Fact #165944
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Short story:
Grandaddies of the rap and hip-hop genres, The Last Poets are formed in Marcus Garvey Park, Harlem, New York City, USA, when they perform poetry at a memorial event for Malcolm X.Full article:
Abiodun Oyewole (Last Poets) : We were born May 19, 1968, Malcolm X day. We were dealing with Malcolm's ideas and his whole concept of self-determination and black nationalism. We wanted to be the voice of that. That was the impetus of our existance. I really could not buy Martin Luther King's program. The idea that we wanted to sit next to them in a luncheonette or a bathroom. You got to build your own toilet. Don't beg anybody for your friendship. You be who you are. You be respectful unto yourself and every living thing around you. You let them know that you're not having that and you do not include them in the category of respect. That goes for any race, sex or religion.
People assume that the Last Poets are all Muslims but I'm not. 'They must be Muslim because they speak that black talk.' Get out of here! I respect Muslims. Some people don't respect me because I'm not Muslim and that's insane. I can't relate to that. We got through these experiences with the idea that we have to please somebody other than ourselves. My whole life, I've understood that if I can't please myself, I can't please anybody. That's basic. That's who I am.
With the politics, the (Black) Panthers had a lot to do with that time. But the real platform, just for the record, for the politics of The Poets came from New Breed. New Breed was a black clothing enterprise, started by a guy named Jason. Jason provided us with space even before we had the East Wing, which became the space for the Last Poets. He provided us with gigs because he would have fashion shows. His clothing enterprise made popular the dashiki. He designed, made and manufactured the dashiki and popularized it throughout the whole East coast. He would have Pharoah Sanders, Leon Thomas and the Last Poets performing.
Beautiful women would come out with these huge afros and these African garbs. We were all in love with a whole bunch of different models. But the politics, the self-determination of that was fostered big time by then. We were that poetic, political voice. David had a direct investment in New Breed so he and Jason were close. Our relation fizzled out after we found our own space.
(Source : not known)
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People assume that the Last Poets are all Muslims but I'm not. 'They must be Muslim because they speak that black talk.' Get out of here! I respect Muslims. Some people don't respect me because I'm not Muslim and that's insane. I can't relate to that. We got through these experiences with the idea that we have to please somebody other than ourselves. My whole life, I've understood that if I can't please myself, I can't please anybody. That's basic. That's who I am.
With the politics, the (Black) Panthers had a lot to do with that time. But the real platform, just for the record, for the politics of The Poets came from New Breed. New Breed was a black clothing enterprise, started by a guy named Jason. Jason provided us with space even before we had the East Wing, which became the space for the Last Poets. He provided us with gigs because he would have fashion shows. His clothing enterprise made popular the dashiki. He designed, made and manufactured the dashiki and popularized it throughout the whole East coast. He would have Pharoah Sanders, Leon Thomas and the Last Poets performing.
Beautiful women would come out with these huge afros and these African garbs. We were all in love with a whole bunch of different models. But the politics, the self-determination of that was fostered big time by then. We were that poetic, political voice. David had a direct investment in New Breed so he and Jason were close. Our relation fizzled out after we found our own space.
(Source : not known)