Native Tongue

Poets and MCs engage in serious wordplay

by James Saul

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Published: Nov 1, 2006

Jalima Shani is out to prove that there's no rhyme or reason between spoken word and rap. Her Art of War lyricist competition tosses 32 poets and MCs into a chaotic verbal melee, forcing them to work with one another in ways they could never imagine.

"I see poetry and rap as the same thing, although poets and MCs don't see it that way," says a windblown Shani, sitting in a park near the Schuylkill River. "I thought it would be cool to take the two different genres, put them against each other and see who really perfects their craft the most."

Naturally, the 27-year-old Philadelphia native is both a spoken-word artist and an MC. She always approached things a little differently while growing up in Mt. Airy. In elementary school, she'd walk with a mirror under her nose to see what life would be like on the ceiling. It's this sort of thinking that has resonated with the artist throughout her life.

"The Art of War is definitely an extension of me," she says. "My style is very much an overlap of [poetry and rap]. In the middle of a verse, I might break into spoken word and get off beat." Shani's forthcoming disc, Youthful Airplay (Nonsense), showcases those diverse skills and features production from Swamburger of the So.iLLaquists of Sound.

One major artistic inspiration for Shani and her Art of War is poet Saul Williams. "After hearing poets like [him], how could anyone ever try to separate the poets and MCs?" she says. "Saul Williams embodies what this competition is about—just freeing yourself from the boundaries and being an artist."

Shani's little sister was also a huge inspiration. "There was a point when I thought this might be too crazy to go along with, but she was with me all the way," she says. The "crazy" she's referring to is not only the volume of contestants in her competition, but the $1,000 winner-take-all prize they're vying for.

Contestants were selected from a combination of live performances and MySpace browsing. ("I hate to say it, but I love talking to people through that site," admits Shani.) A handful of the participants are traveling from other states, including New York, Connecticut and Massachusetts.

The Art of War is broken into four rounds of intense verbiage. First, the artists will present a rhymed personal statement. Then, in 30-second rounds, they debate on a range of topics, from serious current events to lighter, more comedic fare. For round three, each artist must perform a written piece incorporating the same 10 words. The fourth and final round features a mix-up of MCs and poets in the cipher, the freestyle circle where members bounce a rap story around a metaphorical campfire.

A diverse group of judges from both schools of thought will rate the contestants. Highlighted panelists include Mighty Flipside from the Illvibe Collective, local poet and open mic master Nish Pugh, Ibrahim from hip-hop monthly The Gathering and the legendary Iron Solomon from Scribble Jam.

"I hope that after this event, Philly artists are willing to step out of their boxes and network with each other," says Shani. Let's hope they follow her example and check out things from the ceiling.

The Art of WarLyricist competition

Fri. Nov. 3, 9 p.m., $5-$12, The Rotunda, 4014 Walnut St., 215-573-3234, www.foundationarts.org, www.myspace.com/jalima

 

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