The Watts Prophets

Did you know this about the Spoken-word and Hip Hop pioneers?

They influenced Tupac Shakur. They influenced Kendrick Lamar. They influenced Ice Cube. They influenced Ice-T. They became the first spoken word group to record an album and tour the US. They also had several singles on the Billboard R&B Charts. They nearly secured a promising deal with Bob Marley's label, Tuff Gong. One of them performed at the funeral service of Bob Marley in Jamaica. They even featured their songs in films, television shows, and commercials. Who could they be?

They are Fr Amde Hamilton, Richard Dedeaux, and Otis O'Solomon. They are a group of revolutionary poets initially formed in the 1960s who named their group after the City where they met; Watt. You are right if your thought quickly ran to the Watts Prophets. They are the Watts Prophets.

MEMBERS PROFILE:

Name: Fr Amde Hamilton

Original Name: Anthony Hamilton

Date of Birth: 1940

Place of Birth: Houston

Hometown: Louisiana

Name: Richard Dedeaux

Date of Birth: September 24, 1940

Place of Birth: DeLisle, Mississippi

Death: December 3, 2013

Place of Death: Shelton, Washington

Cause of Death: Cancer

Name: Otis O'Solomon

Original Name: Otis O'Solomon Smith

Death: March 2022

The Watts Prophets were pivotal in evolving spoken word poetry and helped to popularize it through their performances, recordings, and radio broadcasts. They were also instrumental in developing the hip-hop genre, and their influence can be felt today in rap and hip-hop music. The Watts Prophets combined elements of free verse, jazz and funk, and theater to create a unique style of spoken word poetry. They combined poetry, music, and activism to create an art form that allowed them to voice their truth. The group released its first album, The Black Voices, in 1971, and it featured early works from the likes of the Last Poets and Gil Scott-Heron.

After the release of "The Black Voices" in 1971, the group went on to release several more albums, including "Rhymes and Reasons" in 1972, which featured the classic "Express Yourself" by Charles Wright and the Watts 103rd Street Rhythm Band, as well as "From the Streets" in 1976. Their music has influenced countless musical acts, including Public Enemy, Outkast, and, most recently, Kendrick Lamar. Their work has also been sampled and referenced by the likes of Tupac Shakur, Ice Cube, Ice-T, Eazy-E, KRS-One, Talib Kweli, The Roots, and many more.

The Watts Prophets continue to inspire and influence new generations of spoken word poets and are still active today, performing and speaking at universities and festivals throughout the US. However, their politically charged lines were not unnoticed by the government, for in 1975, the Watts writer's home was destroyed by fire after infiltration by FBI informants.

Although only one of the group's three founding members is still alive, their collective legacies live on in the form of the Watts Prophets Arts Festival, which is held annually in Los Angeles.