beating fast, beating hard and you hit it on the head when you described it as surreal.

It was on some Goombaya, Man in the mirror, Hallelujah shit.

Regardless of change, the future and all that is to occur, during those 20 or so minutes we had the heaviest, most respectable party that poets have ever had in the city of angels.

And I want to share one thing with whoever may be reading this to personalize it for me.

There's a girl named Marissa May Vita Buck and I love her with all my heart, we plan on having children, 3, Eden, Destiny and Joshua. I have seen them in my dreams and talked with them during my sleep. But 2 days ago upon asking me if I believed in Faith, I told her no. I said "How can I have faith when so much is uncertain and falls by the side of chance?" and she's pretty heavy into her Catholic thing so she said "I guess for me, it just comes naturally, but how can you talk about our children if you don't have faith?" and I said "It's what I want."

After tonight, coming to a conclusion that what we do can and will have an impact on this place where we lay our heads to dream about the way things can and will be. I changed my mind about faith.

To end, whenever Marissa and I fight or disagree, we always end up in the same place saying the same thing. "F it, forget it, it's all about the love." and, it truly is... nothing else matters to me.

Saul, thank you again *twice in one week* for being a continuing source of inspiration for me and all of the other people your voice reaches.

Tonight was truly special and will not soon be forgotten.

Love
Zachary
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Posts: 9 | From: Torrance, Ca | Registered: Sep 2003 | IP: Logged

zackwolk
Junior Member
Member # 322

posted April 18, 2004 06:53 AM
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and maybe, if you'll allow me to indulge my own ideas of truth for a second, tonight we came to the realization that It (life, what-have-you) is really NOT about the competition.

It may be simple to say, but when I think about the soceity I live in and how I got here, how the only reason for war is to declare a victor, and wanting to be victorious is the only real reason wars are started, maybe the path to a peaceful existence for all creatures is through somehow PROOVING absolute equality, not just with the citizens of a country amongst themselves but all creatures. Perhaps dogs that pee on territory to mark what they believe is their property is a learned trait from it's master.

It is not about the competition. It's about the connection, the common thread, the fiber. The truth.

I am one who believes that everything that can be experienced is subjective, however if equality can be proven absolute and peace can be reached, I am willing to abandon my foundation and embrace that new world.

Tonight we reached a harmony in the tone of equality in abandoning why we were there in the first place (the competition to declare the supposed "best" youth team of the year) and instead opted to identify and embrace the truth, that we were there to share. In that moment where a choice is made to abandon something so mundane for an oppurtunity for something novel, the matrix (the idea that everything can be predetermined, fate, that every action is simply a product of conditioning) is declared dormant and that's why we were celebrating and I continue to.

[7.29.04][3.10.04]