Poet: Crazy to Normal People, Normal to Crazy People

As an avid visitor to the Nuyorican Poets Café, I have always known and appreciated the events that they have held there. The performance experiences as well as the welcoming and comfortable crowd are equally enjoyable. However, this trip was quite different than any I had ever attended. Last Saturday I walked into the Café, located on East 3rd Street, and walked into an empty room. The bartender was eating lunch and there was a live band performing...for no one.

All the other times I had previously attended it was in the evening, and the place was filled with a crowd of people and an aura of intelligence. I arrived there at 3 p.m., and soon after, some people began coming in. The place probably fits about 40-50 people, and that day there were just the ten of us...including the bartender. It was very intimate, which made the experience that much better.

The saxophone player, Jeff Robinson of the Jeff Robinson Trio, who was featured that night, was an easygoing gentleman. He happened to be in a talented band, which I got to see shortly after. The band is originally from Boston, and they used to play in a blues band. The Trio started playing at different events and then one day Robinson suggested that they play for poets. The original threesome was comprised of Robinson, Blake Newman (bass) and Dwight Hart (drums). In recent years, they have performed with their new drummer, Jerome Deupree, who adds an excellent sound to the group.

Each member of the band did an amazing solo followed by the introduction of the featured poet, Jive Poetic. It was a small crowd so it felt as if he were speaking...to me, to you...to whoever was sitting in front of him. As he flowed, the words entered my ears and traveled through my body.

Jive Poetic had been touring the world with his lyrics since he won his first poetry slam in January 2001. His hometown is Buffalo, NY, but he currently lives in Brooklyn. His presence seems cultured, and his aura emanates insightfulness. His ideas kept me thinking from the first word to the very last. One of his poems, which has to be heard to be appreciated, suggests that the U.S government and everyday cartoons are interrelated. His theme was "crazy to the normal people and normal to the crazy people." He used controversial lines like, "Niggas is cool, ask any record label..." and "Nigga still means Nigger...Nigga." He reaches into to your mind and forces you to think about the unthought-of.

He spit with one of the best flows I have encountered and sometimes even made you forget there was live music playing. At one point towards the end, the emotion was somewhat overwhelming. His witty lines grab your attention urging you to listen further. He said things like, "Life ain't nothing but a seemingly solution-less equation," and "trying to figure out the pros and cons of this pro con-artist." He attracts all kinds of viewers, mixing the seriousness of his topics with humor: "It's almost impossible to remember to forget something"; "I do verbal drive-bys on writers block"; and "I write postdated checks for those who can't afford to pay attention too long."

Jive Poetic said, "My direct influences were KRS-One, Public Enemy and Big Daddy Kane." He hoped to master their flow and soon create one of his own. He is currently working on his third CD that can be found for sale on his website. So if you are unable to see him live, treat yourself to some Jive Poetic on-the-go. I assure you that you will not regret it.

After I left, I felt smarter, refreshed and, most of all, inspired. It led me to create my own piece of work on the train home. At the Nuyorican Café, many come and go. Some never return. But Jive Poetic's presence guarantees him a spot there for life. He is a respected, intelligent and mindful poet. There were too many empty chairs at this performance.

The Nuyorican Café has a calendar of events on its website, and Jive is scheduled to be there again. However if you miss him, I assure you that your stay will still be fulfilling. For more information, check out www.nuyorican.org, www.jivepoetic.com or www.poetyryjam.com.