Just kidding! Maybe? Ok, so I’m trolling a little bit here, but with good reason. I read this article from Poetry magazine about BreakBeat poetry and the role and influence of HipHop in current poetic expression. You should go read it and then tell me what you think. If you know me, you know I’m all for inclusion. I like broadening categories and muddying boundaries, but it seems to me that Eminem and Nicki Minaj and Kanye West and similar artists are so obviously poets that no one should need to say it. Not everyone agrees with me. Do you see any qualitative –or even thematic– differences between Byron and Drake? Both show evidence of craft–attention to detail, rhythm, and style– and just plain smoothness with the ladies. Feel free to disagree in the comments, but I say if you are finding other poems a little too inaccessible this month, pop in some Gucci Mane and celebrate with his rhymes instead.
PS I know neither of those images is of Pharrell. THIS ISN’T REALLY ABOUT PHARRELL, OK?
Something Worth Reading 