The Power of Words

APAs represent at Def Poetry Jam

By Sajid Farooq
Special to AsianWeek

It was obvious from the start that this wasn’t going to be your regular theater-going experience. DJ Tendaji Lathan had the packed crowd dancing on the way to their seats by dropping hip hop standards from Notorious B.I.G.’s “Big Poppa” and Tupac Shakur’s “I Get Around,” to old school classics like the Tom Tom Club’s “Genius of Love.”

By the time poet Beau Sia said, “Give me a Scrabble board and watch as I beat you without using consonants,” it was clear that Russell Simmons’ Def Poetry Jam was like nothing ever seen or heard before.

Created by hip hop icon Simmons, Def Poetry Jam features an ethnically diverse group of nine poets (Georgia Me, Black Ice, Beau Sia, Suheir Hammad, Lemon, Steve Colman, Staceyann Chin, Mayda del Valle and Poetri) who tackle topics like racism, terrorism, sexuality and even the evilness of Krispy Kreme donuts through individual and group poetic performances at San Francisco’s Theater on the Square. The show, which spans two hours, runs through July 28.

The 44-year-old Simmons had a vision to use hip hop’s ability to “cut across geographic, racial and class boundaries” to shape the form of urban pop culture. His show does just that. This group of eclectic poets represents the different voices of America, with each performer bringing their different piece to the puzzle. Each poet writes his or her own work, but instead of the show being disparate, it all flows seamlessly as if there is one masterful cog behind the machine that is the Def Poetry Jam.

Beau Sia.

With her afro and distinctive reggae accent, Chin’s Chinese heritage (her father is Chinese) challenges the audience’s assumptions. Her words tranport listeners past superficiality and spring them into issues from her past. Chin says her work is influenced by her upbringing in Jamaica and reading writers like Zora Neale Hurston, Nikki Giovanni and Toni Morrison.

“It is important to point out I am biracial: Jamaican and Asian,” she said. “When you are such a mutt, you have issues to write about.”

Chinese American poet Sia came out on stage to the loudest ovation — partly because fans recognize him from the HBO Def Poetry Jam series and his success in the slam scene in the past few years. The native of Oklahoma City, Okla., mixes humor and raw energy into an explosive performance. At one point the audience goes ballistic as Sia simply winks at the crowd in acknowledgement of the cheers. But, Sia is not all about fun and games. He uses poetry as a vehicle to shed stereotypes that may exist about Asian Pacific Americans.

“As commercial as it may seem, it is still my voice, poetry, me saying exactly what I want. It is still my words,” Sia said. “For that to reach suburban Asian American kids in Oklahoma, where I am from, is a blessing.”

Palestinian American poet Hammad feels the same way. “My family is Palestinian refugees who are devout Muslims,” she said. “In this time when Muslims are public enemy number one, my face can represent something different, I am honored to be that face.”

Her first appearance on stage quickly changes the mood from her predecessors’ pieces, like Poetri’s “Sometimes I pretend I’m Michael Jackson” or Sia’s “Totally XXXtreme,” where he mocks everyone and their mothers. Hammad’s presence on stage immediately demands attention because of the seriousness of her content. Her performance is capped off by a powerful self-analysis of our culture entitled “Mic Check,” where she questions those who racially profile Arab Americans after Sept. 11.

The show is a two-hour roller coaster ride of emotions. The poets’ blend of wit and seriousness fuse perfectly as they exit the show simultaneously screaming out a laundry list of provocative statements.

“[Poetry] connects on a much deeper level,” Sia said.

Chin agreed: “Spoken word has been a political activist tool. You can’t talk about human rights without dealing with a particular issue first.” Chin continued, “This is how I want to change the world.”

Russell Simmons “Def Poetry Jam” will play a limited six-week engagement through July 28 at San Francisco’s Theatre on the Square, 450 Post St. The weekly performance schedule is: Tuesday-Thursday at 8 p.m.; Friday and Saturday at 7 and 10 p.m.; and Sundæy at 5 p.m. Ticket: $25-$40. All tickets for preview performances are $25. Fifty percent off student rush tickets are available one hour prior to each Wednesday through Sunday performance.