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"Poetry for the Urban Survivalist" Poet/Activist www.33third.com/monte Page 1 | 2 | 3 Lee: Do you dig? Monte Smith: I go with DJ Soundmachine and Matt Stibbe from 33Third.com when they're in town. The south has a lot 'Flea Markets' (country swap meets) so the diggin' is real good around 'these parts.' L: How do you feel about vinyl these days? M: I worry about vinyl. I also worry about the lack of knowledge the young kids of today have about DJs. You mention pioneers like Pete DJ Jones or DJ flowers and they look at you like you're stupid. I will never be one who believes mixing CDs contributes to the growth of real rap music. When I perform at rap shows the DJ better have records (hence: DJ) or he or she's getting clowned. L: You mentioned that you'll be working in a poetry workshop in Winston-NC. What brought the idea to the table? M: A local store owner /social activist, approached me about doing a workshop in his store after hearing my social commentary at the last Red Bull/ NC Grand Slam. He explained the store was in a very poor area surrounded by gov't yards, housing lots of kids with no access to any social message except for the systematic programming of commercial radio. (Sinclair broadcasting to be exact!) The point was overstood plus, I'm one who strongly believes BET, MTV and commercial radio are killing more kids than Smith 'n Wesson handguns. Someone has to stand up and tell the youth 'all that glitters is not gold' and mean it! Spinners, chains, diamonds, etc. are all part of the systematic bait to kill poor people, so any time I can find someone to donate a classroom on the frontlines I'm there. L: In what way are you hoping this project helps the surrounding community? M: I'm hoping the workshop will save lives. Don't let the media fool ya, the south is still a racial battleground. Ignorance still runs amuck from all sides. The police departments are still very much segregated and what people must understand is, the KU KLUX KLAN, they're not driving around in pick up trucks anymore. In 2004, they're driving Lexus's and running for public office! L: Tell us about the North Carolina Poetry Grand Slam and how much it's grown in the last two years. M: The Red Bull/North Carolina Poetry Grand Slam was born out of the need to have a legitimate sponsored street poetry competition. Matt Stibbe from 33Third.com and myself sat down with Red Bull Energy drink and convinced them to take a chance on the idea. The first year we turned over a hundred people away. It was that packed. Matter of fact it was largest poetry event NC has ever witnessed. The second year, we doubled the crowd and garnered national media acclaim. The third annual, which will be held February 19, 2005 we'll have three times the initial budget and national support, making it the largest 'sponsored' street poetry competition in the country. L: What sets spoken word apart from other forms of artistic expression in NC? M: It's the same thing that separates it from other art forms in other parts of the country: It's the last remaining underground form of edutainment. L: How powerful do you feel this medium is for youth who lack the exposure to adequate programming? M: This medium is essential to the youth. Everything they see and hear in the media is white washed propaganda. The curriculum they're being force fed at school is biased and crippling at best. So anytime children can be exposed to street poets such as myself and others like Andrew Davis, Carlos Andres Gomez, H2O... it gives them the chance to see and hear CORRECT information on the police, Big Brother, the CIA, secret societies, the criminal justice industrial complex, the government's real role in the drug war, present day slave labor, healthcare, welfare, NAFTA, the media, and so many other realities that strangle poor people! L: How did the collaboration come about with you and DJ Vadim? M: The collaboration came about when an associate from 33Third.com was on business in Los Angeles a couple of years ago and found himself backstage at a concert hall where Vadim was featuring. The associate gave Vadim my media kit, pitched what I was working on with DJ Soundmachine, and a couple of weeks later, we received an email explaining he was interested and to send poetry ASAP. L: What qualities does DJ Vadim bring out of you in terms of expression? M: There were two processes. I recorded the poems on D.A.T tapes and sent them to London. Vadim then built his ideas around the poetry. So perhaps the poetry inspired the music. Either way working with DJ Vadim was a big honor for me. I've always been a big fan of his production work, especially the tracks he did with Skinny Man, who I personally believe is the dopest MC outside of the states.
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