Robert Komishane is a Port Townsend, WA poet who turned in middle age to rap and hiphop for inspiration when he wanted to switch from writing free verse to writing in form. Four and a half year’s later, he’s still having fun and gaining attention for his efforts. I interviewed Robert via email to learn more about him and his rap poetry. I am pleased to present his thoughts on the genre as well as this link to the lyrics and audio of “My Story,” one of Robert’s newest pieces.

Sheila
What prompted you to delve into this form most think of as one for the younger generation?

Robert
I had written free verse poetry for 45 years, with publications in various journals. I decided I’d like to try the challenge of writing in metrical forms such as sonnet, villanelle, sestina, etc. Free verse had always come easily to me, each poem flowing non-stop through me in one sitting, requiring little if any revision. But formal verse was a lot more difficult; I had to work on each poem a number of times to get it to the version that felt right for me. But I enjoyed this way of working.

Some time during this period–I don’t remember when or how–I heard, for the first time ever, a rap song. I was impressed by the intricate word play and unusual rhyming, and loved the flowing of the rappers’ lines through, around, in-and-out of the steady musical beat. This was, decidedly, not poetry put to music; nor was it song writing in the traditional sense. More like a jazz improviser, say a saxophonist, blowing while the drums and bass keep a regular beat for him to work within.I was hooked. I then and there resolved to start from scratch to attempt to learn how to produce such a beautiful sound.

Sheila
Now that you’ve been practicing the form for awhile, what continues to draw you?

Robert
Even now, after all this time, I still don’t feel as if I’ve accomplished my original goal.I have improved a lot since I began, but I can’t seem to produce the genuine hiphop flow I could hear clearly from the outset. My rhyming and wordplay are coming along to my satisfaction, but not the flow. I’m good at what I’m doing, but still don’t — to my ear –sound like the mc’s (rappers) I want to emulate. As I continue to listen and discover highly accomplished artists in this field, my love and appreciation of hiphop hasn’t abated, but actually increases as time goes on. I’m not someone who gives up easily, so I go on.

Sheila
How would you describe the flow you are after?

Robert
I characterized what I was doing earlier as “more tick-tock than hiphop.”

Perhaps the cardinal rule of rapping isthat the rapper must have four accented (usually heavily so) syllables in each measure of the music. The disc jockey (dj) provides the regular beat while the microphone controller (mc) raps in and out around through this beat (called “riding the beat” — cadence in the overall balance of a rhyme in relation to the beat). I found, though, that I was actually doing the same thing as the dj — not flowing but keeping a regular beat with my lyrics. I had a mechanical rather than musical sound.

What I’m now doing is closer to the flows I hear in the mc’s I’m trying to emulate. But it’s still not quite there. It is, perhaps, my own hybrid of their flows and the cadence of free verse narrative poetry that had come naturally to me during the development of my poetic voice in the late 1960’s and early 1970’s.

You can listen to some of the models I use on YouTube. Note: Some recordings are better than others for the same song. I’ve noted the time length of the one I think is best in these cases. Also, many rap songs are so fast that I can’t make out the words. If this is the case for you on any of the recordings, don’t try to puzzle them out. Listen to the flow, the rhyming, and he word play, coordinated with the beat and music. You’ll probably get the general idea of the meaning. You can find printed lyrics for some of the songs by Googling the name of the song with the word “lyrics.”

• Blue Scholars: “Joe Metro” (Music video tour of sections of Seattle)
• K’NAAN: “Dreamer” (4:33)
• Alyssa Marie: “Close” (Official Music Video)
• Murs: “Dark Skinned White Girl” (4:31) – (Not the live version, which is a poor recording)
• Shad: “I Heard You Had a Voice Like an Angel”+Talib Kweli: “So Low”
• Talib Kweli: “Around My Way”
• Invincible: “Shapeshifters”

Sheila
Wow! I had fun listening to the rappers who inspire you as models for what you are working on. When it comes to being pleased enough with your efforts, though, how do you decide a piece is done?

Robert
When I’m working on memorizing a piece, which I do while listening to the instrumental that goes with the lyrics, and I keep getting stuck at a particular place, not being able to remember the words, it is always because they’re the wrong ones.

Either a word, phrase or whole line is wrong, not because of the meaning, but because the right rhythm isn’t there. Or, when I say them, I can’t articulate, they don’t fit my mouth and I stumble.

When I do then get the right words to fit vocally, I often find that the meaning of the line shifts a little and even changes what it is I’m expressing there. Sometimes this leads me to further revise the following line or two. When I can finally go through the whole song repeatedly without forgetting any lines, I know it is done. After all, the definition of a rapper according to urbandictionary.com is 1) “A rapper’s ability to rhyme to phat (cool) beats in a skillful manner.” And 2) “A rapper’s ability to vocalize a rhythmic yet complex string of rhymes that fit together in a logical and seamless manner.”

And, there are a few notes about Rhyme: Rap doesn’t translate well on paper. I can vouch for this. I sometimes print out lyrics to songs I like. When I read them to myself, or even aloud, I find many words or phrases that don’t seem to rhyme at all. But when I hear them in the rapper’s voice, riding the beat, they, remarkably, do. Good mc’s have an extensive repertoire of sophisticated rhyming devices. Besides multi-syllabic single rhyming words, there are others like a three-syllable word rhymed with three single-syllable words; what I call ‘inside out’ rhymes. One of mine is “wack birds flying backwards (wack= uncool, corny). Another is consonant rhyme, like “blind” and “bland.” I am learning to apply consonance, assonance, half-rhymes, and internal rhyme schemes, too.

Urbandictionary.com points out that true rappers have a certain poetic flow and are probably more proficient in English than most people. In their performances you hear “unprecedented control of the English language.” In over four years of practice, I have barely begun to fully utilize high-level rap techniques. But through the process of trying to do so, I’ve recognized that the masters in this field–as in other art forms are highly talented and advanced practitioners of their craft.

Sheila
How do you get your own work before audiences?

Robert
I perform for friends, attend open mics, and have put the three songs I’ve composed so far this year on MP3 files on the computer and email them to a growing number of people on my contact list. I’ve also had the pleasure of performing before large audiences gathered for special events.

Sheila
Do you have a website?

Robert
I plan on having a website designed soon on which I can display my work.

Sheila
Going back to the live audiences–how were your received at the larger venues? Did you write any pieces specifically for the particular audiences?

Robert
I did a rap at two different concerts at the American Legion Hall in town to open for two professional mc’s from Seattle and Port Angeles. I also performed one at a protest concerning home foreclosures at the Jefferson County Courthouse.

The audiences at the American Legion responded enthusiastically, appreciating the phenomenon of a 60-something guy getting up on stage and doing a rap. And at the Courthouse, the highly-charged political rap poem I delivered a capella, sans dj fit in well with the event. I could feel the assembled protestors’ strong approval. They even joined in singing the choruses, which were done to the melody of the Beattles’ song, “Hey Jude.”

I didn’t write new pieces for the venues. I chose ones I’d already composed As with my previous writing, I can’t except on rare occasions sit down and decide to write about a particular subject. I just wait until a poem/rap presents itself — usually with a phrase, line or rhyme — and indicates a possibility of continuing. Then I start to work on it.

Sheila
I’ve wondered what younger rappers think of an older rapper performing. What has your experience been?

Robert
The young people here in Port Townsend–both rappers and aficionados of the form–at first were curious as to why someone my age found “their” music so attractive that I wanted to take it up. They were surprised and gratified when I told them that as a published poet, I considered hiphop to be a true art form and its best practitioners to be highly accomplished artists. All other adults they’d encountered looked down on the genre. They respected my efforts–even though very stumbling for quite a while–and offered valuable criticism, pointing out weaknesses and suggesting ways I could improve upon them.

Sheila
I would love to hear some of what they indicated as weaknesses and ways to improve your rapping. It is always interesting to learn about feedback. What were their tips and ideas?

Robert
First, they informed me of the four accents per bar rule. The thing they were most critical of was my delivery. More than one of them repeatedly pointed out that I didn’t project my voice and needed to be much more expressive, emphatic, both verbally and in my body language.

That was difficult for me and took me a long time to accomplish. I’m naturally soft-spoken and not strongly emotive in manner. So I learned, eventually, to replace Robert with an onstage persona. Rappers often use professional names other than their given ones. I’ve gone by several variations of R.O.B.

Sheila
What do older audiences think of an older rapper?

Robert
Those of my generation find–usually to their amazement–that they can actually enjoy listening to rapping and usually praise my efforts. I sometimes leverage this into introducing my contemporaries to the music of some of my favorite mc’s. Several have come to share my enthusiasm and appreciation and like to listen to them on cd’s and YouTube.

Sheila
How do you evaluate the commercial rap scene?

Robert
In my judgment, the big money mainstream pop stars one hears on the radio can’t hold a candle to the best of the lesser known (among the general listening audience) “underground” rappers. To my ear, they have very meager linguistic skills, pedestrian rhyming, unimpressive flows and write about mostly inconsequential topics in trite terms.

In contrast, the mc’s I admire and never tire of hearing are so strong in all these areas. The ones whose links I shared because they are models for me are the ones I listen to the most are:

• Talib Kweli, from Brooklyn, NY- my #1 favorite since the beginning
• Shad, a Canadian by way of Kenya
• Invincible, who moved at the age of 7 from Israel to the US , where she learned English listening to American rappers
• Immortal Technique, whose songs deliver some of the most cogent social/political messages in an extremely powerful voice
• And finally two from Seattle — the mc’s of the groups Common Market and Blue Scholars.

Sheila
So good to have some of life their stories.

Robert
There’s an article in the New York Times by K’NAAN in which he tells some of his story as a rapper.

Sheila
I will read it. And I’d love to know more about how you connected with the underground world of rap.

Robert
Many of these rappers have their own record companies. As is often the case with pop music of all genres, when a young artist has a big hit with their first recording the owners of the label insist that they keep on repeating what they’re doing to satisfy the fans who are drawn to their style. Of course, the owners’ main concern is to cull as much money as they can from their artists’ public appeal, not to allow them to have the opportunity to develop their talents to the fullest extent.

This can cut off a rapper’s (or any musician’s) opportunity to grow in their work. Therefore, many mc’s have traded the chance at mass appeal and big bucks for the freedom to do what their creativity leads them to. A lot of the rappers I listen to — because they control their own product — can and do keep on following their creative paths.

I admire these “underground” mc’s for their integrity. Many are categorized under the rubric “conscious rap.” They often rap about socio-political matters, local and national and international. This is true for not only American artists but also those around the world. In fact, just about every country and language has its rap artists. In some nations suffering under oppressive rule, rappers are often the only people who speak out in opposition. Their music encourages others to follow their lead and help bring about positive social change.

Other subjects common in the “underground” include cultural commentary and encouragement to young people to break away from gang life, drug dealing and use. With some, light-hearted humor plays a part.

Sheila
Can you offer us some resources to read up on the social aspects of rap?

Robert
Yes. Here’s the link to go to: Columbia Çollege Chicago Center for Black Music Research. It’s got a massive list of resources: articles, books, encyclopedia and dictionary references, recordings, videos, collections of lyrics, other websites, etc. I’m glad I found it for Writing It Real readers, as well as my own use.

Sheila
Can you tell us a little about the history of rap?

Robert
Rap is part of hiphop, a cultural movement that originated in the late 1970’s in New York City with South Bronx as its center. Afrika Bambaataa, a South Bronx community leader, outlined the five pillars of hiphop culture: emceeing, disc Jockeying; breakdancing; graffiti writing; knowledge. Other elements include beatboxing, hiphop fashions, and hiphop slang.

DJing hiphop meant isolating and repeating parts of music most suited for dancing at all-night dance parties. A Jamaican born dj, Kool Here, made announcements and exhorted dancers, which led to what we know as today’s syncopated, rhymed rap.

Emceeing the rhythmic, spoken delivery of rhymes and wordplay derived from the folk poets (Griots) of West Africa. MC’s talked over the music to promote their DJ, other dance parties, and take light-hearted jabs at other lyricists, or talk about problems facing the community.

Jazz poet/musician Gil Scott Heron and the Last Poets, who performed their poems over drum beats and instrumentation were other early influences.

Too few people — especially people our age, writers as well as non-writers — have real knowledge of what hiphop is about and little experience in actually listening to and evaluating the practice of the art form. My hope is that I may interest others enough that they follow up by checking out some of the rappers I mentioned and from there–if they like what they hear–find some others, too. Rappers give voice to the disenfranchised around the world.

Sheila
What are the subjects that draw you when you write a rap now?

Robert
When I started out, all my songs were about me: the story of my struggles with mental illness; my move to Port Townsend from New Jersey, overcoming the illness. Then for awhile, I wrote strictly on political topics, mostly about the imbalances in power and wealth between the ruling minorities and the masses of people in this country and others. I wrote about the demonizing of “illegal” immigrants, and injustices and oppression of various kinds. During this year, I shifted again. I’ve composed three songs that are much lighter in content and tone. They include humor, fantasy and metaphor. The third of these, “At Sandra’s House,” is about experiences of domestic happiness with my new life-partner and her dog Brandy and four cats. I’m about to begin work on my next rap, and as yet, I have no idea what it will be about.

If Writing It Real members would like to email me <[email protected]> about my tune “My Story” I’d appreciate hearing from them.

Sheila
Thank you, Robert, for all the help and resources you’ve provided for us to learn more about a genre we may have thought wasn’t at all for us. By the way, have you ever rapped on writing?

Robert
Not yet.

Sheila
Well, I’m putting in a special request. Maybe you can come and rap it for one of my workshops here in town.

Thank you for this interview. I look forward to catching you again at one of your upcoming performances.