"Poems should be heard," heralded the spoken word pioneer Etheridge Knight. Whose poems converged at academic and performance, setting new standards for the performance of spoken word poetry.
The Renaissance in Atlanta, led by spoken word poets, is making room for themselves and the genre to be heard. Queen Sheba (Bethsheba Rem), a prominent figure in the spoken word poetry scene, leads the charge. Rem is a Clark Atlanta Grammy-nominated professor, a former Atlanta Public School Board candidate, and a unique figure. She is the first and only female spoken word poet nominated back-to-back in the same category, a feat reserved for the masters in their respective crafts, such as Beyonce, Kendrick Lamar, J. Ivy, and now Queen Sheba.
As the 67th Grammy Awards approaches, I wanted to capture the history before our eyes while making a compelling case for the profound effect of Queen Sheba's spoken word poetry album on the genre.
It is a misty Sunday evening in Atlanta. I am five hundred miles from my hometown, in the green room of City Winery. I am readying myself to interview the two-time Grammy-nominated Spoken Word Poet Queen Sheba. The venue is deep; there is a presence of spoken word royalty: Atlanta's Tony Award-winning poet Tamika "Georgia Me" Harper, actor & poet Malcolm Jamal Warner, world-renowned songstress Phillippia Williams, Political Poet Tommy Bottoms, Detroit's Ms. Dia, Miami's Red Writing Hood, and other notable artists from around the globe.
Naming the community parallels a shared room with Zora, Langston, and Claude: replete, distinguished, and brimming with pressured perspectives highlighting artistic methods' metamorphic qualities. It feels like Sunday dinner at Sugah's house, a gathering of minds.
Queen Sheba is seated, stately, in a leopard print dress with braided Bantu knots atop her head. Just as she opens her mouth to say and spell her name for the recording, Phillippia belts a sovereign note hailed for the queen; its timing was perfect, implicative of a movie scene.
Rem, a 20+ year veteran of spoken word poetry, whose 10th album, Civil Writes: The South Got Something to Say, is the body of work nominated for the Grammy in a category championed by and for spoken word poets.
By title, Civil Writes: The South Got Something to Say is concentrated yet robust, exact, layered, spoken, and felt. It assesses and informs, using the culture's language while holding an additional academic conversation. The poems are paradoxical, witty, vulnerable, and verbally ironic.
I sit down with the credentialed poet regarding this album's timing, themes, the spoken word culture, and her influence.
I ask about the sonic differences between her first Grammy-nominated album, A. You're Not Wrong, B. They're Not Either: The Fukc-It Pill Revisited and her second.
Eagar to respond, she exclaimed, "I am so glad you asked, for real, for real. I learned a lot [during] what I call Grammy boot camp week." At the 66th Grammy festivities, Sheba's feedback led to her shortened poems that broadened the listenership and garnered radio airplay.
"Your poems have to be heard, right," states Queen Sheba.
Civil Writes: The South Got Something to Say pays homage to a culture, the people who paved the way, and the places that taught the poet her most valuable lessons. It is evocative and timely, addressing themes of identity and individualism.
"Killer MIC: The South Got Something to Say" is a nod to Atlanta rappers and activists Killer Mike (Michael Santiago Render) and André 3000 (André Lauren Benjamin). The title poem is a crowd favorite partly because of its infectious refrain, "At Hartsfield–Jackson where dreams take flight." Immediately, you are taken on a soulful sonic journey through life. The poem's iconic line, "I found wisdom inna blend of identities," reveals the depth of introspection. This poem is wholeheartedly Atlanta, celebrating its culture and identity.
Sidebar: This poem is an excellent fit for the ATL airport in its 100-year celebration.
Another poetic standout from the album is "Church & Abortions." This poem propelled Queen Sheba's Civil Writes: The South Got Something to Say to the forefront, a powerful exploration of the intersection of religion and reproductive rights. The poem's ability to be present and afro-futuristic is the perfect blend of spoken word and traditional written poetry.
The title, "Church & Abortions," shows us two things that can be assuredly true but may appear to contradict, like "God's absolute sovereignty" and "man's free will." Biblically, they are authentic yet seem to contradict one another on a human level of understanding. "Church & Abortions" summarizes the album, the world, and the artist's ability to question yet be resolved.
Civil Writes: The South Got Something to Say is a premium blend of Southernplayalisticadillacmuzik, complimenting each poem with just enough space to digest the well-seasoned mix of storytelling and activism. If listeners want to recognize excellence in spoken word specific to the performance of poetry with or without music, then Queen Sheba's Civil Writes: The South Got Something to Say is worth a listen.
Click the link below to hear "Church & Abortions" and share your thoughts.
Church & Abortions (feat. Kim Joyce & Wolfe) - Song by Queen Sheba - Apple Music
*Bethsheba Rem submitted all pictures
About the Author
LaTasha Boyd Jones pn Tasha Jones, a rising star in the world of poetry, is Indiana's youngest poet Laureate nominee. She is a spoken word artist and an educator, sharing her passion for poetry with the next generation. Currently, she is the Reginald L. Jones Fellow at the Indianapolis Recorder, where she continues to make significant contributions to the literary community.