THEY are performing for a crowd that does not exist. Well, to be accurate, the room is packed to capacity...but this crowd cannot, I repeat, cannot exist. After all, this is a hip hop show, so why are all these young professionals and graduate students in attendance? This is a poetry reading, yet thugs and knuckleheads whisper blunted approvals from the cozy vantage point of the bar. This is accessible music, yet eclectic enough to inspire legions of chain-smoking hipsters to drop the 'faux boredom' routine and support the vibe. People are DANCING (Do you hear me? Dancing, at a hip hop show circa 2003?!) Perhaps craziest of all, there are lots and lots of women at this hip hop, spoken word, live band with a dj, make ya wanna shake your hind-parts show...and the brothers on stage aren't even pushing for sex symbol status (yet). Yeah, that's right- scratch your head: WHAT'S UP WITH POEM-CEES?!?
Well, for starters, chemistry and well-crafted songs; songs that remind you that "underground hip hop" was dance music. Unique approaches to familiar subject matter. Smart rhymes that don't scream "look how smart my rhymes are!" If you live in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States, you may have been lucky enough to witness naturalaw-dp, Black Picasso, and DJ Stylus - also known as POEM-CEES (the MC's of Poetry).
Since 1998, POEM-CEES have combined rhyme, prose and community activism to emerge at the cutting edge of the vibrant Washington, DC Arts Movement. Naturalaw-dp & Black Picasso's talents were forged in the crucible of the spoken word movement; as founding members of the now defunct Generation 2000 poetry collective, they toured and performed at colleges and universities as well as recorded songs for BET & Emerge magazine's nationally distributed "Strength of a Woman" cd. Invitations to open for such acts as the Roots, the Fugees and the Last Poets led to the addition of DJ Stylus and the band, and thus the lean and mean POEM-CEES unit was formed. The year 2000 brought forth their debut album, "I.O.U. Street", a whirlwind tour through the open mic, hip-hop, drum & bass, and funk scenes along DC's historic U Street corridor. From the organic funk of "test" to the kinetic soul of "The 180", "I.O.U. Street" boldly shoved convention aside, daring to brand hip-hop with the stamp of originality.
Now, audiences on both sides of the ocean await the Spring 2003 release of "Paranoia", which continues the POEM-CEES tradition of pushing the boundaries of contemporary hip-hop music. Conceived prior to the 9/11 tragedies, "Paranoia" avoids clichés yet remains amazingly prescient by focusing on the various manifestations of paranoia in our lives. A mild case is represented by "SIWBY (commitment)", a casual conversation on cold feet in a relationship, while the extreme instance is hilariously represented by "Fat White Men In Suits". "Glasses" is a cautionary tale for those who stumble through life like Mr. Magoo, and "Keloid Suite" and "Jay" are chilling examples of a parent's worst nightmare. All in all, the "Paranoia" project runs the gamut of emotions, ultimately standing as the rarest of the rare: a well-executed, non-self indulgent concept record that may be digested in segments or as a whole... (translation: it's a very, very good cd).
Of course, along with the new record comes the return of the now infamous POEM-CEES live shows, a glimpse of which can be obtained in the debut episode of Season III of HBO's Def Poetry Jam (airing 4/4/03). "Energy" and "Chemistry" best describes their interaction with each other and their connection with the audience. This is an experience that must be seen to be fully appreciated. To contact the POEM-CEES or to inquire about their 2003 tour schedule, please e-mail us at poemcees@hotmail.com, or call (800) 759 1202.
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