The Four Hundred: Spoken Word Makes a Slam on YouTube
SydTheCreative - YouTube
Poetry slams bring to mind crowded, hole-in-the-wall cafés filled with liberal art college students taking turns yelling at the crowd into a mic.
But spoken word poetry has evolved since its nascent beginning during the Black Arts Movement of the 1960s and ‘70s.
Poets like Larry Neal and Amiri Baraka stunned audiences with their progressive prose giving appreciation to Black excellence and beauty.
Spoken word would be a vessel “to create an art, a literature that would fight for black people's liberation with as much intensity as Malcolm X our ‘Fire Prophet’ and the rest of the enraged masses who took to the streets.” Baraka said.
Fueled by the anger of racial inequality and a system that does not support them, many Black civil rights leaders and art movement writers would speak to crowds with politically charged verses spoken to a dedicated solo beat.
Amanda Gorman, the nation’s youngest poet laureate, wowed audiences the morning of President Joe Biden’s inauguration with the recitation of her own poem, “The Hill We Climb.”
“We’ve braved the belly of the beast. / We’ve learned that quiet isn’t always peace, / and the norms and notions / of what ‘just is’ / isn’t always justice,” Gorman exclaimed to the crowd standing before the Capitol building.
And while slam poetry is not categorically political, the means for this type of spoken word is to get a message across that is of utter importance to the soul of its creators.
Whether that be to grab the attention of high-standing individuals in office or to empathize with others sharing a similar feeling to you, the customary 3-4-minute performance serves to engage its audience in an empathic experience.
New faces to spoken poetry are making waves on social media, with poetry slam videos going viral on Twitter for their strong message and personable energy.
Los Angeles-based spoken word poet and author Reyna Mays, who is more popularly known for her stage name “Reyna Biddy,” explains why slam poetry to her means more than just reciting her work.
“Whenever you hear someone else reading another poet’s work, it’s very mellow like its straight to the point,” she told read poetry, “I never really wanted my poetry to be that way like I wanted you to be able to feel it.”
Mays was a music artist before dedicating her life to poetry but realized that it wasn’t personal enough for her. After dropping out of school after two years at a community college, Mays spent all of her time writing and researching different poets until she found her voice and created a poetry channel in 2015.
Spoken against mellow piano melodies, Mays pumps emotion into soul-cutting words about self-worth, vulnerability, and love.
She speaks with raw passion; that every time she pleads for forgiveness or understanding, we as the audience want to give it to her.
“I’m definitely proud that I stuck to it and can be a voice for people who aren’t able to share their stories. . . who come to me and said, ‘Hey like I had the same exact story I wish I could have had the time to get it out, but I’m so glad that you were able to do it for me.’”
The same sentiment can be found with Michigan-based writer and poet Miles Carter. His YouTube channel has amassed more than 380K subscribers.
Three years ago, Carter started his YouTube channel with low-quality videos of himself having an open dialogue about his thoughts concerning human nature and why we are so quick to judge others.
Now, his poetic thoughts are construed with audio and visuals reflecting off of whatever topic Carter decides to theme his video around.
Carter speaks with a smooth voice that pairs well with the smooth beats he recites against, giving the viewer his raw thoughts, brooding tones, and heartbroken energy.
His spoken word videos explore past relationships, growing up in young adulthood, and mental health.
From the heart-tugging verses of his poem, “the thing about depression,” to his uplifting words in “A letter to remind myself who I am,” Carter shows versatility; he can hit the soft spots of everyone who has felt emotions so profoundly.
“A life lived in comparison is a life half-lived so live entirely/ and If there’s a heaven, give them a show/ Let them find themselves enamored by the path you’ve chosen to follow/ Show then what it means to be alive.” Carter recites.
His most-viewed video is titled “To my next girlfriend.” An open letter from Carter displaying his vulnerability to his next girlfriend, whomever that may be. The verses are recited with a montage showing a guy going through all the nuances of a relationship from the perspective of a fly on the ceiling.
“I need you to understand that change is going to happen/ we’re going to change as people/ this relationship may not end in marriage/ it may not end at all/ but if it ends it will end and change/ we’re not going to leave this the same people we came” Carter recites.
Carter has gained an enormous following from his videos trending on Twitter, and so much so, another young spoken word poet has even published her own ‘response’ poem to Carter’s “To my next girlfriend” video.
SydTheCreative, or Sydney Price, is a 20-year-old content creator who also has had her fame shared across multiple platforms for the moving poetry and soft, friendly voice that she speaks to us with.
“To my next boyfriend” follows the same style as an open letter to Price’s future partner and opens up a conversation about the way that humans view themselves and the commitment it takes both physically and mentally to enter a relationship with another person.
“Understand that I can’t love you if you don’t let me, and vice versa/ Know that I’m willing to release the vise-like grip my lips have on my teeth and speak to your mental,” Price tells.
Price’s videos are similar to Carter, as written emotions ebb and flow with sampled visuals that heighten the impact of every word spoken.
The young creative may have found inspiration in other poets, but she is definitely paving her path with digital media freelancing and poetry as a side hobby, despite being the reason for most of her fanbase.
These three creatives have found their voice through an art that is simple but significant. Soft, but vocal. The mark they make in our generation carries on the legacy of young Black creatives thriving in the Black Arts movement.