The Last Poets

Infobox musical artist
Name = The Last Poets


Img_capt = The Last Poets on their debut album
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Background = group_or_band
Birth_name =
Alias =
Born =
Died =
Origin = Harlem, New York, NY, USA
Instrument =
Genre = Spoken Word, Poetry
Occupation =
Years_active = 1968-Present [http://www.grandfatherofrap.com/ Jalal Mansur Nuriddin's Website]
Label =
Associated_acts =
URL = [http://www.thelastpoets.net/ thelastpoets.net]
Current_members = Jalal Mansur Nuriddin
Abiodun Oyewole
Umar Bin Hassan
See history for description of group fissures and activities
Past_members = Suliaman el Hadi
Nilaja

The Last Poets is a group of poets and musicians who arose from the late 1960s African American civil rights movement's black nationalist thread. Their name is taken from a poem by the South African revolutionary poet Keorapetse Kgositsile, who believed he was in the last era of poetry before guns would take over.

The Last Poets have been cited as one of the earliest influences on what would become hip-hop music; critic Jason Ankeny writes, "With their politically charged raps, taut rhythms, and dedication to raising African-American consciousness, the Last Poets almost single-handedly laid the groundwork for the emergence of hip-hop." [ [http://allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=11:o7d2vwpva92k~T1] Ankeny, Jason, Allmusic.com profile of Last Poets; URL accessed February 01, 2007]

History

The original Last Poets formed on May 19, 1968 (Malcolm X's birthday), at Marcus Garvey Park (formerly Mount Morris Park, at 124th Street and Fifth Avenue) in the East Harlem neighborhood of New York City. The original members were Felipe Luciano, Gylan Kain, and David Nelson.

The group continued to evolve via a 1969 Harlem writers' workshop known as "East Wind." Jalal Mansur Nuriddin, Umar Bin Hassan, and Abiodun Oyewole, along with percussionist Nilaja, are generally considered the primary and core members of the group, as they appeared on the group's 1970 self-titled debut (contracted by noted Jimi Hendrix producer Alan Douglas) and, in various combinations, on subsequent releases. Luciano, Kain, and Nelson recorded separately as "The Original Last Poets," gaining some renown as the soundtrack artists for the 1971 film "Right On!". See also "Performance" (1970 film) soundtrack: song "Wake Up Niggers."

Having reached top-10 charts success with their debut album, the Last Poets went on to release the follow-up, "This Is Madness", without then-incarcerated Abiodun Oyewole, an album which featured more politically charged poetry and which resulted in the group being listed under the counter-intelligence program (founded by then-President Richard Nixon). Hassan left the group following "This Is Madness", to be replaced by Sulaiman El-Hadi (now deceased [ [http://www.grandfatherofrap.com/prologue.htm Grandfather of Rap R.A.P - Revolutionary Arts Proverbalization ] ] ) in time for "Chastisement" (1972). The album introduced a sound the group called "jazzoetry", leaving behind the spare percussion of the previous albums in favor of a blending of jazz and funk instrumentation with poetry.

The remainder of the 1970s saw a decline in the group's popularity. In the 1980s and beyond, however, the group gained renewed renown with the rise of rap, often being name-checked as grandfathers and founders of the new music movement, and themselves collaborated with Bristol based British post punk band The Pop Group, among others. Nuriddin and El-Hadi worked on several projects under the Last Poets name, including 1984's "Oh My People" and 1988's " Freedom Express", after which Oyewole and Hassan began recording separately under the same name, releasing "Holy Terror" in 1995 (re-released on Innerhythmic in 2004) and "The Time Has Come" in 1997.

Recent developments

More recently "The Last Poets" found their fame again refreshed through a collaboration with rap artist Common on the Kanye West produced song "The Corner", as well as with the Wu-Tang Clan-affiliated political rap group "Black Market Militia" on the song "The Final Call." They are also featured on the controversial Nas album "Untitled", on the songs "You Can't Stop Us Now" and "Project Roach".

Jalal Mansur Nuriddin aka Lightning Rod (The Hustlers Convention 1972) recently collaborated with UK-based poet Mark T. Watson (aka Malik Al Nasir) writing the foreword to Mark's debut poetry collection Ordinary Guy published in December 2004 by Liverpool based publisher Fore-Word Press Ltd [http://www.fore-word.com link title] . Jalal's foreword was written in rhyme and has now been recorded for release in 2008 in a collaborative album by Mark T. Watson's band Malik & The OG's featuring Gil Scott-Heron, percussionist Larry Mc Donald, drummers Rod Youngs & Swiss Chris, New York Dub poet Ras Tesfa and a host of young rappers from New York & Washington DC. Produced by Malik Al Nasir, Lloyd Masset Larry McDonald & Swiss Chris the albums "Rhythms of the Diaspora; Vol. 1 & 2" are the 1st albums of their kind to unite these pioneers of poetry & RAP with each other, as well as the youth of this Rap generation. To be released in 2008 [http://www.fore-word.com]

elect discography

*"The Last Poets" (1970):: (Poets: Abiodun Oyewole, Alafia Pudim (a.k.a. Jalal Mansur Nuriddin), & Umar Bin Hassan)
*"This Is Madness" (1971):: (Poets: Alafia Pudim (a.k.a. Jalal Mansur Nuriddin) & Umar Bin Hassan)
*"Chastisement" (1973):: (Poets: Jalal Mansur Nuriddin & Sulaiman El-Hadi)
*"The Hustlers Convention" (1973):: (Poets: Lightnin Rod aka Jalal Mansur Nuriddin)
*"At Last" (1974):: (Poets: Jalaluddin Mansur Nuriddin, Sulaiman El-Hadi, & Umar Bin Hassan)
*"Delights of the Garden" (1976):: (Poets: Jalaluddin Mansur Nuriddin & Sulaiman El-Hadi)
*"Oh, My People" (1984):: (Poets: Sulaiman El-Hadi & Jalaluddin Mansur Nuriddin)
*"Freedom Express" (1988):: (Poets: Sulaiman El-Hadi & Jalaluddin Mansur Nuriddin)
*"Scatterap / Home" (1994):: (Poets: Sulaiman El-Hadi & Jalaluddin Mansur Nuriddin)
*"Holy Terror" (1995):: (Poets: Abiodun Oyewole & Umar Bin Hassan)
*"Science Friction" (2004):: (Poets: Jalaluddin Mansur Nuriddin aka Jalal)

Appeared on

*"Hip-Hop Docktrine - The Official Boondocks Mixtape" (2006)

*"Rhythms of the Diaspora Vol. 2" (2008):: (Poets: Jalaluddin Mansur Nuriddin aka Jalal, Malik Al Nasir, Shaza, Ras Tesfa)

*"The Corner" - Common, "Be" (2005)

*"Project Roach" - Nas, "Untitled" (2008)

Books

Vibes From The Scribes - Pluto Press 1985

Foreword to "Ordinary Guy" by Mark T. Watson (a.k.a. Malik Al Nasir) - Fore-Word Press 2004

Films

*1971 - "Right On!: Poetry on Film" (Original Last Poets). Directed by Herbert Danska.

References

External links

* [http://www.thelastpoets.net/ The Last Poets Official Website]
* [http://www.fore-word.com/ Fore-Word Press website]
* [http://www.ric.edu/rpotter/lpoets.html Roots'n'R
]
* [http://www.grandfatherofrap.com/ Jalal Mansur Nuriddin's Website]
* [http://www.umarbinhassan.com Umar Bin Hassan's Website]
* [http://www.jambetta.com Last Poets Tribute album at Jambetta Music]
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ee also

*The Watts Prophets
*Gil Scott-Heron
*"Panthers"