You all know i am a big fan of Mr. Taalam Acey…and how could i not be a fan of tha timeless master who is STEVIE WONDER????????
I was def excited to come across this video of Taalam being interviewed by tha Wondrous One. I will never forget dancing around in complete innocence and exuberance as a very young boy to Stevie and so many more classics. In fact my bro and i always talk about tha very wood-box record player those gems were spun on…
I will be heading towards Newark (Maplewood, NJ) later on to check out Taalam as he is tha featured poet at LAMAR HILL presents DIRT CHURCH… Taalam is a Newark legend and I’m def pumped to see him live finally.
Some people may get turned off for a moment in Taalam’s first piece of this interview, when he briefly mentions tha great numer of imitators and copycats that have bit his style. Like he is always so aware of doing, he instantly resorts to a righteous “turning of tha cheek,” so to say, and reminds us that his intentions are not to dwell on tha negative, but to always aspire to be only more greatly “refined.”
I’ve often said Taalam will go down as one of tha more significant bridges that will allow hip-hop back to its simplest rhythmic roots, while once again infused with tha intelligence of a consciensous man. I must agree that many of tha modern Spoken-Word artists i have familiarized myself with, including many of tha HBO aired “Def Poets,” have adopted a style similar to his own. In fact, when i first started i was immediately spurned (or at least met with skepticism) by others and, inevitably, by myself, for recognizing my style to be quite unlike that of Acey’s. Eventually, i came to embrace this blessing, and i have since strived to be tha best ME i can be; always keeping my heart in tha right place, and always wondering where to focus my given talents.
As i always say “a gift that is nurtured and explored will manifest itself as talent. If we work hard, we will recieve tha greatest gift of all; tha ability to share our talents as gifts, again and again…”
If you are in tha tri-state area please come support two of Spoken-Words’ greatest speakers. *LAMAR HILL presents DIRT CHURCH featuring TAALAM ACEY*
Friday, 8pm, Maplewood NJ
CHUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUURCH
mtp
