Poets Turned Musicians

The judge is shocked and dumbfounded. The courtroom is in disbelief as an 83-year-old woman stands on the dock and pleads to the court to end her 55-year-old marriage, which was sealed in 1968. 

A thousand questions ran through the minds of the over hundred persons seated in the courtroom and millions of others following proceedings through live stream. Among those questions were so many WHYs. 

Why did it take this long for her to speak up finally? Why does she look so malnourished and unkempt? Why do they keep a happy face in public and make the union appear beautiful to the media while she burns inside? What about their offspring? Why does he never talk about or give credit to the mother? Who could this old woman be, and who is the husband that has extorted and brutally abused her?

That woman's name is poetry. She is standing in the court of conscience with tears running down her eyes as she pleads for an annulment of her age-long abusive marriage with music. 

The marriage of music and poetry began as far back as the 60s. Forced or forged by pioneer poets and poetry groups like The Last Poets, The Watt Prophets, Gil Scott Heron, and others, poetry or poets made the first move to approach music for the fusion. Over the years, poetry has helped music produce amazing offspring such as Hip-hop, which many people today do not know is a direct descendant and first fruit of the marriage of poetry and music. Rap is a grandchild of that union. But what about poetry? What about her dreams? What about her growth? How has the over five decade's union impacted poetry? 

In this research work, we'll carefully analyze the history, career, and, most importantly, the poetry in some artists' music with a foundation in poetry. We will focus on seven top artists: Kendrick Lamar, Tupac Shakur, Lil Wayne, John Lennon, Jim Morrison, MI Abaga (The Guy), and Fireboy DML. 

  1. KENDRICK LAMAR

Among some of the top music artists inspired by the early generation poets like 'The Last Poets' is Kendrick Lamar, and little wonder he is known as the Poet Laureate of Hip-hop. In his profile, Kendrick Lamar spoke about how he enjoyed writing poetry and stories before moving to write lyrics.

Kendrick's career journey began as a creative writer. In his seventh grade at Vanguard Learning Center, he was fortunate to meet Regis Inge, an English teacher who introduced poetry to the school's curriculum. Kendrick's meeting with Regis was at a time of rising tension in Kendrick's neighborhood (Compton) due to a gang war that had broken out in the country jail between Latinos and Blacks.

The tension spread to the streets and the Unified school district. It affected Kendrick's class as the once unified group suddenly stopped interacting with each other. Understanding the tension and how it affected his class, Regis introduced poetry to his students.

He intended to use poetry to ease the tension in the classroom. He reasoned that if he could compel the student to express their frustration in written words, they wouldn't have a reason to do it through physical violence. 

Marketing poetry lessons to the neighborhood boys who, in a way, enjoyed the violence they saw on the streets weren't easy. Poetry, to them, was more about emotions and love, which was what they weren't comfortable expressing. Regis was forced to fuse poetry with hip-hop, knowing how the neighborhood boys adored rappers in the neighborhood.

He made them understand that rap was used to express poetry through music and as an avenue to talk about their lives, experiences, and feelings. That approach worked as the kids no longer focused on their colour differences. They started seeing each other as friends and not rivals. 

One of the students seated in Regis class was Kendrick Lamar. Kendrick loved creative writing and devoted a lot of time to it. The introduction to poetry by Regis gave Kendrick a greater avenue to express his feelings, and the poetry lessons played a significant role in Kendrick's intellectual and career development. 

Kendrick loved what he learned from Regis and had a burning desire to perfect his craft. Regis was ready to help and even train Kendrick. Every time Kendrick submitted his writing to Regis, Regis often made corrections, helping him strengthen his lexicon, organize his writing, and dig deeper. When Kendrick Lamar eventually got to High school, he already knew what career path he would follow, and that path was rap, a fusion of poetry and music. 

  • POETRY IN HIS MUSIC:

In the first verse of his song FEAR, Kendrick Lamar used a literary device known as Anaphora. This he did by beginning eight lines of the first verse with the exact words "I beat yo ass" and 12 lines of the second verse with "I'll prolly die." He also used Anaphora in two more songs in the DAMN album, namely, FEEL, and DNA. In the song DNA, Kendrick Lamar played with alliteration when he said, "I got power, poison, pain and joy inside my DNA…". By successively repeating the P consonant, Kendrick had a good attempt at P alliteration. He went further to try out B alliteration in the same song when he said, "I know murder, conviction, burners, boosters, burglars, ballers, death, redemption…". 

Aside from the use of Anaphora and alliteration in the songs FEAR and DNA, the wordings of the tracks mostly centered on Kendrick's childhood experience. This makes us believe the song FEAR and DNA could have been one of Kendrick Lamar's poems while growing up in Compton. 

There is a clear distinction between the lyrics, organization, and structure of Kendrick Lamar's lines compared to those of other music artists. From how he switches from the first person to second person point of view in his tracks to his use of alliteration, imagery, Anaphora, and other literary devices, his music is a complete work of art. 

Now that we've been able to establish Kendrick Lamar's poetry foundation, the impact of poetry in his music career, and clear elements of poetry in his music, it is important to ask; how has his career benefited or helped in the development of poetry? Or did he rob poetry to gain fame and abandon the art to face possible extinction? 

  • HOW HE HELPED THE GROWTH OF POETRY:

Although his style of music may not be similar to those of pioneer musical poets like 'The Last Poets' who ensured that poetry stood out independently in their music, Kendrick Lamar can be rated as one of the mainstream artists who has intentionally pushed for the promotion of poetry.

Despite turning some of his poems into songs, Kendrick still ensured that there were clear elements of poetry in his songs through the use of literary devices, poetic writing style, structure, and organization of his lyrics. He also was one of the music artists who sampled and referenced works of pioneer musical poets like the Watts Prophets. 

Kendrick has also gone a step further to inspire the next generation of poets. In 2015, he visited a high school in North Bergen, New Jersey, where he spent the whole day listening to poetry and freestyle from the young lads. 

2.  TUPAC SHAKUR:

"I started off with writing poetry in Junior and high school. And poets I saw were looked on as wimps, so I started turning poetry into songs, and that got more attention." 

Those were the words of Tupac Shakur during an interrogation on June 28, 1995, when he was sued and accused of inciting police violence. In Tupac's case, there is little need to dig down his history to establish his poetic foundation, as the artist asserted that he began his journey as a poet. Also, as someone who studied Theatre, Literature, and Arts at the Baltimore School for the Arts, Tupac, in another 1995 interview, spoke about his admiration for Shakespeare and Shakespeare's writings. Furthermore, after his death, a book titled 'The Rose that Grew from Concrete' was released in 1999, a compilation of 72 poems by Tupac. This book featured poems like 

-The Power of a Smile

-So I Say Goodbye

-What Can I Offer Her?

Analyzing the posthumous poetry collection proves one crucial thing about the artist, and it is the fact that Tupac's poetry was the direct opposite of his music. In his poetry, he poured out his deep emotions and vulnerability as he spoke about death, love, pain, and family, but in his music, he sang his experience in the thug world. 0ver 40% of the 72 poems were about love. In the poem titled 'The Power of a Smile, Tupac says; 

"The power of a gun can kill…but the power of a smile, especially yours, can heal a frozen heart". In another poem where he listed things that make his heartbreak, Tupac listed things people wouldn't expect would break the heart of a 'gangster.' According to the poem, things that break his heart are lonely children, unanswered cries, deceiving laughs, pretty smiles, and those who have given up hope. His tone of voice in his poems was also the opposite of his musical tone, devoid of swear words and slang. 

  • POETRY IN HIS MUSIC: 

More of a gangster than a poet in his style of music, Tupac's 'thug' style of rap rarely had many literary devices embedded in the lines compared to the music of Kendrick Lamar. His music and lifestyle had little or no influence on the development of poetry during his lifetime. Still, his posthumous poetry collection went a long way in drawing attention to the art. 

3. LIL WAYNE:

"Gorillas in Suits

The Holy war, the spiritual troops

Fighting over the mythical truth

Drowning in the political soup

They shoot, missiles and nukes

Taking out such a pivotal group

The body count is a physical proof

And they thought drugs is killing the youths."

You can reread the above lines. This time, carefully digest every line, every word, and every expression. Then ask yourself, is that poetry or not? Your answer is the same as mine. Yes, that is poetry, written beautifully with garnishes of imagery, personification, and pun. But who is the author? Who is the poet with such pen magic? The poet's identity isn't a difficult one as the lines above an excerpt from Lil Wayne's song "President Carter." So yes, that beautiful poetry came from the ink of one of the most famous and talented musicians the world has ever seen - Lil Wayne. 

Despite being a great music artist, Lil Wayne, like Tupac Shakur, has chosen poetry as the preferred medium to express his emotions frequently. Aside from the numerous poetic lines in his music, Wayne, on some occasions, has openly penned poetry on social media spaces. On 4th November 2020, he wrote an emotional poem on Twitter following a breakup with his girlfriend. That poem was a true reflection of hurt and true feelings. A part of the poem reads; 

"I'm a lover, not a lighter, because they burn out. I am an eternal fire and burning love. Either leave with a tan, a 3rd-degree burn or stay and die in love. You're sweating. Sincerely, the fireman…."

Also, on January 13, 2022, Wayne shared another poem on Twitter that sounded like a direct message to an unnamed fellow. In that poem, he wrote about the value of appreciation.  

  • POETRY IN HIS MUSIC

Lil Wayne's music has more connection to literary icons like Shakespeare than it does to music icons. Lil Wayne is gifted with the power of wordplay, and almost every one of his tracks has at least two or more beautiful pun quotes. 

4. JOHN LENON

Describing John Lennon people often say that his songs were poetic; little wonder he was described as the greatest Rock 'n' roll poet. His 1971 song "Imagine," which was about the Vietnam war and its impact on society, had all the elements of a beautiful poem. 

Unlike Tupac, who never got to publish his book himself, John Lenon published two; "In his own write" in 1964 and "A Spaniard in the Works" in 1965.

 Analyzing his two books gives us even more conviction that many of John Lennon's songs were rewritten from poems. Unlike Tupac, whose book was a direct opposite of his music, poems in John Lennon's books sounded just the same as his music lyrics. Furthermore, comparing the poems in the books to his songs, we've picked out a few poems that look like a direct transformation from poetry to music. For example, the poem "No Flies on Frank" can be likened to the song "Good Morning Good Morning." Another of his songs, "Norwegian Wood (This Bird has Flown)," which was released a year after his first book, had lines that sounded like the "In his Own Write" book. John Lennon also used literary devices such as a pun in his book.  

  • POETRY IN HIS MUSIC

John Lennon's songs encompassed a lot of literary devices like symbolism, width, and irony. Above all, his ability to economize language and write in a simple style stands him out from other lyricists. 

  • HOW HE HELPED THE GROWTH OF POETRY:

John Lennon publicly pronounced himself a poet and released two books that attested to that fact. Those books sold out millions of copies, and millions who read them got to appreciate poetry through him. 

5. JIM MORRISON:

When you hear the name James Douglas Morrison, or Jim Morrison as he was popularly known, your mind would quickly wander to the image of a man with wild curls, skin-tight leather trousers, and an unbuttoned shirt, holding onto a mic on stage as he sings songs that women particularly would love to listen to. This rock band singer was a famous musician who left indelible footprints in the music world. However, despite his achievements in music, this self-acclaimed poet wanted instead to be remembered as a poetic prophet. 

  • POETRY IN HIS MUSIC: 

With rich imagery and proper application of other literary devices, Jim's music significantly connected to his poetry. For example, his song, RIDERS ON THE STORM, sounded like a continuation of the lines of one of the poems in his poetry collection titled THE HITCHHIKER, which also happened to be one of his most-read poems. 

Some of the lyrics of his song can be seen as poetry in its truest form. These songs include tracks like LA WOMAN, STONED IMMACULATE, WHEN THE MUSIC IS OVER, THE END, and GHOST SONG. 

  • HOW HE CONTRIBUTED TO THE GROWTH OF POETRY:

In 1971, Jim self-published three volumes of poetry, and after his demise, two more, namely, WILDERNESS and AMERICAN NIGHT, were released. These culminated works could keep Jim's name alive, but Jim's dream was beyond that. He wanted to be recognized more as a writer. Unlike other artists who focused solely on their music, Jim balanced his music and poetry, giving both adequate attention. He even went as far as recording a spoken word album which was recorded to music by his band members after his death. 

Even 50 years after his death, another book, THE COLLECTED WORKS OF JIM MORRISON, was released in 2021. Jim loved poetry, little wonder that in one of his quotes, Jim said;

"I'm kind of hooked to the game of art and literature. My heroes are artists and writers…poetry appeals to me so much because it's eternal. As long as there are people, they can remember words and combination of words. Nothing else can survive a holocaust but poetry and songs…."

6. FIREBOY DML:

Fireboy busted into the limelight almost immediately after signing a record deal with YBNL and has since been one of the brightest afrobeat artists Africa has produced. However, that breakthrough record deal wasn't what changed Fireboy's life. Speaking about his rise, Fireboy mentioned the poem 'Invictus' by William Ernest Henley as what defined his life. Fireboy's romance with poetry came at an early stage, as before his fame, he worked as a poetry editor for Lunaris review.

Being entrusted with the duty of editing poetry requires more than just intelligence but also experience. This further convinces us that Fireboy was a poet experienced enough to take up a poetry editorial role at Lunaris Review. 

You could also see his love for poetry in how he titled his 8-track debut album "Laughter, Tears & Goosebumps." In the Nigerian music climate, album titles are usually bland, unimaginative, and ineffectual. Fireboy's album title sounded like words that would perfectly fit into the cover page of a poetry book. 

7. M.I. ABAGA (The Guy)

Aside from Fireboy, another Nigerian music artist who poses the poetry question is M.I. Abaga. Now known as 'The Guy,' he is one of the living legends of African Hip-hop; inspiring the younger generation and working so hard to ensure the hip-hop genre remains relevant in the African continent. However, at the 2018 Lagos International Poetry Festival edition, this Hip hop icon wowed the audience with a special spoken word performance. The Guy's performance was beyond something memorized. It has emotions, written and presented from the heart.

CONCLUSION:

Now that we've succeeded in identifying and establishing top music artists who began their careers as poets but, along the line, deviated to other arts, let us return to where we started this journey; the courtroom were the old woman still stands, tears in her eyes.

Having listened to the case, the facts and evidence presented, and the arguments, what do you think? Has poetry been exploited? Has poetry been robbed to pay music? Or has the marriage been mutually beneficial? How has poetry developed since the fusion? Comparing poetry before the fusion to poetry today, can we say that today's poetry is more recognized and acceptable than during the Shakespearian era? 

The sad reality is that poetry as an art is at risk of extinction. Many poetry talents are frustrated with the lack of proper attention/recognition and have been forced to migrate to other fields of creative arts to be relevant. In the union of Music and poetry, poetry that plays the wifely duties has been reduced to the kitchen and the bedroom.

Poetry's role is to build the home by providing beautiful lyrics to build up the song, while music, the husband takes all the recognition. The only elements of poetry left in today's hip hop are rhymes and rhythm, which they call Rap. But is rap all there is to hip-hop? Has hip-hop deviated from its foundation by introducing new styles, concepts, and machines?

 What did The Last Poets, the Watt Prophets, Gil Scott Heron, and other pioneer poets/groups today recognized as the grandfathers of hip hop had in mind when they originated hip-hop from poetry? Was it a marriage (fusion) of both arts or a gradual evolution of poetry to music? Has their original intention been fulfilled, altered, or defeated? Returning to where it all started and finding an answer to this question might be the first step towards saving poetry from extinction and giving it a face and a voice again.