Exploring the Power of Poetry, Spoken Word, and Hip-Hop w/ Kiyoko Todae

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Ever wondered why spoken words have the power to influence emotions and thoughts? Why do men lie, and how does our perspective about this evolve as we grow older? My poetry superhero and I are going to delve into these captivating topics and more. Listen in as we explore the art of painting pictures with words and the importance of embracing gratitude towards life's fleeting moments. 

Our love for music, especially rap, leads us into an insightful discussion on its influence and the evolution of the genre. We share our favorite artists and songs, and even take a peek into the trunk of a listener's car! We also navigate the intriguing world of poetry books, specifically the powerful narrative of 'Emotional,' a book that offers raw insights into relationships, intimacy, and love. 

We conclude the episode by acknowledging the wonderful power of poetry and spoken word. Our guest, Keoko, shares her inspiring journey of writing and publishing her very own book, offering advice to budding poets. We talk about the importance of staying true to one's writing style and the dream of creating a spoken word album. The episode wraps up by appreciating the beauty of friendship and the lasting impact of spoken words. Don't miss out on this rhythmic adventure of words and emotions!

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:02):
You are now rocking with the brunch hour podcast,
the best hour of the day.
It's the only podcast I listento.
With your host styles Year.
So we're back again.

(00:22):
I'm learning how to say hello.
All right, I'm not that good atit yet, but I'm learning, I'm
getting it.
But hello Greetings.
You know, if you're driving,keep your eyes on the road.
If you're just waking up, putsome pep in your step.
You're probably late.
You know, let other good shitShout outs to sdot.
She's not with us today, butshe will be back.

(00:43):
You know.
We've made a couple of reelsactually about her coming back.
I'm glad I didn't post thembecause I'll be like yo, this
nigga is lying, but yeah, she'llbe back.
So, ladies, and gents, this week, this week, this week, this
week, we're going to talk aboutsome of my hidden talents.
One specifically I am a poet.

(01:04):
I am sensitive, but sensitivein a lot of different ways like
sensitive, angry because I willpunch you in your face, and I'm
also sensitive, like I try totear too.
I do shit like that.
I do shit like that.
So we're going to start thisoff now.
This is a poetry episode.
So if poetry is not your thing,I'm not mad at you.

(01:28):
I'm not.
I'm really not.
I'm glad that you even gave me,you know, the first minute and
33 seconds of your day today.
But if it's not your thing,come back and see us next week,
but I will let you know.
This is what we have in store.
Our guest is my poetry superhero, all right, and we will be
playing some poetry, some piecesand shit like that.

(01:48):
All right, sensitive dog.
So we're going to start offwith it.
It's funny because now I got tofind the buttons and whatnot,
because we had an argument over,not an argument.
We had a debate over what wewere going to play, all right,
and of course I won out.
So let me play this for y'allreal quick.
That's not what I was trying todo.

(02:09):
See, hold on, that was theother thing, me being unprepared
.
I don't fucked up everythingtoo, because I recorded the shit
, of course late, because that'swhat I do, and fuck it, let's
get into it.

Speaker 4 (02:25):
Normally I don't have to listen to music to provoke
some type of emotion, to track aspecific concept, but you, you
sing songs with your thoughts,leaving me to simply add the
words in the descriptive format,hoping to accurately trust the
visuals when I'm speaking aboutyou.
So here goes everything.

Speaker 1 (03:06):
I had plans of laying in between sheets, have sleep,
enjoying your company, wastingthe day away just listening to
you breathing.
I was holding on to dreams thatwere making the exit.
As I try to paint pictures withwords, using broad strokes, of
what I wanted life to be, to thepoint of conceptualizing floor

(03:26):
plans, mapping out the squarefootage of time, I'm prepared to
knock down a few walls for you.

Speaker 5 (03:46):
And as.

Speaker 1 (03:47):
I squeeze you tighter .
The natural thing to do wouldbe to exhale I instead frozen
place.
I wanted to stay in this momentand still and still was the
only way I knew how to hold onto it.
Do you still feel?

Speaker 5 (04:01):
me, do you still feel ?

Speaker 1 (04:04):
me.
This was ten years in themaking.
I've made so many moves withoutyou since then, and since then
I've expanded by means ofmultiplication, forcing me to
divide my time and provide.
Yes, I've become a father sincethen.
Do you still feel me?
This was the maturation processthat missed us on the first go

(04:27):
around.
This time, sex takes a backseatto holding hands, giving us a
chance to become fully engulfedin the scenery being created
with the passage of time, andI'm grateful, even though the
process is often painful.
Let me explain.
There was a strain of refrainfrom offering the truth about

(04:48):
why men lie, trying to see whatwas impossible to see.
So I created opposite truths,so called calling myself, trying
to hold on to it.

Speaker 5 (05:00):
Pretty soon I've got to go, but the sooner I leave,
the sooner I can come home.
Do you still feel me?

Speaker 1 (05:15):
Don't disconnect and in retrospect now seeing those
skewed views were terriblydysfunctional.
Now my overstating of youfloats on beautiful narratives,
never offering apologies,instead reversing lies, filling
gaps that often left spacebetween you and I.
Alright, so check it out Ify'all still hanging out after

(05:45):
that.
Thank you, I appreciate you.
You have any kind words?
I got an empty hat over here,told some coins in my hat Cash
app is Nah, I'm fucking with you, but if you're still around, I
greatly appreciate you.
Alright, now let's get to thereal fuckery.

Speaker 4 (06:02):
I used to be in love with this bitch.
They me and J.
They'll fuck with her no morenow.
I'll fuck with Tango Ray, tangoRay.

Speaker 5 (06:08):
Hey yo, what's up, man?
Do we need two shots, two shots.
It's a combo.
Dany, take me away.

Speaker 1 (06:18):
Okay, some things happen in the background that
you guys will never know about,because, well, I guess you will,
because I'm about to tell youanyway.
We had some technicaldifficulties and then you had to
stop the shit and chop the shit, so it sounded a little off
just because I chopped the shitand I put it together.
But anyway, listen, today Ihave a goodie.
I've been chasing my poeticsuperhero for a hundred years.

(06:39):
She recently dropped a book.
I had the absolute fuckingprivilege when I say privilege,
I mean privilege, like whiteprivilege of actually being in
the book, like it was mybirthright.

Speaker 5 (06:53):
Not white privilege.

Speaker 1 (06:54):
I am in this book.
Amazing, insane.
Author.
A pen game is crazy.
Not saying that you thoughtthat my pen game was crazy,
that's if you stuck around pastthe last segment.
But a pen game is amazing andme.
What I do is I have a knack ofsticking around people at it
doing 10 times better than me,right, and then they warm up to
the kid and they're like oh, youcome here and I'm like no, I'm

(07:17):
not that good.
And they're like no, you're,you're right.
And I'm like all right, fuck it, let me just go stand over
there and let some of their youknow expertise and things that
they do so well, rub off on me.
But anyway, we have Kyoko todaywith us today.
How are you?

Speaker 6 (07:36):
Peace.
I'm well, how are you?

Speaker 1 (07:37):
I'm good man, you sound real aggressive from New
York.

Speaker 6 (07:42):
No, no, not at all.

Speaker 1 (07:43):
All right, I'm like, just show me your feet.
You got 10 zone.
What are we doing?

Speaker 6 (07:48):
No, never that.

Speaker 1 (07:50):
Okay, um, kyoko, and I go back some ways.
My book came out in 09.
Was it on nine?

Speaker 6 (08:01):
Um, I don't know.
I think so.
It's been a long time.
It's been well over 10 years.

Speaker 1 (08:05):
So yeah, we, we, we, okay, and we've been writing
together ever since Um, maybenot as of recent.
It's been like you know youwrite your thing.
I'm gonna write my thing overhere.
You know you can write yourthing, but anyway, no, a pen
game is crazy, all right, sowe're going to go through the
normal stuff before we evengetting what we supposed to be
getting into.
What are you drinking, miss?

Speaker 6 (08:26):
I am drinking tea, herbal tea, so this is one of my
favorites um because it's sweet, but it's also good for you, so
it's a combination of mullin.

Speaker 1 (08:35):
Oh, you really gonna.
You, you're gonna stir, you'regonna stir that, so I can hear
you, yeah, yeah, yeah, you'regonna stir it, yeah absolutely,
I mean this one is only likethree ingredients.

Speaker 6 (08:44):
It's a mullin leaf, which is good for congestion,
immunity, mucus, and we're aboutto use a system, even if you
don't have it.
It kind of helps balance outyour system.
And then elderberry, whicheverybody knows.
Elderberry is also good forimmunity and I have ginger
cloves and honey.
That's it Okay.

Speaker 1 (09:04):
How much honey, though, cause like I can't drink
it, it tastes like grass.

Speaker 6 (09:11):
Uh, you put it to your liking so that's like half
a bottle for me.
Yeah, no yeah.

Speaker 1 (09:19):
So what I do is just get the tea and just pour it in
a honey bottle.
I'm good from there, you know,and I'm being my usual closet
alcoholic self.
I am drinking screwball peanutbutter whiskey.
There was like a corner left.
I had it for a year, though.

Speaker 6 (09:37):
That looks like a lot more than a corner.

Speaker 1 (09:39):
It wasn't.
It was nice.
Now it was melted ice, so nowit's a little bit more volume.
It added volume.

Speaker 6 (09:46):
Yeah, let it be the reason.

Speaker 1 (09:48):
Yeah, yeah, whatever, don't start.
So this is what we're going todo.
We're going to jump right intointo um.
I need to start calling this up, maybe the lightning round or
something like that, but nowsomebody already has it.
But we'll do something.
You ready, I'm ready, you sure?

Speaker 6 (10:05):
I don't know, I understand, I'm ready.

Speaker 1 (10:08):
So listen your explanations and you know, you
know, you've known me longenough to know that I don't like
the backstory.
So keep, keep doing shit short.
We write in a book with yourexplanation, or whatever.

Speaker 6 (10:21):
That's funny.

Speaker 1 (10:22):
So you ready, I'm ready, all right, cool Text call
or FaceTime Call.
Why?

Speaker 6 (10:27):
It's more personal.

Speaker 1 (10:31):
That's some real old school shit.
All right, shoot your shot ofchilling the cut.
I can answer that for you, butgo.

Speaker 6 (10:38):
A little bit of both, but usually chilling the cut.

Speaker 1 (10:41):
Chilling the cut and cock me bro.
All right Black movies Queenand slim, or if being still be,
but look usually.

Speaker 6 (10:49):
Queen and slim but I didn't even finish.
I mean, it didn't even matter,I don't even.
It doesn't even matter whatcomes next.
Queen and slim is Yo what.
What's the third choice?
If Bill Street could talk, no,queen and slim.

Speaker 1 (11:04):
I mean, I'm with it, I'm not mad at any of these.
Well, actually, maybe I'm madat the photograph.
You know, it's definitely,definitely on my list.
I mean, out of the three, itwould probably be number three.
But one day somebody's going tocome on this show and say if
Bill Street could talk, andthat's going to be the topic of
conversation for the rest of theshow.

Speaker 6 (11:26):
I mean Bill Street is good, but Queen, yeah, queen
and slim for me.

Speaker 1 (11:30):
Oh, whatever.
Anyway, moving on, what's yoursong?
What's your song for the seasonof your life?

Speaker 6 (11:38):
Oh, let's see Forever by Sir Rock.

Speaker 1 (11:43):
Okay, how's it go For real?
I mean, you're going to stopnaming songs that I've never
fucking heard before.

Speaker 6 (11:50):
Well, if you don't know who Sir Rock is and you're
from New York, you need to gosit in the corner.

Speaker 1 (11:54):
The only Sir Rock we know is the motherfucking
licking and puffy on there.

Speaker 6 (11:58):
Wow, you need to be ashamed then.

Speaker 1 (12:00):
I am, I am, and you won't embarrass me on my show.

Speaker 6 (12:04):
All right, yeah, go ahead.

Speaker 1 (12:06):
Go ahead.
When you're commute to work,what do you listen to?

Speaker 6 (12:12):
What's on my mood.
If I'm angry, it's thug music,all right.
If I'm trying to stay in a nicemellow, positive, it's a neo
soul or conscious rap, like SirRock.

Speaker 1 (12:27):
Okay, who's your favorite gangster rapper Like,
if you all right, give me a song.
Okay, go ahead, give me a song.

Speaker 6 (12:35):
Hit them up.
Two pot yes.

Speaker 1 (12:38):
What the fuck is the off button Can't even I'm about
to lock.

Speaker 6 (12:43):
Well, you asked Okay, all right, so we yeah, nah,
real shit.

Speaker 1 (12:49):
Two pot could probably I'll get a ticket.
I can't listen to shit likethat on the way to work and I do
have pretty bad role and Idon't have bad role.
I had this conversation with myson the other day about role
rates.
I don't have bad role rates.
It's not bad.
That's all of the conversation.
Anyway, I do, you do, I do, Ido, I do, I do, I do, I do, I do
, I do.

Speaker 6 (13:07):
I do, I do, I do, I do I do, I, do, I do.
I do.
I do, I do, I do, you do I doso when I really get angry, I'm
five-four, and when I get madand people are driving crazy
around me, I play ludicrous move.

Speaker 1 (13:19):
Bitch, get out the way, there we go.

Speaker 6 (13:21):
Yep, yep, put it on and it makes me drive even
crazier.
But I decided to stop thatbecause you know, out here they
act a fool, they will shoot you.

Speaker 1 (13:29):
All right.
And when she says out therepeople, she's talking about ATMs
, she's in Atlanta.
Nah, isn't Atlanta?
You and Georgia?
Yes, You're in Atlanta.

Speaker 6 (13:37):
I'm in Atlanta and there's, yeah, some bona fide
pools out here, so you know.

Speaker 4 (13:42):
Yeah, that's what's, sad.

Speaker 1 (13:42):
They'll hit you just because Okay.
All right, safety first, safetyfirst.
What drink do you start brunchoff with?

Speaker 6 (13:54):
To be honest with you water or tea, that's it.

Speaker 1 (13:59):
Water or tea.
Okay, I don't know what kind ofholistic brunches you're having
, but I'm here for it, fuck.

Speaker 6 (14:07):
You get a glass of tea.
Don't try and play me.

Speaker 1 (14:11):
That's a fact.
Yeah, it's water or tea, that'sit.
You got some frankincense andall of that going with it.

Speaker 5 (14:21):
But you know what?

Speaker 1 (14:23):
What I'm just saying.
You got real Erica bad doersjust now.

Speaker 6 (14:29):
That's all day, every day.

Speaker 1 (14:30):
I ain't nothing wrong with it.
All right, this is the partwhere you're going to name a
song.
Well, actually name the artistof the title of a song that I'm
about to give you All right,probably about to fill it.

Speaker 6 (14:50):
Okay, let's go.

Speaker 1 (14:51):
And I'm judging you on this too.

Speaker 6 (14:53):
You should judge me, because I can't guarantee you
that I'm going to get it right.

Speaker 1 (14:57):
Okay, mahogany.

Speaker 6 (15:01):
Um, um.
Diana Ross no.
Billie Holiday Okay, you gotone more time.
All right, I was about to sayBillie Williams yeah.
Because, I'm taking a movieMahogany.

Speaker 1 (15:22):
With a Jerry Curler, without which one?

Speaker 6 (15:28):
That's so funny.

Speaker 1 (15:31):
You got one more.

Speaker 6 (15:34):
Oh, I don't know, I give up.

Speaker 1 (15:39):
Eric B Rockham.

Speaker 6 (15:42):
First of all, let me tell you something you didn't
even say genre.

Speaker 1 (15:47):
Okay, you didn't ask either.

Speaker 6 (15:49):
You didn't ask because you thought you had to
shit in the bag.

Speaker 1 (15:52):
So you didn't ask.

Speaker 6 (15:53):
You know what I'm going to tell you?
Listen, I'm going to tell youwelcome to the store.

Speaker 1 (15:56):
I'm going to tell you it's $4.99.
Right.
After I ring it up after I ringit up, it's going to be $5.36.
You'll be like you didn't tellme about the tax.
What the fuck.

Speaker 6 (16:04):
You didn't ask, you knew it was $4.99.
No, no, that's different.

Speaker 1 (16:09):
How.

Speaker 6 (16:10):
That's different, all right.

Speaker 1 (16:11):
So, ladies and gentlemen, rock Kim is our
favorite artist of all time.
He is.
I know which is why I wassurprised that you didn't get it
All right, relax, relax, yes,because I'm big at old school.

Speaker 6 (16:21):
You're right, that's my hip hop husband right there.

Speaker 1 (16:23):
There you go, got pictures and all of that.
That's right Relax.

Speaker 6 (16:29):
OK, all right, You're right, let me bring it back.

Speaker 1 (16:32):
Yeah, all right, smiling over there, my cheeks
hurt.
Are you a talk or a listener?

Speaker 6 (16:41):
A little bit of both, but mostly a listener.

Speaker 1 (16:43):
Copy If you could live in any sitcom, which would
it be?

Speaker 6 (16:49):
Hmm, Martin.

Speaker 1 (16:51):
OK, you know what?
It's funny because I said thaton a couple of episodes back
when, yes, me too, me too, Iwould definitely live it more in
, for sure, for sure, becausethat was a good time.

Speaker 6 (17:04):
That was a good time, absolutely.

Speaker 1 (17:06):
OK, what's in the trunk of your car right now?

Speaker 6 (17:10):
Oh shit, let's see the tarp that goes over my back
seat for the dog, so he doesn'tget hair all over my back seat.
What kind of dog do you have?
He's a pit named Zeus.

Speaker 1 (17:22):
A pit named Zeus, all right.
Very appropriate Keep going.

Speaker 5 (17:27):
What else is that?

Speaker 1 (17:28):
Yeah, yeah, security, let me see.

Speaker 6 (17:33):
Some jumper cables a toolkit some oil, yes, Some
cleaning supplies, paper towelsand a foldable chair.

Speaker 1 (17:48):
A foldable chair.
I need one of those.
Actually, I need two of those.
I had an idea for a podcast,but, yeah, moving forward.
Ok, that's it All right.
All right, and, ladies andgentlemen, she is eating on
camera, but we're not recordingthis.
But this is the thing, though.
You see how close that mic isto you.
Yeah, there we go.
If you hiccup, I hear it.

Speaker 6 (18:08):
OK, I'm sorry.

Speaker 1 (18:09):
And you're chewing right now.
I'm just going to mute you, ohthat's so good.

Speaker 4 (18:14):
I'm sorry.

Speaker 6 (18:15):
Hey Kendall.

Speaker 1 (18:16):
All right.
What childish things do you doas an adult?

Speaker 6 (18:23):
I play in the rain.

Speaker 1 (18:26):
Yeah, that is lightweight childish my favorite
things to do.

Speaker 6 (18:29):
I love it?
Yeah, absolutely, and it'ssummertime right now.
It's still hot outside, so whenit rains the sun is still out.
I go outside and I run in therain.
Run in the rain or just yeah,or just spin around in it, jump
in puddles the whole night.

Speaker 1 (18:46):
OK, anybody ever call the cops.

Speaker 6 (18:48):
Never.

Speaker 1 (18:49):
OK, I'm just wondering.
I'm just wondering.

Speaker 6 (18:51):
They probably envy me .

Speaker 1 (18:53):
Listen, you will be somebody's TikTok real or
something in a second.
I promise you that that's funny, I promise you that.
So this one is a lightning rod.
Well, it can be a lightning rod.
I know it's been not a ragingdebate, but a debate nonetheless
.
And what's the average cost ofa first date for you, through

(19:15):
your eyes, your lens?

Speaker 6 (19:16):
The average cost Shit , and we're talking about the
price of food today.
I don't know, I don't know, butsurely it's probably over $100
around, or $100 if it's just twoRight right, this is not Hold
on, let me let me um offer someclarity.
This isn't the price is right,it's not.

Speaker 1 (19:32):
you're going to get close to the price and then you
know we'll go over.

Speaker 6 (19:35):
I know that I'm thinking about where it depends
on where this first date is.
Yeah, but all right.
So let me let me make it easyfor you, right, let me make it
easy for you, yeah, absolutely.

Speaker 1 (19:46):
A gentleman.
He's not a poet, because poets,you know, eat other poets alive
.
We just don't, it, just doesn't, doesn't, doesn't mesh.
Um, a gentleman approach yes,going to take you out on a day.
You Kyoko today and she spellsa.
She spells today T-O-D-A-E.
All right, so in case you arelooking for us, not T-O-D-A-Y.

(20:07):
You know we're black, we doshit different, but um and she's
a poet so she's thinking, youknow eight levels above whatever
we're thinking.
But this is the thing Ifsomebody's taking you out,
though what secretly, whichwon't be a secret after you tell
us is like the budget for adate of good time, first date

(20:32):
doesn't have to be continuous,like, for instance, he doesn't
have to spend a million dollarsevery time, but on that first
initial date, oh, I'm going totear you up.
I'm looking at your face rightnow.
I'm going to let you have it,go ahead.

Speaker 6 (20:44):
Let me tell you something because Tell me
something.

Speaker 1 (20:47):
Five Wars of Bill.

Speaker 6 (20:49):
Because, oh shit, because I'm a little different,
you know, like, uh, jewelry androses don't impress me.

Speaker 4 (20:57):
Right.

Speaker 6 (20:57):
So I like uh connection and conversation.
So trying to spend money on meand take me to the fanciest
restaurant is nothing that'sgoing to pique my interest.

Speaker 4 (21:06):
Right.

Speaker 6 (21:06):
It's not fun to me, so I like finding conversation.
You could take me somewhere tomake me laugh, so it would be
low key.
It would have to be differentthan trying to take me to the
fanciest, best, most expensiverestaurant.

Speaker 1 (21:18):
That's not what I'm interested in, so you're
interested in the creativitybehind it.

Speaker 6 (21:22):
Yes.

Speaker 1 (21:23):
See you lucky.
You definitely talked your wayout of that one because I was
going to let you have it.
I was going to hand it to youas soon as you put a number on
it.
I was going to let you have it.

Speaker 6 (21:31):
I mean, that's the truth.

Speaker 1 (21:32):
OK, I'm with it.
I'm with it If I get dressed upto go out.

Speaker 6 (21:36):
you know, I hope it's fun I understand, I don't even
like the way you said that youready, so I'm moving on.

Speaker 5 (21:44):
Main course, it's time to eat.
What's on your mind?

Speaker 1 (21:50):
So this is the thing.
We already got your name.
You know, oh, your profession.
What do you do for a living?
If you don't mind me asking,I'm a high school teacher.
There we go.
All right, just wanted to, youknow, put that out there.

Speaker 6 (22:05):
And a lot of tissue and a lot of tissue.

Speaker 1 (22:07):
What else could you do?
A lot of shit.

Speaker 6 (22:09):
That's true All right .
So when I'm in the salon I'm alot of tissue, but I also create
and sell jewelry.
And then my day job is aspecial education teacher for
high school students.
I do special education and I doGenet 9 through 12.

Speaker 1 (22:24):
English and one of the things we talk about giving
back.
That's giving back Like that'sgiving back out of conversation
today about what we're willingto do to, I guess, change
society with regards to theirviews on certain things.
You know, and it all startswith us from within and I ask

(22:46):
the person well, what are youwilling to do?
Right, because that persondidn't.
Anyway, I'm not even going todo that, because then got enough
motherfuckers mad at me.

Speaker 4 (22:55):
All right.

Speaker 1 (22:57):
What we're going to do right now is play a piece
from Kyoko.
All right, she's going to letyou know Not even so much as let
you know, but you're going tohear how heavy this sister is.

Speaker 6 (23:08):
His voice sounds like freedom, unbridled sounds that
ignite flames of self-awareness,without the pangs of fear
Asphyxiating doubts.
Because courage boldly sitsnear and shatters glass houses

(23:29):
that shelter secrets of itsvictims buried deep beneath this
footgear, all while savingsouls from the solace.
Because he too was once theprey before his voice rang clear
Sword above the clouds inopposition to the devil's
delicately designed sphere, thenpromulgated deliverance without

(23:50):
the lack of waiting ears, as ifa sage returning to the present
from the past of manyyesteryears.
I want him to speak to me, Iwant him to sing for me, I want

(24:12):
him to read to me.
Im pregnant me with his wordsuntil my heart beats, beats in
tandem, yet in sync, endlesslynourishing my vessel from the
inside out with the embryo ofhis speech.
Until his vibrations touch thetips of each nerve's ending
within my system, it gives birthat knowledge's peak.

(24:34):
How astounding that, with justone breath, he exhaled life and
manifested wisdom from within mywomb with the precision that
others can only seek.
How magnificent that hisphonics feel like fire and force

(24:55):
times mass, so that theomission of distance between us
is simply unmatched.
Because his voice deletes thespace between misunderstandings.
When his lips began to impartand linguistics leak life onto
bodies, like canvases that leakcolors onto bodies of art.
His speech leaves me speechless.

(25:19):
Yet in want of wanting thatcraving to hear him never speak
less so he can continue tofondle my ears and leave its
drums intentionally finessedThrough sounds that leave
lessons for me to feed on andwords that touch the inside of
my torso for me to glean on.
And Even when his vessel isabsent from before me in its

(25:44):
physical form, his voice hasleft vestiges of its power for
us to live on.

Speaker 1 (25:56):
You said his phonics feels like fire.
Now, if I'm not a poet, well,I'm not thinking on a different
level and we're on a date andthat comes on.
I'm getting up from the tableand politely excusing myself.
I'm not fucking with you.

(26:20):
You will not you will not mind.
Fuck me, we're not, I'm out ofhere.
I Am out of here.
Listen, that was amazing.
Thank you, that was amazing.
This is why I think that we'vehad a lot of clashes whereby
I'll write something and you'llbe like yo, that's so crazy, and

(26:41):
I'll be like you're bugging.
You're bugging his fun.
It's felt like fire.
Yeah, that's gonna besomebody's tattoo in a minute.
Oh, that is that's crazy.
What inspired you to startwriting poetry?

Speaker 6 (26:59):
I Mean, I started writing at the age of 10 and it
was Simply, I mean, there wasnothing major, was really just
an outlet, that's all it was.
But you know, as you grow andyou get older, you go through
different phases of life, and so, as I went through different
phases of life, my poetryChanged, you know, it involved
into something different.
And so the very first time thatI saw a deaf poetry champ I was

(27:23):
is mesmerized by the way thatit was delivered.
So it was a differentintroduction, yes, to poetry all
in itself than just, you know,writing poetry to express
yourself as an outlet.
So you still express yourselfas an outlet.
But then it gave me an idea ofyou know what I'm saying.
I can play around with thesewords differently, right, and

(27:46):
then speak them in a way that isnot just gonna touch the people
when they read it, but it'sgonna touch the people when they
hear it as well, right.
And so I mean, simply put, itwas just a means of expression
in an outlet.
And then, you know, like I said, as I got older, it just
changed.
Those things in my life changed, that's all.

Speaker 1 (28:05):
I hear you and I, to be honest with you, my start, or
actually yeah.
I don't know, I guess it was arap because every you know,
growing up everybody wanted tobe a rapper.
You know, um, at least ifyou're, if you're 40 plus old,
you want to stay where.
I'm coming from with thateverybody wanted to be a rapper.

Speaker 6 (28:24):
Right, I said, and now to know?
Now is nothing.

Speaker 1 (28:30):
You just grab a phone .
You're a rapper.
When I was coming up, you knowthey had a and all this other
bullshit, so there were a lot ofgatekeepers when I was growing
up.
Now there's no gatekeepers andyou just turn your phone on your
rapper.

Speaker 4 (28:41):
But um, yeah.

Speaker 1 (28:43):
That poetry.
Jim definitely did it for me.
That was a turning point for me, you know, especially when most
steps actually started hosting.
That was it, and you know mostthat was from Brooklyn, um, and
now I was like, wow, so you can,you can spit poetry and still
be cool.
So of course, the rhyme bookswent into garbage and I was like
I'm not gonna rhyme anymore.
Fuck the beat, we're gonna doit.

(29:04):
Do it this way.
What's your favorite, johnnywrite about?

Speaker 6 (29:10):
Life, love and healing.

Speaker 1 (29:13):
Okay, I got two out of the three Okay.

Speaker 6 (29:16):
I mean life, and love covers everything.
There we go the good and itcovers the bad.
So, you know you got 10,000aspect, aspects of life.
And then you have so manydifferent facets of love that
you can cover so right aboutlife.
I mean you can hit on everycorner.

Speaker 1 (29:33):
No, it's a fact, especially if you talk to a
specific segment in society.
I was gonna ask you somethingelse In terms of because you
know, they don't know because wehaven't talked about it, but
you recently dropped a book.
Yes, what's the name of thebook?
Emotional emotional and walk methrough the book.

Speaker 6 (29:56):
All right.
So emotional is Designed totake the reader on an emotional
roller coaster.
So it is all about the highsand lows of relationships, Raw
intimacy and love.

Speaker 5 (30:17):
Intimacy isn't what are we doing?

Speaker 1 (30:22):
What the fuck is that mean?
Is that cold?

Speaker 5 (30:25):
I.

Speaker 4 (30:26):
Got us that I did.

Speaker 1 (30:28):
What are we doing?

Speaker 6 (30:29):
Hey, when I say the highs and lows of raw intimacy,
that means I'm not sugarcoatinganything in the book.
So it's the soft, specialplaces of intimacy, and then you
know it's the wrong side of thetrack of intimacy.
You know that old saying toomuch of a good thing is never
good.

Speaker 1 (30:46):
No, so it has prostitution in it too.

Speaker 6 (30:58):
Oh my god, I cannot.
It's the good and the bad.
All right, it's the good andthe bad.
I'm trying to tell you.

Speaker 4 (31:09):
Yes.

Speaker 6 (31:09):
You don't feel something when you read this.
Check your pulse listen.

Speaker 1 (31:15):
I Think the thing for me is that I'm gonna enjoy the
read one, not only because I'min it, but because of the way
that you express yourself whenyou do write it down, because
how we met was we met online andthere was a poetry site called
GS poetry.

Speaker 5 (31:33):
Whereby you know you can read other people's stuff.

Speaker 1 (31:37):
They can read just stuff you can read it, you know
and then they had this wholething.
When you know top poet of theday and stuff like that, you
could do collaboration.
I miss GS poetry.
I do too.
It was.
It was a good time.
It was a.
It was a good time, anyway,back when I was for the streets

(31:59):
but, um, the pin got me in a lotof trouble.
Um, anyway, outside of that,because this isn't about me,
this is about you Um, okay, and,and it was so crazy about this
whole thing is and I'm startingto coin the phrase what's so
crazy, because that's just whatI do.
But what's so crazy about thiswhole thing is that I remember

(32:24):
Going back like this book hasbeen in the works for years,
yeah, for years, like I wrote mybook.
You were talking about writinga book.
You started writing a book.
We had a conversation aboutpublishing.
You know things like that.
So I definitely want to giveyou your flowers for seeing it

(32:44):
through.

Speaker 6 (32:46):
You know what?
Um, I am glad that I did notfinish it back then, because it
has been in transition and inthe process for several years.
But you know what?
Um, my process for writing Iswhat happened with this book.
So, at different phases of life, there's different poems in

(33:07):
here.
So I can tell you I mean, Ihave poems in here from like the
90s that I wrote all the way upuntil 2023.
It's so when you read the book,it reads like a story.
You know what I'm saying,because they're placed
strategically right.
So there are little bittyNarratives in between the poems.
That makes it read like theyare all connected from one point

(33:30):
to another.
So I I'm glad that I did nottry and finish it then, because
it wouldn't have been what it isnow right, you know it's so
crazy.

Speaker 1 (33:41):
See, there we go again.
What's so crazy?
Like for three whole seasons itwas boom.
That was my shit, I so boom now.

Speaker 4 (33:47):
It was like you know so crazy.

Speaker 1 (33:49):
But anyway, what is so crazy, yeah, is that, um, my
book, slow sipping it.
Um, it was about the.
It was the maturation of arelationship and it read as such
.
So it was the beginning of therelationship.
You know the.
The escalated to the middle ofthe relationship and the sexual

(34:13):
part of the relationship.
Literally these are thesections and it you know um the
build up to it and the ultimateend or continuation of the
relationship at the end of thebook.
So when you told me about yourbook, I was like damn, I can't
wait.

Speaker 6 (34:29):
Listen, I gotta say this.
Okay, so you know what I boughtyour book.
First of all, people, I've beena hairstylist for many, many
years.
I was doing that before I evenbecame an educator, and so when
I bought styles as well, there'sthis poem in there called wash
insect.
So I was doing here back thenas well.

Speaker 1 (34:49):
I read that piece as I was in the salon doing some
hair and I'm sitting therethinking to myself I want to
wash and say I I was, yeah, Iwas uh, and it was crazy because
I grew up around a bunch offemales so I would get like
inspiration from shit like that.
You know when I went, well,when I was dating back.

(35:09):
Then you go out on a date oryou look at somebody's hands, um
, and you like, oh, you need afeeling, like you need a feeling
.
Then how you know about thatshit?
How do you know about a feelingI'm like group around a bunch
of females and then I actuallyjust started putting that in the
pieces and stuff like that gotto a whole heap of trouble, but
anyway, moving on.

Speaker 6 (35:27):
I need you to record that.

Speaker 1 (35:30):
What um wash insect?

Speaker 6 (35:31):
Yes.

Speaker 1 (35:32):
I have to find it.
I have to.
Oh, it's in the book.

Speaker 4 (35:35):
It's in the book.

Speaker 1 (35:36):
Yeah, I gotta find the book.
Anyway, um, let me see.
Okay, so, as far as thecreative process is for you know
you writing and stuff like that, I know my creative process is
a little bit different and youand I have had I don't want to
say argument.
Well, yeah, I guess, don't fuckthat.
We've had arguments, especiallylike trying to do like

(35:58):
collaborations and stuff likethat.
So when we're doingcollaborations and stuff like
that, I I would write fasterThan you, you know, and you
would need time to fold it.
For me, all I would need is asong.
You throw a song on and I'malready there.
What's your creative process.

Speaker 6 (36:19):
I don't have a process, I write off of
inspiration.
I'm glad that you said thatbecause now I really want to
fight you.
I mean, you know what I'msaying.

Speaker 1 (36:28):
No, I don't know what you're saying.
What you're saying?

Speaker 6 (36:30):
Okay, okay.
When I say I write off ofinspiration, I mean I have to be
inspired, something has totrigger me to write.
So it's either something thathas happened in my life or
something that I have felt thatI'll write about, or if it's
something that I have seenhappen to somebody else someone
that's going through somethingthat they don't have a word.
So I'm going to speak for themin terms of process, meaning

(36:53):
like, do I have to be in acorner?
Do I have to have music playing?
You know, I could be listeningto a song and it trigger any
emotion in me and that may causeme to write, and sometimes I'll
start a piece and put it downand not pick it up for, you know
, a couple of days or a coupleof months, when I do, I'll do it
.

Speaker 1 (37:10):
I'm glad you touched on that because, you know I was
coming to get that.

Speaker 6 (37:12):
I mean, hey, let me tell you something.
There have been other times.
There was this one time I wassitting at the red light and
just automatically thought aboutsomething.
I wrote an entire piece on theback of a receipt in the car,
finished it before the lighteven turned green.

Speaker 4 (37:25):
Crazy, you know what I'm saying.

Speaker 6 (37:27):
Sometimes I can be in the shower and I'll be
listening to a song.
One line will give me an entirepoem.
You know, what I'm saying.
So there is no process.
It's based on inspiration.
I guess I have somethingspecific in mind that I know I
want to write about.
You know what I'm saying.
That.
I'll sit down and I'll just.
I'll just pin it out, you know,as it comes to me.
So, that's it All right, fuckit.

Speaker 1 (37:49):
I'm going to tell the people about how you would hit
my phone.
You'd be like you know what?
I think we need to writesomething.
I'm like, all right, cool, whatare we going to write?
And then you'll be like, um, Idon't know, send me something.
And I'm like, just give me andme, I'm the same way.
I would need something, like Ialways want to write, I always
want to write.
I'm never in, I'm I'm notalways in the mood to write, if

(38:12):
that makes sense, right.
So I don't have the inspirationto write, but I always am ready
to pen something, just so I canstep back and be like then.
Who wrote that?

Speaker 6 (38:21):
But I'm like, just give me a word or a line
statement, I'm not even going todo this shit right now.

Speaker 1 (38:27):
Is this what you do?
Yeah?

Speaker 6 (38:29):
Yeah, come on now.
You know that's a do not, don'ttry and frown for people.
I just needed like one word ora line or something, that's it.
That's all I need is the rightword or the right phrase to you
know, trigger me off and I gotit.

Speaker 1 (38:42):
Okay, I'm not even fucking with you right now, I'm
going to move on.

Speaker 6 (38:45):
That's right.

Speaker 1 (38:49):
And you know what For the podcast is out there that
do follow me.
It's kind of like trying to,you know, trying to sit down
with your favorite podcast, andthat person just keeps
rescheduling and shit like that,you know.
But they always want to dosomething but they just keep
rescheduling.
So that's kind of like me.

Speaker 6 (39:06):
Oh, wait a minute, new York, Wait a minute.
People do not let this brotherfool you.
Okay, he is tough to deal with.
Okay, you are hard to handle.
Sometimes he is not a goodpatient.
Let me use some stylist's lingoit's like the kid that comes to
sit in your styling chair thatwants to look nice and get their

(39:28):
hair done, but they're tenderheaded so they're going to give
you a hard time.
That's not even cool.

Speaker 1 (39:43):
I don't like it.

Speaker 6 (39:48):
Oh, my God, okay All right.

Speaker 1 (39:52):
So yeah, move them right along.
And that's not the caseEverybody.
Because if she, you know what,you might say that because, like
, for instance, if I'm like yo,keoko, let's collab, I want to
do blah, blah, blah, blah,you're like, well what?
Do you want?
To write about, and then I'lltell you what I want to write
about.
I'll send you over to Stanza,right.

Speaker 5 (40:10):
Yeah.

Speaker 1 (40:11):
And then I got to wait three four days.

Speaker 5 (40:14):
But hold on, hold on.

Speaker 1 (40:15):
But then you'll send me the response to that Stanza,
and then I'll send you somethingright back and then wait for
five or six days.
You get what I'm saying.
So that's what my patients aretalking about.

Speaker 6 (40:28):
Let me tell you something.
He has done that to me beforeas well, so stop it, and then
there are times.
Yeah, but that was just mebeing petty, though, oh okay,
well, I'm glad, I'm glad I don'tknow You're right, you're going
to make me wait.
Hey, you know what I'm saying.
I don't write on demand, Allright, it's just when it comes
to me.
I write when I feel it.

Speaker 1 (40:48):
And we're going to start writing collabs on
high-coos.

Speaker 6 (40:52):
I have several high-coos.

Speaker 1 (40:54):
Yeah, I know Good Anyway.
So have you ever performedpoetry in front of an audience?

Speaker 6 (41:02):
Yes, I have.

Speaker 1 (41:03):
Okay, and if so, what you have?
You know, I'm reading off thepaper.
If so how did it feel?

Speaker 6 (41:10):
Nervous, nervous For the very first one.
I got up there one time andforgot my entire piece once.
I looked at the crowd but Ididn't get off of that stage
until I completed it.
You know Other times that feltgreat.

Speaker 1 (41:28):
It felt amazing.
You memorized it or did youread from a paper or a book?

Speaker 6 (41:34):
I've done both.
I've done both.
I've done all three before.
Okay Memorized, I've read frommy phone before and I've also
had my journal with me.

Speaker 4 (41:44):
Hmm.

Speaker 1 (41:46):
No problem, had my journal with me.
Yeah, not your poetry book.

Speaker 6 (41:52):
Not your moral notebook.

Speaker 3 (41:54):
Your journal.
Oh, okay, you know what?
Not as the book.

Speaker 4 (41:57):
The book of life.

Speaker 6 (41:59):
That's the way you are surrounded control.

Speaker 1 (42:02):
Okay, all right, here we go.
And I think that this is one ofthe questions I was waiting for
.
How do you deal with writer'sblock or periods of creative
drought?

Speaker 6 (42:12):
Well, let's see here I either wait till it passes or
I do what a friend suggested.
The very first time I hadwriter's block this is actually
in the book.
You guys, the very first time Ihad writer's block I could not
write.
And I had a friend a guy friendof mine and he was like write
about your writer's block, asimple solution I never thought

(42:32):
of and I did.
So I started writing abouthaving writer's block and before
I was finished it turned intoan entire poem and from there it
was gone.

Speaker 1 (42:40):
Crazy.

Speaker 6 (42:42):
So write about the things that are bothering you at
the moment, to kind of generateother thoughts and emotions and
feelings, and before you knowit, you are already writing.
Or I play music or I run.
That's a release for me.
You know more.
Dance In a rain.

Speaker 1 (43:04):
Forgot about the rain .
Don't forget the rain Anywhere.
Anywhere.
Have to pop up on somebody'sTikTok, I promise you All right.
Are there any particular placesor environments that inspire
your poetry, Like if you poppedup anywhere and you was like you
know what.
This is a good space to writein, Like I need to you know.

(43:26):
I don't know your method now.
I've never actually been thetype to actually write down a
poem.
I started writing poems backwhen Blackberries were cool and
I used to type everything on myBlackberry.
I promise you.

Speaker 5 (43:41):
Well, I don't think that I've written.

Speaker 1 (43:45):
Damn, I don't think, to be honest with you.
Okay, so on both hands and Ihave well over a thousand pieces
on both hands I've probablywritten.
I can count how many poems I'veactually written down.

Speaker 6 (43:59):
So I still have two backpacks full of nothing but
writings on paper From way backwhen.

Speaker 1 (44:08):
Now, well, I have a stack of printed out pieces that
are about half your height.

Speaker 6 (44:15):
Yeah, nah, it's uh, I mean they're so old.
The paper is a different colornow.
You know what I'm saying.
From way back when like that,and so I can see the transition
of how my writing has changedfrom way back when to now.

Speaker 1 (44:30):
And you keep them safe, of course.

Speaker 6 (44:33):
Absolutely Okay Because that's important.

Speaker 1 (44:36):
Yeah, that's important.
Now for now I'm getting, we'regoing to talk to the poets out
there, right, and I'm still theshit.
This is a poetry class for mebecause I freestyle everything.
I'm not to the point where Icould tell you you know
different structures and stufflike that.
From an educated standpoint, Ican guess that's about it.

(44:59):
But do you prefer writing in aspecific poetic form or
structure or do you enjoyexperimenting with different
styles?

Speaker 6 (45:07):
I absolutely enjoy experimenting.

Speaker 1 (45:11):
Okay, and then I would assume that, like spoken
word is always an experiment,right, unless your cadence
changes and when you cadence.
I mean you're always playingwith something Pause.

Speaker 6 (45:26):
Yeah, so that's funny .

Speaker 1 (45:27):
Yeah, I know you get on my nerves.

Speaker 6 (45:37):
Oh my gosh, you're crazy.
Yeah, so my pieces, they allhave different voices, so I
believe that some of them aremeant to be read and some of
them are meant to be recited.
Oh Right, so you want to recitethe spoken word pieces to a
crowd?
You can read some of the otherones that are not meant to be

(45:57):
performed, which is essentiallywhat spoken word is.
It's just performance poetry,but I love it.
They have different voicesdepending on what the topic is.
So you know, you can write anangry poem and you're going to
read it or deliver it a littlebit differently than you would.
Something that's about love,you know, or something that's

(46:19):
about healing, or somethingthat's about trust.
So, yeah, they take ondifferent forms, you know.
Okay.

Speaker 4 (46:28):
Okay.

Speaker 1 (46:29):
All right and yeah, because I'll be honest with you.
For me, yeah, when I startedwriting, I always wanted to be a
spoken word artist, but I couldnever memorize my pieces.
It's like I would write them,I'd marry them and divorce them
right after I'm done.
Like as soon as I put a periodat the end of whatever piece
that I wrote is we're gettingdivorced, and well, I'm not a

(46:53):
performer.

Speaker 6 (46:54):
I will say that I'm not a performer.
I write a lot more than Iperform, but I do like
interacting with other people.
I do like to see that somebodyhas been touched by something.
That I say because now I know,because it's all about the
lessons, you know what I'msaying for me and so you know I

(47:16):
just I really enjoy that part ofit to see someone else can
leave or walk out of there, comeup to you and be like you know
what I felt, like that before orthat really touched me or that
inspired me or I feel your pain.
You know what I'm saying Now.
You know whatever it is thatyou just spoke is relatable and
somebody is going to leave theirfull.

Speaker 1 (47:35):
Yeah, like his findings, felt like fire.

Speaker 5 (47:39):
Absolutely.
These brothers is in trouble.

Speaker 1 (47:45):
You sit down, think you about to have a regular
conversation, and she's like,like, like a fucking poetic
X-man.
Let me tell you something.

Speaker 6 (47:55):
I wrote this one piece.
You're crazy.
I wrote this one piece andthere's only one small part in
it.
It's super small, but in thatpiece I heard your voice.
It's because you're from NewYork.
That's what it is.
All this is not about New York.
People, people, all right, buteverybody from New York has that
same tone, especially inbravado.

(48:17):
Yeah, absolutely All right.
It's a certain flavor that NewYork has that I heard in this
particular part.
So I'm like you know what, if Iever record this piece, I mean,
mr Stiles, to just read thisone part that's designed for
somebody from New York.

Speaker 1 (48:38):
You know it's crazy.
I have a piece called Brooklyn,him, my Domina, and him is
spelled H-Y-M-N Right and I'vealways wanted, like a female, to
come and rewrite the my Domina,because Domina.
Of course I spelled with aH-E-R at the end, but I always

(49:00):
wanted a female to come in anddo that, but not just write it.
I wanted it to be like a spokenword piece.
You know, and my dream isbasically to do a spoken word
album.
To be honest with you, and justto say that.
I did it.
It's not even a thing of youknow to do it, to go on any type
of accolades or whatever, but Ireally want to do something

(49:22):
like that, hey.

Speaker 6 (49:23):
what are you waiting on?
Do it.

Speaker 1 (49:25):
I'm waiting on it to stop playing with me because
what happens is no stop.
But then you know what.
It's harder than you think.
It's not as easy as just likeall right, cool, I'm going to go
do blah, blah, blah because youget a producer.
But then you know the producerthese niggas is TikTok producers
, so they at home mixing it up,they can complete a beat, but

(49:47):
they can't really.
It's not one of those thingswhere I'm going to spit the
piece and he's going to workaround the piece and then where
you know it has like different,like cracks and crevices that he
can dive into, pause and then,you know, do his thing.
It's not like that at all.
It's kind of like this is thebeat.
Here is the beat.

(50:09):
I'm like no, we got to be ableto craft this from beginning to
end.

Speaker 6 (50:13):
You know I'm going to send that piece to you, and or
when you read it in the book,right?
You'll know exactly what partis it's called write me, rhyme
me, define me.

Speaker 1 (50:23):
Okay, no man, yeah, okay, I can't wait in my book is
here, it's just somewhere else.
And I'm mad that it's somewhereelse.
I need to have it in my head.
And the last question for thesegment, basically, is you know
what role does poetry play inyour life currently?

Speaker 4 (50:41):
Like how does it?

Speaker 1 (50:43):
I would assume that it's part of you.

Speaker 6 (50:46):
It is.
I mean, honestly, everything ispoetry to me, and that's a line
that I use often Everything ispoetry because it is, I mean, in
its purest form.
Poetry is just a means ofexpression, and so when I say

(51:06):
everything is poetry, itliterally is, because you can
use poetry to express anyfeeling, whether it is high, low
and different, in any area oflife.
You may not know how to, butthere's someone out there that
does, and so everything ispoetry to me, including politics

(51:29):
.

Speaker 1 (51:32):
Wow Okay, I mean yeah can't leave it out right, right
Church and state All right, soI can write about that too.
Yeah, so this is the thing inclosing.
Yes, let's talk about where wecan get your book.

Speaker 6 (51:50):
All right, so the book is available on Amazon.
So if you go to Amazon Booksand then type in Emotional by
today T O D A E, the book isthere.
You can find me on Facebook andTikTok, as well as Instagram at
Keoko K I Y O K O underscoretoday T O D A E.

(52:14):
I'm on all three platforms asKeoko today and if you want to
sign copy, find me on one ofthose three platforms and shoot
me a message.
Otherwise, just find me onInstagram.
That's it.

Speaker 1 (52:28):
I'll just grab the book and enjoy the book.

Speaker 6 (52:31):
Absolutely.
Please grab the book.

Speaker 4 (52:34):
Please, please, grab the book and enjoy the book.

Speaker 6 (52:37):
You see, yo, that's crazy, yeah, the book.

Speaker 1 (52:39):
And I'm looking at, I'm staring at the screen,
people for those, not you knowwhatever.
But yeah, okay, so fire cover,fire cover.
You know, did you lose yourmind when you got to first?
Nah, fuck it.
Did you lose your mind when yougot to proof?
Forget the finished copy.

Speaker 6 (52:58):
I was excited to get approved, to see the very first
Right I lost my ever livingfucking mind when I got my proof
.

Speaker 4 (53:06):
I was like wait a minute.

Speaker 1 (53:07):
It was cause you got to hold it, you know, and for me
what I did was and then we'lldefinitely close out the segment
but for me what I did was Iliterally created that book from
cover to cover, on my own cause.
I have a graphic designersbackground.
And I had a, and I also had likea print background, cause I

(53:28):
sold print on Walt Street, so itwas like all right, so I
understood both sides of it.
And then, of course, you knowthe melanin of my skin.
I had to basically save all ofmy bread, so I couldn't afford
to do it any other way but thatway.
So when I got that proof,though, I almost dropped a
fucking tear, like almostdropped a tear just to hold it.

(53:49):
You know it's like giving birthto a child, but I'm a guy.

Speaker 6 (53:54):
Yeah.
I dig it.
I self-published and theprocess was difficult because I
was maneuvering it all on my ownand it took probably a couple
of months for me to learn how todo everything Right.
But I'll tell you, this is thebomb.
So there are images in thereand in color, right, cause I

(54:16):
write and dream in color.
So why not put those images incolor in the book as well, and
you'll love it.

Speaker 1 (54:24):
All right, you have any advice for any of these
young budding poets out there.

Speaker 6 (54:32):
Don't keep.
Whatever it is you feel inside,put it all out on the paper If
you can't speak to anybody else.
Poetry does not have to run.
Okay, you can free burst it.
That means it doesn't have tohave a specific pattern.
You don't have to be likewhoever is hot right now poets
or lyricists or whatever.
Just be you and express you theway that you feel that you need

(54:55):
to, in a way that you want to.
Cause so many times peoplecompare themselves to the next
person.
I want to write like them, or Iwant my poetry to sound like
that, but then you lose theessence of you.
So it's one thing if you'relearning from all those people
Like I love Gil Scott Herron,one of the old ones.
Absolutely, I love.
Bill Williams, do you know whatI'm?
Saying Absolutely.
And I love Stoney Patterson,you know what I'm saying Some of

(55:17):
the new ones, but I don't wantto sound like them.
I want to sound like me.
I can learn new words from themand nuances and all of these
different things, cadence andflexion, but I want to sound
like me.
So I mean, do you keep writing,don't be afraid.
If you are, do it anyway.

Speaker 2 (55:35):
That's it.
Bay night, sexy nights and goodfood, All right.

Speaker 1 (55:42):
So we've reached the segment that all of my guests
I'm lying, 95% of my guests tendto fuck it up.
They do, they do.
No matter what I say on thispiece of paper, I always get
something other than that, and95, right, so this keeps me out

(56:02):
of the fire, cause.
Then, if somebody hits me likeyo Staz, you always, but you're
not part of the night, youalways, but you're not part of
the 95.
I'm talking about the other 95.
But 95% of the time, you know,I stump them with this one.
All right, but with you.
What I'm going to do, though,is actually give you a little

(56:23):
motivation.
All right, cause it is poetrynight.

Speaker 3 (56:26):
I want to make love to you tonight.
I feel like our opportunity haspresented itself again, and I
don't want us to miss out on ittwice.
Look, I know that this is a bitmuch, but I was just hoping
that you would say yes.

Speaker 1 (56:46):
So this is that I'm not afraid to hold your hand in
public, the confirmation of themanifestation of maturity,
flaunting the connection that Ihad prior to, one that my former
self even committed to inside,committed to a sudden.
Not allow my selfish overturesto masquerade as an affinity of

(57:08):
affection.
It's blessings being able tostare in the mirror and give my
flaws the recognition that theydeserve.
I need to fix what I can seeand embrace the fact that your
acceptance is conditional andtaking steps in a positive
direction is the one and onlycondition.
So, for love's sake, we wantdesire to fall into the category

(57:33):
of infinity and we need want,and desire was infinitely beyond
our means, which is why love isthe bottomless pit.
As close as you think you are,we all heard when we think we
physically achieved it.
Just let it be.
In truth, the only requires isacknowledgement.

(57:54):
I love you.

Speaker 3 (57:57):
I've been in love with you from the first day I
saw you.

Speaker 5 (58:00):
Why did it take you so long to say that?
Because I was scared.
I'm heart-headed.

Speaker 1 (58:09):
All right, so boom, that was your inspiration.
Please don't fuck it up.
Please don't fuck it up.

Speaker 6 (58:17):
You are really something else.

Speaker 1 (58:18):
Listen, I ditched you the ball under the basket.
This is layup Go.

Speaker 6 (58:24):
Oh, is that what we're doing?

Speaker 1 (58:25):
Yeah, I don't even like the long pause.

Speaker 6 (58:27):
Yeah, cause I mean you threw me off.

Speaker 1 (58:29):
How could I?

Speaker 6 (58:31):
Okay, be quiet.
The first time I heard himspeak it was if this poet put
his arms around me, with wordspiercing through my soul,
without that monotonous dialect,but that he'd induced vibration
.
And still, through his rhetoriche gives me an eargasm,

(58:52):
triggering something like anorgasm, and I can feel his words
captivating, make love to mementally, touching me repeatedly
, reminding me just why poetrymoves me.
He dissects and defines,creating passages and verses and

(59:14):
rhymes that'll leave youbreathless and sometimes, before
you realize it, you're dressedless.
And I can tell by theexpressions he's touching you
like he's touching me repeatedlymentally.
He's a bright, young soulsearching for peace to unfold

(59:37):
unknowingly, helping lost soulsto find their own voice in home.
And in the midst of his poeticverbal kiss, we await for him to
bless us in his native songtones, patiently, until his lips
part.
And I'm entangled consciously,because again he's touching me

(01:00:03):
mentally.
So don't stop.

Speaker 1 (01:00:09):
See, ladies and gentlemen, that's the type of
shit that makes me want to throwmy pen out the window, but then
I'll even write it.
You know, with a fucking pen Idon't write the shit down, so
I'd have to throw my iPad outthe window.
That's expensive, so we're notdoing that.
However, all right, so youdidn't disappoint.
That was great, that wasamazing.

Speaker 6 (01:00:29):
Thank you, that was, that was amazing.
Put me on the spot.
Put me on the spot that wassimple and unprepared, but thank
you.

Speaker 1 (01:00:34):
You read that from the book or from one of your
journal, your journal, you knowwhat you know what.

Speaker 6 (01:00:40):
I'm not going to do that with you.

Speaker 1 (01:00:41):
I'm just asking what do you come from?
You came from the journal.

Speaker 6 (01:00:45):
Both.
That one is actually in thebook, but it's in my journal as
well.

Speaker 1 (01:00:48):
OK, then you know what you should have read one of
the chunks that I know me, butnow, because I don't have.
I can't, I don't have my piece,my part of it.

Speaker 6 (01:00:58):
Oh man, why do you not memorize your stuff?

Speaker 1 (01:01:01):
Because it's written down.
I did say I was lazy.
I need you to pay attention.

Speaker 6 (01:01:07):
So, people, what he's trying to say is that we should
have read one of the piecesthat we wrote together.

Speaker 4 (01:01:13):
Right.

Speaker 6 (01:01:14):
But since somebody you cannot memorize their stuff,
then he's like cool, you wantme to read it for you?

Speaker 1 (01:01:27):
Yeah, yeah, because I know you sent me you had sent
me what was it?
It wasn't a deal.
You sent me an instant message.
It was a message right and Ithink you sent me like my piece
and was like yo, can I put thisin the book?
And I was like, yeah, go ahead.

(01:01:48):
And I spent like 10 minutesreading and rereading that shit.
Like yo, this shit is fire.
Anyway, go ahead.
I'm sorry.

Speaker 6 (01:01:55):
Yeah, I'll do a short one, and this is not a spoken
word piece, this is one that ismeant to be read.
But you guys, will you get thebook?
Pay attention to the storyline.

Speaker 1 (01:02:05):
Am I in this?

Speaker 6 (01:02:06):
one In this form yeah , yeah, this is one of the
collapse.
It's a short one Copy yeah,because I know what the time
frame is, and so forth.

Speaker 1 (01:02:17):
What you mean a time frame.
That's the second time somebodysaid that to me today.

Speaker 6 (01:02:22):
We had, we were on a side.

Speaker 1 (01:02:24):
OK, ok, ok, this is CPT we hear CPT.

Speaker 6 (01:02:29):
Ok, all right.
Well, this is called.
Love isn't a metaphor.
Listen, if we happen to fall, Ihope it's together and make
forever injury free, chestcompressions being the only
burden.
Hurdles stand erect because wecleared them.
Heart beats I can hear them,the constant want to live, the

(01:02:52):
coincidences that we survive intandem.
Growth is measured by breaths.
Our transparent words exposewhat's left.
So love isn't a metaphor.
After all, it's a residentresting comfortably on my
consciousness.
Message received.
But what if forever never comes?

(01:03:13):
I'd much rather bask in thepresent moment of the fearless
and emotionally free, that spacewhere time restraints cease and
hearts merge, with minds likesilhouettes dancing between
kinetically inclined sheets,where pulses run acutely
concurrent by evading potentpieces of what the world deems
burning burdens, yetunremittingly still learning how

(01:03:38):
to just be organically, weAllowing us to take up residence
where oxygen and energy meetInto mixing of each other's
physical and spiritual being,proving with a constancy that
which affirms your originalstatement concrete that love
really isn't just a metaphor,after all.

Speaker 1 (01:04:03):
I think I added another stanza to that and you
left it out.

Speaker 6 (01:04:10):
No, but if you did you know it can always be in
part two.

Speaker 1 (01:04:14):
Yeah, because I'm sitting here feeling a little
salty yeah.

Speaker 6 (01:04:18):
I did.
You wrote the first half.
I would have read it better.

Speaker 1 (01:04:22):
I'm fucking with you.
You know what.
I'm sitting here.
I'm saying like, which part didI write?
The first one, I know, becausewhen you got to the second one
and you got real wordy, I waslike yeah, I don't use those
words.

Speaker 4 (01:04:35):
I don't use those like.

Speaker 1 (01:04:36):
That's not me.
No, but this is the thing.
No, and this, ladies andgentlemen, this is why, ladies
and gentlemen, this is why you Iguess one of the lessons in
life is you always want to bewith someone, or have someone in
your circle, or have a completecircle of people that are doing
so much better than you, butalways willing to be a student,

(01:04:59):
because if you're not, you knowyou're moving in slow motion, or
possibly even moving in reverse.
You know, this is not a game offreeze tag.
You can always, always, youknow, make yourself better, and
I wasn't afraid to do that withpoetry, which is why, you know,
kiyoko, today, I'll start to useyour government.

(01:05:20):
Anyway, kiyoko today and I haveremained friends to this day.
Yeah, and I'm again, like I said, blessings, and I'm happy that
you actually, you know, got toput that book out.
I'm thrilled to have been apart of the process, from the
beginning, you know, from theinception of the thought itself,

(01:05:41):
you know, all the way throughto the actual printing of the
book, you know.
So, congratulations on that.
I can't wait for part two, eventhough I didn't read part one
yet.
Yeah, and I can't wait to getthe book.
Put the book in my hands, yeah.

Speaker 6 (01:05:58):
So part two.
Let me tell you guys one thingso my name is Kiyoko today, but
I write up under both names.
So emotional is written upunder today, and book two will
be written up under Kiyoko.
So depending on what thecontent in is, then I write up
under either my first or mysecond name.
So that's how that's how thatworks.

(01:06:20):
So second book will be byKiyoko, but book one is by today
.

Speaker 1 (01:06:27):
Fire.
Yeah, I can't even fire Fivedesert.

Speaker 2 (01:06:32):
I hope you guys enjoyed your meal.
Can I get you something off ofour desert menu?

Speaker 1 (01:06:41):
I think that we pretty much like covered like
everything that was supposed tobe in this section in the
previous sections, but I do wantto thank everybody that stuck
around for this.
I don't give a fuck if it tookyou three or four listens to
actually get to this part.
Thank you, you know, Iappreciate it.
I also want to take two secondsto thank everybody for making

(01:07:04):
this such an amazing fuckingseason for myself and Shadra.
Like, this has been aphenomenal season, right.
So we're in where, like what?
Seven episodes, who knows whenthis one comes out?
This one actually be out onMonday Can't even date this shit
because, depending on when, youanyway that whole thing had to
stop myself from a tangent.

(01:07:26):
I want to let.
I want to basically thank youguys from the bottom of my heart
and I'm talking about podcaststhat have stuck by me and
watched the growth of peoplethat have hit me up on the side.
You know, and of course, youwill remain nameless because you
don't do it for that.
You know you don't do it for meto name who's actually hitting
me and shit like it's not whatwe do.

(01:07:48):
So grown men and grown womenbusiness.
I appreciate it.
I appreciate it.
Ok, klorenga guys, thank youThank you so much for watching
KJ.
Oh, thank you man, Thank youeveryone xo.

(01:08:09):
We will continue at night andtea drinking people.

Speaker 5 (01:08:24):
They think everything is natural.
Oh my gosh, you know what?
What?

Speaker 1 (01:08:34):
Oh, kyoko, thank you for coming through.
Thank you for putting up withme over these years.
I know I'm a difficult friend.
I've lost a lot of friends.
I've lost a few good friends.
You know, and that might bepetty me talking right now, but

(01:08:59):
I feel like I'm blessed toactually have you stick around
and be the person that you'vebeen to me over these years.
I definitely appreciate it.
Oh, thank you for having me, Ienjoyed it.
And oh and fellas, fellas,fellas, don't play yourself and

(01:09:20):
think that you're going to takeout an expensive dinner and not
have any conversation, Becausethe words that she uses in these
pieces she also puts them shits, in the regular sentences.
So if you're, not ready, youbetter get ready, and that's the
thing about being a poet.

(01:09:40):
That's a whole otherconversation and probably
another conversation for a malepoet.
I need to.
Oh, I spoke to Lowkey.
Well, you probably don't knowLowkey, but he's from GS as well
.
But I spoke to him the otherday.
I'm trying to get that brotherto come on to.
He doesn't write anymore butyou know it's.
Gs was a very tightly knitcommunity.

Speaker 4 (01:10:02):
You know, tightly knit.

Speaker 1 (01:10:05):
Anywho, you got anything for me.

Speaker 6 (01:10:12):
I mean not unless you want me to take you out with
another piece outside of that.

Speaker 1 (01:10:17):
I don't know, but if you call for, that mic one more
time yeah, because you out heregot me.

Speaker 6 (01:10:21):
I'm sorry, because I'm like trying to sneak eat
fruit over here.
I'm saying but we're all thatfucking.

Speaker 1 (01:10:26):
Oh the iron nice and the vitamins and shit.
I don't even understand why youcall for him right now, because
it's cold.

Speaker 6 (01:10:33):
It's like drinking a milkshake that's really cold and
then you know it makes you it.
Just I don't know Cold stuffmakes me do that.

Speaker 1 (01:10:39):
And I'm upset at myself.

Speaker 6 (01:10:41):
You're trying to like sneak fruit over here.

Speaker 1 (01:10:44):
I'm mad for even letting you get that one off.
Like, how did I even cut youoff a long time ago with that?
You see me, I'm like yeah,talking about this is my
favorite.
Yeah, whatever.
Yes one last piece.
Mama, go ahead, do your thing.
Floors.
Only because you're dropping abook, do your thing, All right,
let me clear my throat.

(01:11:05):
You want to do that and youwill make me play.
All right, can you mute?

Speaker 4 (01:11:09):
your mic when you clear your throat, unless it's
still swelling.

Speaker 6 (01:11:13):
I was trying to be funny that time.
I'm sorry.
Yes, I can mute my mic when Ido that again.
I really put that one in therefor you just to be aggy, because
you are harping on me.

Speaker 5 (01:11:23):
All right, go ahead.

Speaker 6 (01:11:25):
All right.
So this one is called Poetry isPower, since it's a whole
poetry event.
Right, then?
I think that it's necessarythat we do this one For the
younger ones that are listening.
The one thing that I like totell anybody from any generation
is to know that your voiceholds power.
So don't use, excuse me, if youdon't use it, you will lose it.

(01:11:50):
All right, absolutely.

Speaker 4 (01:11:54):
Want to grow on.

Speaker 6 (01:11:58):
Poetry is power and we are the vessels that deliver
love, life and lessons in theform of dialectical expressions,
possessing the ability toinfluence and lay mental tracks,
like prehistoric impressions.
And I'm not talking about thehyped up studio sessions that
promote materialism andpremature sex, and rather it's a

(01:12:21):
verbal revolution and it's amessage to the youth, then a
bearing witness to the truth.
Then we are the vessels.
Poetry is power because we canraise our voices as one strength
and one entity, instead ofgunplay where my child plays and
you can see why this gets thebest of me because with words we

(01:12:43):
breathe life in thee.
Poetry is power and we are thevessels.
See, we use word play to helprelease and help relieve pain,
like Martin did with cries oflet freedom reign and Harriet
did with Negro spirituals thathelp deliver slaves.
Poetry is power and we do itwithout being loyal to the game.

(01:13:09):
Instead, we instill knowledgein sons and daughters to help
ward off prey and strengthen themidst of madness, to keep
undertakers from makingheadstones for another black
grave.
So why is this an endlessjourney from which I can't
refrain?

(01:13:29):
It's because poetry is powerand we are the vessels that
deliver love, life and lessonsin the form of dialectical
expressions.
We use our tongues as lyricallycorrect, righteous weapons, so
ain't no need to keep stressing,just incline your ears and
receive these blessings, becausewe are the vessels and poetry

(01:13:55):
is power.

Speaker 5 (01:14:20):
Staying alive, staying alive, staying alive.