One can debate endlessly about who invented rap music, but if rap’s essence is beats and rhymes, then it’s difficult to get around the towering influence New York City-based jazz/poetry group the Last Poets had on the creation of the form. When asked about the first rappers, knowledgeable hip-hop heads won’t start talking about the Sugar Hill Gang. They know that The Last Poets were rapping over a beat back when Big Bank Hank was still in diapers. In fact, the group’s self-titled 1970 debut was a musical and political call to arms built on polyrhythmic drum beats and fierce verse poetry about black power, Afrocentricity, and the realities of street life that sold over a million copies by word of mouth that put "rap" on the map, making them one of the earliest influences on hip-hop music.
AUGUST
The Historic Chicago Reunion of The Last Poets
Location: The Harold Washington Cultural Center, 4701 S. King Dr., Chicago, IL. 60653
Date: 08/12/15 | Doors: 7:00 pm
Price: $25.00
SEPTEMBER
TheLastPoets.com Launch Party
Location: The Harold Washington Cultural Center, 4701 S. King Dr., New York, NY. 10012
Date: 09/12/15 | Doors: 7:00 pm
Price: $35.00
GRATITUDE: ABIODUN OYEWOLE [INTERVIEW]
THE LAST POETS have earned elevated status among Poets and Activists alike around the world. Not only have they influenced generations as the appointed "GODFATHERS OF RAP", they have stood the test of time and remained relevant through the release of contemporary albums and features with the likes of Public Enemy, Dead Prez and Common.
GRATITUDE: ABIODUN OYEWOLE [INTERVIEW]
THE LAST POETS have earned elevated status among Poets and Activists alike around the world. Not only have they influenced generations as the appointed "GODFATHERS OF RAP", they have stood the test of time and remained relevant through the release of contemporary albums and features with the likes of Public Enemy, Dead Prez and Common.
