African American Storytelling: Rap, Rhymes, and Poetry in Performance

Rap resembles some of poetry’s oldest forms.  From the ballads and performed tales of early African Americans to the stripped-down lyrics of the Sugar Hill Gang – the tradition of incorporating rhythm and beats into poetry has been with us for centuries.

Today we hear panel discussion on the relationship between hip-hop and world of Western poetry.  Should Jay-Z and Tupac be considered alongside poetic greats as Langston Hughes and Maya Angelou?

The panelists include Russell Goings, poet and author of The Children of Children Keep Coming, an “epic griot song” that blends the stories of historical giants like Frederick Douglass, Billie Holiday and Jackie Robinson with mythic characters from African American tradition in a style that captures both the spirit and eloquence of West African storytelling; and Adam Bradley, Associate Professor of English at the University of Colorado and author of The Poetics of Hip-Hop and The Anthology of Rap, an overview of rap’s poetics, major historical periods in rap’s development, and discussions of influential artists.

This lecture is part of a year-long symposium on African American storytelling in literature and the arts featuring the work of Author Russell Goings.  Goings spent thirteen years writing The Children of Children Keep Coming. He was a former pro football player and first African American brokerage manager for a New York Stock Exchange member firm. He was the founder of Essence magazine and the Studio Museum of Harlem.

The panel is sponsored by Fairfield University, West Chester University Poetry Center and WNPR – Connecticut Public Radio.