The House That Words Built

“Rappers playin’ checkers, while poets scream checkmate. Our brain so heavy, if we took and put it in their head, their necks will break.” That’s official, new, unreleased material from Miami’s own Will Da Real One, and yes, it will sound better live than it looks on paper. That’s because the optimum method for delivery of those lines is the spoken word, of which HBO Def Poet Will Da Real One is an expert. He will perform material from his fourth project, Deeper than Rhyme, at his own venue, the Literary Café — the tri-county area’s poetic hub and, according to management, “the only poet-owned-and-operated venue in the United States of America.”

Mr. One will be the featured artist at this Saturday’s open mike, and don’t get it twisted — Will is a poetic force to be reckoned with based on talent and new material, not just ’cause he owns the place.

Why go? Because the likes of Common, Malcolm-Jamal Warner, and some of the best underground spoken-word artists from around the nation go there. Will Da Real One has worked with Rick Ross and Pitbull and says he bears no ill will toward hip-hop, but “There’s no hope in the message. If anything, it makes us feel inadequate. Support culture, ’cause culture supports people. That’s real.” Get a dose of Da Real from 8:30 p.m. to 1 a.m. This is an open-mike event, so get there early to sign up for a chance in the spotlight. The first ten poets get in free.
Sat., May 2, 8:30 p.m., 2009