Motion

The Wheels In
MOTION
By Saada Branker

When Motion stepped to the stage and positioned herself in front of the mic, she was ready to do battle.
"Yah, I wanted to write about love in the T-dot..." she began. She looked out at the faces, realizing this particular competition brought together a new kind of audience. A polite CBC crowd. For a minute she wondered if they'd get what she had to say.
Then she dropped it. For about three minutes, Motion blew it all over her listeners. She paused her mellifluous flow only to sing portions of sweet melodies. Any thoughts of holding back were behind her. Unabashed, she exposed the colorful culture that helps shape her city. When she was done, the crowd erupted into applause. Captured on tape, the raw performance was made available nationwide on CBC Radio for votes.
The Toronto artist was up against eight other experienced poets representing cities across Canada. On April 17, a week after that night, votes were counted and the announcement came. Motion was indeed champion of the CBC Poetry Face-Off.
Days later, she spoke casually about the experience. "It felt good. I was really enunciating my words." Then she broke out laughing. "No lie, I was writing the last verse right before I went on stage. People were coming to me and I was like, 'Not now.' I was in the taxicab writing. Even when I was waiting to go on stage, I was still writing." She chuckled. "With me, the ending was always my biggest challenge. That must be a commentary on my life."
It's hard to see exactly where Motion's talent begins or ends. An MC, poet, CIUT radio host, teacher, community activist, and writer, it becomes tricky to pin one title on her. One thing is certain: give her a word and she'll master it, turning it inside out and spitting it back freestyle, sung as lyric, or embedded in a stanza. The sister can flow.
And now she's spilling on the blank page. Entitled, Motion in Poetry: Elements of Mine, Motion's first book is set to drop in June. Published by Women's Press, the collection of personal writing seems like only a natural next step for this artist.
Motion, aka Wendy Brathwaite, has been churning out pieces since she was 12 years old. Her inspiration stemmed from a Caribbean home that reverberated with the sounds of reggae, calypso and R&B musicians. Motivation also came from Hip Hop masters such as Grand Master Flash and the Furious Five. It wasn't long before she tried her hand at rhyming over instrumentals, and "trading" lines with brothers from her block.
Years later, Motion's skill set has her featured in innumerable music and spoken word projects. Her 1997 solo debut single, "Use What U Got" (Blacklist Music) helped expand her presence in the music industry. Suddenly, people were seeing little Wendy, hard hitting and holding her own in the accompanying video; one which earned her a Much Music Video Award nomination.
Lately, there seems to be more of an MC focus coming from the lyricist. Her recently released single "The Trilogy" features New York native Apani B. and Montreal's Tara Chase. The Montreal connection continues as she shares the screen in an upcoming video with Manchilde of the Butta Babees for a tight track called Man-n-Motion. Top that with Motionlive, a recently launched website that encapsulates every thing there is to know about Motion, and you've got her breaking out. But with her hand on so many projects, the question still remains: what is Motion?
We are sitting together at the Irie Joint, my favorite restaurant for interviews. With spoon poised over her calaloo soup, Motion explains she sees herself as an MC. Performing her rhymes acappella at spoken word functions helped confirm that the roles of poet and MC are closely intertwined. "I've been fortunate in that I could be flexible," says Motion. "I never wanted it to be separate."
But she admits it's no easy task. "Sometimes it's a challenge still, because I have to remember to keep focused, and at the same time bring in everything to everything. Like doing the Masterplan show on radio for a decade. That comes from being able to do stage shows, to think on your feet, to connect with different people. When I first started at Masterplan I was very green."
She pauses, as if mulling over her own words. "I go through phases," Motion admits. "Sometimes I have to do that. When I was working on the book, I had to move away from a lot of things...we don't have the luxury of doing one thing. I can't think of anybody. Either they are D.J's and have a radio show, or a clothing line. It's like it's part of our nature."
Despite the versatility of hip hop artists in Toronto, the music industry often wants to see commitment to one project at a time. And perhaps putting out a book might seem like a leisurely stroll away from her plans to cut an album. But Motion sits tight on the idea that her presentation sets the tone for how she'll be accepted. "It depends on how I flip it, " she says. "I remember when Lauryn Hill dropped her album. There was a big debate on if it was Hip Hop. I think it's about how I present my stuff. It has to be with conviction."
One observer, convinced of Motion's talent in all fields, is Ebonnie Rowe, CEO of PhemPhat Productions. Crowned Queen Bee of Honey Jam - an annual showcase of some of the Canada's up-and-going female artists - Rowe has watched the rise to fame of alumni Nelly Furtado, and Jully Black (both signed to major labels in Canada and the U.S.).
She met Motion in the early 90s through Toronto MC Jonbronski, back when the young artist was rolling with DJ/producer Power of Soul Controllers. It wasn't long before Motion was lighting up the stage at Honey Jam. Rowe has straight praise for the substance of Motion's work. "She really feels her art. She is her art and it represents her. She cares about political, humanitarian and community issues, not just the jiggy bling bling vacuous subjects."
Rowe can't forget that Motion is also an educator in the Toronto Public School system, an avid community activist and she's out helping others achieve their goals. "Motion's personality can sometimes be more nurturing than aggressive, and when moving with a mostly male crew, it can be difficult to put your foot down and get put on. The concept of "Ladies First" in those situations doesn't normally apply."

But should Motion be pacing herself? Rowe thinks so. "The notion that anyone can have it all and do it all is a myth, unless you're Oprah Winfrey with millions of dollars at your disposal and a full staff," says Rowe. "I believe that all of the things (Motion) has been involved in may have prevented her - or at the very least slowed down her trajectory - from reaching the highest heights in one of the area she masters.
"Particularly if you're a recording artist, the numbers of hours you must spend in the studio pretty much preclude you having much of a life or focus outside of that. A certain single-mindedness and intensity is necessary for a time to succeed in that arena."
Clearly, Motion is taking herself seriously as an artist, and it's becoming noticeable. "Over the last couple of years, I've seen her become more focused, setting up her website, getting her music together, videos produced, so she's getting there at her own pace," says Rowe.
Motion, in talking about the next step, contends she's ready to work on the phat album. She jokes about aligning herself with a shrewd manager like Sol Guy of FigureIV Productions . "I'm trying to convince Sol he'd like to manage me," she says laughing.
Motion's indelibility can only be admired. A soon-to-be published author, national spoken word champion and recording artist, she displays the versatility of poets Jill Scott and MC Erykah Badu. There's just no hiding this MC's brain is constantly spinning with ideas, putting her in constant motion. All we can do is make way.
-30-



"When I was young I used to wonder what I'd do with my life
How many babies would I mother?
Would I be someone's wife?
My mental vision always seemed to be including a mic
I didn't know that I'd be married to these tunes that I write."
- excerpt from "In Motion..."
Motion in Poetry: Elements of Mine (Women's Press)
- Word Magazine

Editorial Reviews
Amazon.ca
Motion, is a happening spoken word/hip-hop artist and radio personality whose lyrics flow live and direct, with intellect. Her debut collection, Motion in Poetry, even exceeds the hype set off by George Elliot Clarke's ebullient foreword. Motion's own intro confesses a "passion for music and words expressed on the page, the airwaves and stage," and in "In Motion" she extrapolates about having "been seeded with a gene that has me fiending to rhyme."
Fierce, wry, and always passionate, Motion astutely encapsulates black realities in the Greater Toronto Area. "Midnite" outs black-on-black violence and its demoralizing "sure death for any witness," but it's the cops on trial in "Street Signs": "To keep your health you must drive real slowly / The beast man will hold me.... Laughing in the cruiser / Debating should we shoot her?" Motion is also sexually raw ("March 11"), tender ("Girl"), and, in "Write a Culturally Specific Haiku with Internal Rhyme," playful: "Bathurst first--then run / Pon Eglinton. Stand and stare. / Black/Brown faces there." But like any MC the braggadocio is never far away, as "Knowledge Wisdom and Overstanding" boasts: "They demise in they depravity / Hip Hop has got a hole / and I was born to fill the cavity." Exuding pure girl-power, Motion's poetic potion is topical, accessible--and not fronting y'all. --Sigcino Moyo


Chapters Reader Reviews
Average Reader Review: Number of Reviews: 1

1. This will blow you away!
Reviewer: Ronny from Toronto
Date: 1/10/2003 4:07:10 PM
This book is so amazing. I read it while on the subway to go to work and missed my stop several times because I was so into what I was reading. She is putting really positive messages out there and men, women and children will benefit from taking a look at this book. Check out Stay Strong, my personal favourite. Peace.

- Amazon.ca

Motion
Winner of the 2002 CBC Radio's National Poetry Face-off, Motion is a legend on the hip-hop scene, yet her impact continues to be felt. She co-founded The Masterplan Show on CIUT 89.5FM which recently celebrated its 10th year. Motion has been recognized with a Phenomenal Woman Award and nominated for a Much Music Video Award for her first single and video Use What U Got. Motion is a published author, with her recent book Motion in Poetry receiving critical acclaim.
- Black Venus

BUTTA BABEES & MOTION - A TALE OF TWO CITIES Tour

It was the best of times, it was the worst of times. When Charles Dickens wrote those words about the French revolution, I doubt he envisioned them being used in relation to a Canadian hip hop show. But, in the spirit of great literature, I quote the man for this review of A Tale of Two Cities.
On March 19th, Toronto’s Motion performed with Montréal’s Butta Babees at El Mocambo for the Toronto stop on their A Tale of Two Cities tour.

It was the best of times. Good music and good vibes definitely got this performance more than halfway there though.

Wendy Braithwaite can put on a show. Better known as Motion, she started her set by rhyming on top of beats provided by DJ L’Oqenz and finished her set with a full band. In between, Motion displayed the versatility and diversity of her talents through poetry, rap, singing and keyboard playing.

Her performance was well planned out - although a few minor hitches were overlooked in light of the overall quality of her performance.
An energetic stage presence, good chemistry with her guest performers and cheerful banter with her audiences (including a whining dialogue about a dodgy lover) showed why Motion deserves the reputation that preceded this show. A talented lyricist and musician, Motion would give any Canadian emcee (and more than a few American ones) a run for their money. Her music has definite commercial appeal, and the political content of her songs is more inspiring than off-putting. This is a woman whom African-Canadian author Dr. George Elliott Clarke has praised; a woman who is an accomplished poet and emcee and can hold her own well in a field that remains male-dominated.

Her co-performers included the aforementioned DJ L’Oqenz, Manchilde of the Butta Babees, a vocal percussionist, a female vocalist, and a three-member band. At one point, including Motion herself, there were eight performers on stage - they all contributed to atmosphere of the show, but I couldn’t help thinking that the same effect could have been obtained with less people, as the performance became slightly confusing at times.
When the Butta Babees took the stage, it was after 1a.m., and after Motion’s guest-packed show, their set seemed quite minimalist. For an act that appears to enjoy the performance aspect of their music, their set was too formulaic - two emcees and a deejay. Ziploks, Manchilde and Raid did however deliver a solid performance packed with ear-pleasing beats and rhymes.

In conclusion, A Tale of Two Cities - the Toronto stop - was a good show consisting of talented performers throughout.
The Rhyming Chef is available for party bookings through his website. Motion In Poetry, the title of both Motion’s book and CD is available at various stores throughout in Toronto, check her website for locations. The Butta Babees’ new album, Urbanelo, is now available in record stores.
Nehal
Email: nehal_e@hotmail.com - Cyberkrib

Posted on 08/14/06
Written by Laura Fraser


(The Eyeopener) - Motion doesn't read her poetry aloud -- she performs it.

The spoken word poet used song and rhythm to give her words power at the Ryerson Live Poets' Society last week.

Motion, whose real name is Wendy Brathwaite, begins with Rhyme on my Mind. The piece explains how spoken poetry reaches a mass audience, as it's not bound to the page.


"The spoken word is the word that is living on street corners, or in a show, or on a stage, anywhere that you can find it, theatre, comedy or a whole lot more," chants Brathwaite in her opening poem.


Brathwaite engages the audience throughout her performance, the interactivity adding "a dual energy" to the room. The rising energy creates a circle of poets who rhyme back and forth, as Brathwaite gets the audience to chant "word with attitude" during intervals of the performance. "You have the word, then you give the sound to the word and that becomes power. That's the perfect trilogy."


Brathwaite's poems evoke a more powerful emotion than written poetry, says Jonathan Laba, a third-year arts and contemporary studies student. "We actually had a three-hour discussion about one of Percy Shelley's poems this afternoon. It was nowhere near as impactful as (this) performance."


To Ryerson English professor Kate Eichhorn, the performance had elements of both page poetry and traditional spoken word.


"What's happened in the Toronto poetry scene in the last decade is there is this distinction between page poets and stage poets," she says. "Increasingly we have people like Motion who mediate between two mediums."


Although she didn't begin publicly performing until her early teens, Brathwaite grew up loving hip-hop, writing, and the stage. "As a kid...I'd be in the basement, and then put on some Christmas lights, put on some Michael Jackson. That was a Sunday afternoon for me."


Being born and raised in Toronto exposed her to a variety of performance artists. A number of her poems, such as Dear Marky and Life Sentence, are about the challenges facing youth.


Motion: "The spoken word is the word that is living on street corners, or in a show, or on a stage anywhere that you can find it, theatre, comedy or a whole lot more."

By using the power of spoken word performance art, Brathwaite hopes to bring life to these topics. "Some of my brethren are lying in dust... That had a big influence on me, because I'm still here. I have to be a voice for their dreams, too."


Brathwaite's career includes a variety of art forms. She has worked as a hip-hop artist, and helped found the hip-hop radio show Masterplan while studying English and African studies at the University of Toronto.

Now, she volunteers at Art Starts, a community organization where she teaches creative writing and spoken-word workshops.

"I see it as educating through the arts," Brathwaite said. "I'm taking hip-hop into a classroom or working with upcoming artists or writers to develop their talent."


Nadiya Shaw, one of the Live Poets' Society co-ordinators, hopes that poets such as Brathwaite will draw out a younger crowd.


"She had something that redefined a poet. She's not the image of the beret-wearing poet reading out of a book. I felt she had an edge we could use at Ryerson."


Shaw, with fellow co-ordinator Amanda Shankland, has booked four other poets for the series thus far.

They hope that by inviting distinctive poets such as Brathwaite, they will have a series as diverse as the Ryerson student body.

- Ryerson The Eyeopener

By Sarah Ojamae

“A poetic mind, with an urban point of view” view” – according to one writer – Motion a.k.a. Wendy Braithwaite’s career suggests she will fulfill the prophecy in her name, and perpetually so. As Toronto-born Motion matures into a more established artist and mentor she shows no sign of slowing.
Professing in the pages of her published book of poetry, Motion in Poetry (Women’s Press, 2002), to have “passion for music and words expressed on the page, the airwaves and the stage,” Motion is a dynamic multidisciplinary artist whose many accomplishments suggest increasing mastery of the two seemingly simple elements. Motion’s accomplishments stem from an abiding appreciation for words and for music, and flower in expression as a poet, MC, radio host, teacher, community activist and writer. Motion’s bio suggests “her mission [is] to usher in a new scribiology.”
Motion does not differentiate between the words etched in black ink or black vinyl. Her book of poetry is also a recording, Motion in Poetry: AudioXperience. As a recording artist, Motion has contributed to Phem Phat’s Honey Drops Compilation (Universal 2002), “Man in Motion” Butta Babees’ The Entrée EP & Video (Universal 2002), “Trilogy [3 MC’z] featuring Tara Chase & Apani B. Fly 12”/Video (Blacklist 2001), “K.W.O” featured on Montreal’s Black Pearl EP (B2 2001), “So Whut!” EP & Video (produced by Collizhun Blacklist 2000), “Breakin Hingez” featured on Maestro’s Unsigned Hype Compilation (Song 2000), “Ill Groove Garden” live recording featured On Butta Babees’s Baby Mother (Bandit/B2 2000), “Midnite” featured on NY’s Blu Magazine Collection (Blu Mag 1999) and “Wordlife” on Tales of the Underground Griots (RevWord 1999).
As a hip hop and spoken word artist Motion has opened for Talib Kweli, The Last Poets, Jessica Care Moore, Dougie Fresh, Jungle Bros., Mos Def, Gil Scott Heron, Asha Bandele, Kardinal Offishal, Mystic, Jill Scott, The Roots, Wyclef Jean, Rascalz , Amerie, Nikki Giovanni, Butta Babees, Honey Jam, Terrie Williams and Chuck D. And, Motion’s publishing credits include contributions to Womanisms and Feminisms (Women’s Press), T-Dot Griots Anthology (Trafford), Women’s Almanac (Women’s Press), Selections (Excalibur/York University), “Black & White” (Numb Magazine), “To the Art of C’babi Bayoc” (Numb Magazine), “Strong” (Carlton University Magazine) and “Montrealite” (Mic Check Magazine).
Motion is the winner of the first annual CBC Radio Poetry Face Off, her work has been nominated for a Much Music Video Award and ForeWord Magazine’s Book of the Year, and she was nominated for a Phenomenal Woman Award for her contribution to the Canadian music scene, in part by co-founding the Masterplan Show on CIUT 89.5 as a forum and foundation for emerging hip hop artists.
Motion describes her creativity as a circle, continuous: “Even if I’m concentrating, other things flow.” Something she wrote might be sung a cappella on stage, for instance. Motion describes the media her work takes as interconnected, and accepts categorization as necessary to navigate in the world, but she does not seem to accept traditional limitations.
Motion asserts that she has always thought of herself as an artist, and she has worked with youth “from the time I was a youth,” in day cares, and art programs all over the city. Motion’s commitment to community, to youth, is entrenched and enduring. Ebonnie Rowe, CEO of Phem Phat Productions has said of Motion: “She cares about political, humanitarian and community issues, not just the jiggy bling bling vacuous subjects.” As a writer, Motion is celebrated by award-winning Canadian poet, George Austin Clark as “The Queen of the Real, the Empress of the Truth.” Motion simply says, “What inspires the kids, inspires me.” If she is writing with young women, she will ask them to describe, “How do you feel about that?” and prompt them to “write a rhyme or a poetry or a play on that.” Motion’s mantra seems to have been summed up in the title of her debut solo single and video, “Use What U Got.” It means, “using what we have going on in opinions, experiences,” Motion explains, to create art, or, in her case, to create change by promoting literacy using the fundamental tenets of Hip Hop culture. Motion founded the Fresh Arts Music Program for young artists, a community program focused on hip hop music, education and culture and has been an educator in the Toronto Public School system, with her MotionLive School Tour.
Accepting categorization as an artist, though defying limitation, Motion is effusive about the excellence kids who are labeled by an over-extended school system can achieve given a chance. “If they don’t fit a certain mold they fail. You’re in the principal’s office, you’re on Ritalin” but using other methods, writing, watching - they’ll surprise you every time.”
Asked about recent awards Motion asserts that there are a lot of different ways we can receive accolades - recognition is often not given with a trophy - “it’s great to have kids come up in school, hug you, and they won’t let you go.” Of the appreciation, the woman who does it all says, “I’ll take it all.”
Motion is one of 10 Toronto poetry slam artists performing at Spoken Word Slam on Saturday, February 5, part of KUUMBA, Harbourfront's celebration of Black History Month. For more information see http://www.harbourfrontcentre.com/kuumba/sounds.php.
- Surface and Symbol

Motion In Poetry is truly poetry in Motion. This beautiful B-girl spits street poetry from the depths of her soul. Her lyrics are methodical and fluid on the page; structured in such a way that the funky drummer beats the rhythm of the word to the inner perception.
Motion writes words like bass lines. Not that white stuff, but a hit from the lyric goes straight to the head. Like the piece Living It she writes, "Winds of change hurricane my fate/fingers grab pens and add lines to slate/connecting the dots/and creating works of art/sparking the intellect/so our thoughts reflect/reality and fantasy of life's living trek/murals on walls and tapes in your deck."

The poem Midnite is the vivid narrative of a shooting at a party. Motion captures the excitement, fear, desperation and relief of a horrific night. "Hands fly upwards to meet the ceiling/Eyes get wide. My heart skips/Will my statistics be in forensics when the light hits?/Fear paralyzes."

Motion also passes on messages of resilience to the little sistas in poems like Strong. "This is herstory/discovering the glory that/glows like a fire this time/Divinely designed/Wisdom. Woman-kind/What a precious thing to be/what a deep, deep responsibility…"

Motion In Poetry is filled with social commentaries, political statements, lessons, love and spherical music from a B-girl's perspective. This book is an important addition to the canon of Canadian literature, illustrating the evolution of the rhythm of the written word.
- Knowledge Books

Motion in Poetry brings her gritty, hip hop-rooted spoken word to the Festival Voix d'Amériques

by VINCENT TINGUELY

Motion in Poetry has been rocking the T-dot for more than a decade, but it was in 2002 that she really started making waves when she won the national CBC radio Face-Off poetry slam. "It put me in contact with poets I probably wouldn't have had contact with otherwise," Motion explains. "It exposed me to more people doing poetry, spoken word and slams across the country."

Since then things have taken off. She published her first book, Motion in Poetry. The CD version, Motion in Poetry: The Audio Xperience was nominated in the 2004 Canadian Urban Music Awards for Best Spoken Word recording. She's appeared on ZeD, helped out hip hop outfit Butta Babees on their "Man in Motion" and "Swing" tracks and made enough of an impression at last November's Coco Café gig to be invited to perform at this year's Voix d'Amériques spoken word festival.

"There's always been a performance element to my life," says Motion. "For me, it didn't begin with poetry. It began with dancing, singing, playing piano, playing with bands. A big part of my experience is rapping, being an MC and rhyming, coming straight up from the hip hop musical roots."

It was the quality of her lyrics that led Motion to explore spoken word. "I was told a lot of things I wrote were poetic, so I was given different opportunities to drop my lyrics a-capella. Once that form opened up, I started to get up the mind frame to perform pieces that I didn't necessarily write for music."

Motions' pieces can be gritty, angry, reflecting the rougher side of urban experience. "But people also talk about the love and humour I express," she points out. "People who are lyricists, spoken wordists - we talk about experiences, observations of what's around us. Race, class and gender are some of the things that would come out of what I write because I'm a woman of colour, and I'm living in this society. I'm usually writing straight from the heart - I might have a theme I want to drop, but I find a lot of things are inspired by hearing something, feeling something or doing something. I was told by a writer, Althea Prince, that writers are basically expressing memory, what is in your DNA, your experiences of yourself and those who came before you, in an emotional or spiritual way."

As an educator, Motion in Poetry has inspired at least two spoken word dynamos Montrealers are familiar with, d'bi young and Nah-ee-lah. "FreshArts was a youth organization that was running in the mid '90s," Motion explains. "I was given the opportunity to put together my own program and work with some other young artists and learn about the industry, the performance technology and the history of music and performance. Those workshops have had a long-lasting effect by creating opportunities for artists like myself, d'bi, Nah-ee-lah, Kardinal Offishall. That was a foundation that was there for us."

Motion In Poetry performs with Lillian Allen, Sheri-D Wilson and D. Kimm in Body And Soul 2 on Tuesday, Feb. 15, 8:30 p.m, at La Sala Rossa, $10. The Festival Voix d'Amériques runs Feb. 11–18, with eight big shows, various round tables and smaller events, and a nightly open mic. Visit www.fva.ca, or call 844-9669 for more info


- Montreal Mirror

Motion

She is motion, fluidity, change, mobility, flow, progress and motility. She is one of Canada's most respected artists of the Hiphop generation. She is a member of the 16-year old Masterplan show, the
longest running Hiphop radio show in Canada. She is a teacher who practices Hiphop like many of her students and encourages them to use their gifts to excel in school. She is an author, a singer, a rapper, a poet, and a mother. Her talents stream from one form to another. Fittingly her name is Motion.

• You rhyme and you poet. Is there much of a distinction between the two styles for you?

Well there maybe a distinction to the outside world I dunno. In my mind whatever comes out, comes out y'know. On one level when I'm writing around a beat, then the rhyme element is most prevalent in my mind. Like where the rhyme is dropping, the flow and everything like that. When I write more free without beats or production it's a lot more free flowing so the words themselves become the music. Both styles influence each other for me. But when I write poetry there is still a rhyme flavor and vice versa.

• You've been recording for some years and we've heard you rhyme on a good number of tracks, however most recently you've chosen to express your Hiphop nature through a poetry book and a spoken word CD. Were these projects that you were always planning to do?

Writing a book has always been in my plans. Y'know I always expected my first full length album to be more musically based, but it ended up that my first was more spoken word based even though there is some music on it. I wanted to do selections from the book because I kept getting a lot of requests for the audio to the book, so I decided to do that through the publisher of the book. But there is still a musical Hiphop album in the cards.

• So you are still looking to do something more musical with more rapping.

Basically I'm working on something that brings together all of my styles. I don't really want to be known as one thing here and one thing there. I'm just Motion y'know. Something will come out that you enjoy or feel. Different styles and different ways to express it: on the CD things just kinda vibe from one into other. One second I might be talking in regards to spoken word and two seconds later it flows right into emceeing, then it goes straight into a singing hook. And to me it's just one thing. So maybe there's not a word for it, because that is a conscious question. 'Are you an emcee are you a poet are you a singer or what?' So maybe I have to come with a new title but they're all coming out of the same mouth.

• Another form of spoken word is radio hosting. You did this with the Masterplan show for many years, why was this experience good for you as an artist?

The experience did a lot for me. First just that ethic of working for something that you love. I'm a person who loves collaborating with other people and Master Plan is a purely collaborative effort. Just with the crew that I was working with, the DJ's, Soul Controllers and my co-hosts and building on that level. Then on top of that just collaborating with the scene, the industry and the community it was basically a meeting place every Saturday night for a lot of different sections of our scene. One day we may just have pure freestylers coming in, another we may have reps from record labels or somebody from a community organization talking about something serious over an instrumental y'know. It's a way to bring together the words of the host, the music of the DJ, and the ideas of the community, also information and exposure for musical artists all in one. And these are all things that I still do now. It was a good way to train myself and keep me connected to a lot of different people.

• Today so many people complain that Hiphop music has lost its integrity because it doesn't feel the same way as when they were young. Do you see a real difference between the music you were inspired by as a youth compared to what young people are being exposed to in Hiphop music now?

There is definitely a difference in regards to the industry that we're dealing with now when it comes to Black or Urban music. When I was in high school and middle school and I got that first taste of Hiphop it was a struggle to get it, to hear it, to find it. It wasn't just there you know what I mean. You had to hear it at a party or a block-o. I had to get tapes from somewhere else like when someone went to New York. It wasn't until Ron Nelson came on the radio that I started to hear it on the radio. You couldn't just flip on the TV and see it on your local video channel. If it was, you were running home to tape it after school or whatever. You had to find it, y'know, to feed that jones. And it was definitely for me a jones because it was something brand new sparking and you had to find a way to get it to feed your addiction.

• Did searching for the music make you appreciate it that much more?

Of course, of course. I definitely appreciated it. It's hard to say the more part because I can't speak for someone who's coming up in Hiphop now in the same way. I can't compare my fiend for it to theirs because it's a whole different day. Y'know what I mean. Maybe there's something else you're fiend'n for but in a different way. But when you have something that's saturating the market in the way it is now it's definitely going to make a difference. No matter what generation, people will always say it was better then or better when, y'know. But I still remember when I was in my teens and my father would hear what I was listening to and say 'what is that? Are you supposed to be playing that now in the house?' So isn't that the same thing that is taking place now? I just think that the big difference is that there is more of an industry hold on the music, which therefore separates the culture from the music. It takes certain aspects of what's commercially sold to the public, which is sex and drugs and criminal mindedness and violence, but that's what the media is there to sell. So we're going to see that pushed more. Spike Lee said we went from the gangster rap era and now we're in the pimp rap era. Certain images continue to be fiended for. They become reborn. But for every movement there's always different revolutions like you wouldn't have the Blaxploitation era if not for the Black Power era. They were a part of each other because stronger images of Black male identity were being shown in comparison to the shucking and jiving that had been there before. But then things become parodies of themselves. And I think that's where we're at now. We've become parodies of ourselves. Finally we're in control of our dollars, we want our own businesses in this Hiphop thing rather than have people make money off of us, but at the same time we're also promoting our own capitalist fiend'n.

• So what was it about that Hiphop addiction that made you want to pick up a pen or grab a microphone?

I always liked to perform. I always liked to have a mic from the time I was little. So I used to make up songs and tape them. To me it was natural. When I got an instrumental I was like ohh, you could write on top of these. I could say the rhyme that was already there or put my own rhyme there.

• As the mother of a baby boy, you know that as he gets older he's going to see the images around the house and know that his mother is involved with Hiphop. So when it comes time for him to ask you, 'mommy what is Hiphop?' how are you going to explain it to him in the simplest fashion?

It's music. It's beats. It's rhymes. It's feelings… and it's you.
- Urbanology