Hip-Hop Godfathers The Last Poets: 'In times of great chaos, there's opportunity'
For the first time in 35 years, Billboard's Hot 100 chart has shed its hip-hop roots, with no rap song making it into the top 40. While this may be attributed to various reasons such as homogenization of beats or industry-driven formulas, hip-hop forefather Abiodun Oyewole takes a different stance: "We embraced 'party and bullshit', my brother." This sentiment stems from his experiences as part of the groundbreaking collective The Last Poets, who formed in 1968 amidst social unrest.
Oyewole's journey with The Last Poets began at a writers' workshop in East Harlem, where he met Jalal Mansur Nuriddin and Umar Bin Hassan. The trio's self-titled debut album, released in 1970, featured the influential title track "When the Revolution Comes." However, Oyewole was unable to contribute to their follow-up album due to a prison sentence, serving two and a half years for attempting to raise bail for activists arrested for striking back at the Ku Klux Klan.
The Last Poets' music, often referred to as "jazz poetry," laid the groundwork for hip-hop's core themes of Black consciousness and social critique. Their legacy has been acknowledged by numerous artists, from Melle Mel to KRS One to Common, who have paid homage to their work in various ways.
Recently, The Last Poets released an 11th studio album, Africanism, which reimagines some of the group's most impactful poems in Afrobeat style. Oyewole reflects on this new chapter, stating that he is "blown away by the fact that Umar and I both said things that are extremely relevant today." Despite the current state of hip-hop, Oyewole remains optimistic about its potential for social change.
However, Oyewole's commentary also highlights the pitfalls of the genre. He notes that many modern rappers have sold out their artistic integrity by using profanity-laced lyrics and reinforcing negative stereotypes. In his view, this has emboldened white supremacists like Donald Trump, who use hip-hop to delegitimize Black excellence.
Despite these challenges, Oyewole remains hopeful that the Last Poets' mission will prevail. "In times of great chaos, there's opportunity," he advises, suggesting that even in the face of adversity, there lies a chance for positive change.
For the first time in 35 years, Billboard's Hot 100 chart has shed its hip-hop roots, with no rap song making it into the top 40. While this may be attributed to various reasons such as homogenization of beats or industry-driven formulas, hip-hop forefather Abiodun Oyewole takes a different stance: "We embraced 'party and bullshit', my brother." This sentiment stems from his experiences as part of the groundbreaking collective The Last Poets, who formed in 1968 amidst social unrest.
Oyewole's journey with The Last Poets began at a writers' workshop in East Harlem, where he met Jalal Mansur Nuriddin and Umar Bin Hassan. The trio's self-titled debut album, released in 1970, featured the influential title track "When the Revolution Comes." However, Oyewole was unable to contribute to their follow-up album due to a prison sentence, serving two and a half years for attempting to raise bail for activists arrested for striking back at the Ku Klux Klan.
The Last Poets' music, often referred to as "jazz poetry," laid the groundwork for hip-hop's core themes of Black consciousness and social critique. Their legacy has been acknowledged by numerous artists, from Melle Mel to KRS One to Common, who have paid homage to their work in various ways.
Recently, The Last Poets released an 11th studio album, Africanism, which reimagines some of the group's most impactful poems in Afrobeat style. Oyewole reflects on this new chapter, stating that he is "blown away by the fact that Umar and I both said things that are extremely relevant today." Despite the current state of hip-hop, Oyewole remains optimistic about its potential for social change.
However, Oyewole's commentary also highlights the pitfalls of the genre. He notes that many modern rappers have sold out their artistic integrity by using profanity-laced lyrics and reinforcing negative stereotypes. In his view, this has emboldened white supremacists like Donald Trump, who use hip-hop to delegitimize Black excellence.
Despite these challenges, Oyewole remains hopeful that the Last Poets' mission will prevail. "In times of great chaos, there's opportunity," he advises, suggesting that even in the face of adversity, there lies a chance for positive change.
man thinkin bout this its like Oyewole is sayin we gotta be careful with the power hip hop has 
can take us to places of great change or reinforce old hurtful stuff 
dont wanna see that latter happen. Oyewole's right when he says times of chaos got opportunity 2 make a difference 
we just gotta use our voices 4 good. its like what my grandma used 2 say "when life give u lemons make lemonade" but instead we can use it 2 build bridges not walls 
. Did you know that their 1970 album "The Last Poets" spent 6 months on the Billboard R&B chart? 
That's impressive considering they were part of a jazz poetry collective 
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. According to a study by the Rap Chart, in 2020, only 22% of Billboard Hot 100 songs were produced by Black artists 
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. A chart I came across showed that the number of hip-hop artists who have referenced The Last Poets in their music is increasing steadily since 2015 
. What do you think, fam? 
we gotta keep it real, you know? but at the same time, he's right that there's always opportunity for change. like, The Last Poets' legacy is still super influential today 
Africanism album sounds fire btw, gotta check it out 
! Their message of Black consciousness and social critique is more relevant now than ever 
. His experience with the group is crazy - from creating iconic music like "When the Revolution Comes" to being imprisoned for fighting against racism 
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. I mean, who wouldn't want to see a genre that was born out of social unrest and activism continue to push boundaries and inspire change? 
! Who knew The Last Poets could still bring the heat at 67 years old 
? Oyewole's right, though - even in chaos, there's opportunity for growth and progress. Let's keep it real and keep it lit 
. If The Last Poets' Abiodun Oyewole is right that there's opportunity in chaos, then we gotta be willing to listen to the voices of change 
. But at the same time, we gotta acknowledge that with great power comes great responsibility 
. We can't just use hip-hop as a way to vent our frustrations without taking it to the next level – without using our platforms to uplift and educate 
. It's all about balance, you know? When we're in the midst of chaos, we need to hold on to what really matters: love, empathy, and understanding 
.
. Oyewole has some valid points tho, lots of rappers are just speaking for the man 
. I'd love to see more artists taking inspiration from their jazz poetry style instead of just trying to make a quick buck 
.
Billboards got robbed 
. Abiodun Oyewole's words about "party and bullshit" gotta be taken with a grain of salt 
, considering how many rappers are using that same formula to get ahead 
- 2.5 years in prison for trying to raise bail? That's some crazy stuff 
. The Last Poets' legacy is still important tho 
. Oyewole's right about some rappers sellin' out, but it's also true that hip-hop's power to spark change is still real 
. Can't we just focus on the art, you know? 