Rhetorical Artz- Sewer Slang

It's time to get rid of the sewer slang in hip-hop. That's the mission.

The Movement Continues...
- Rhetorical Artz

Hold on to your dreams

I have been out of college for over a month now, and I can tell you that it has been an interesting experience. I spent my senior year in college, focusing on both my storytelling performance group(Speak Life Storytellers) and my own storytelling endeavor as Rhetorical Artz. I guess had this whole idea in my head that once I graduated that things would just take off; that the seeds that I had been planting, and all the time I put into my storytelling craft- via spoken word, rapping, and pure storytelling- would immediately burst through the surface and begin taking on the world by storm.

It hasn't worked out that way.

Since graduating, I have spent a month planning, and preparing storytelling material for both myself (as Rhetorical Artz) and Speak Life Storytellers. It has not been easy doing this without making any income, but it has been a well needed learning experience. A friend of mine told me that art does not like to be pushed and I agree. However, I am coming to learn that while art does not like to be pushed it does appreciate being approached authentically.

That is precisely what I thought I was doing. Yet, as I have been "doing that" I have come across some very interesting discoveries about the importance of working with your dreams. For through I have been seemingly approaching my art, I have been openly pushing around my dreams- the most beautiful piece of artwork that I have within me- and have been allowing the thoughts of others to push my dreams around as well. My dreams response to all the pushing has been a simple one: "If you and everyone else keeps pushing me around, I will stop working with you all together."

It becomes important when aiming to make a dream become reality, that we give it the respect, patience, and the love and care that it deserves. To do that, I have recently begun to treat my dreams like I would treat a person I was in conversation with. When I am having a meaningful conversation with someone, I give them time to express themselves, show that I care about what they are saying, and allow whatever is meant to be said in the conversation to emerge. I am attentive to what is being said; making sure that my mind, body, and spirit are present in the conversation. Walking with your dreams into reality is no different. You must be attentive to it, otherwise you will not hear it when it tells you that it is ready to be released into the world.

How attentive have you been in the conversations with your dreams?

The Movement Continues...
- Rhetorical Artz

Pacing Himself

He’s already traveled miles in his thoughts...

all while pacing around the kitchen counter enough times to cut through the tile. As outsiders, try to enter the private amusement park in his mind, banging on the gates, uttering the password “dude what are you doing.” Little do they know that this password is a false code, given to those who are forever branded as trespassers.

He is a master of disguise, hiding behind a mask of secrecy that secretly he himself has never fully seen behind.

Sometimes he finds it just fine. Most of the time he finds it just plain frustrating; infuriating that over half the pesticide

pill-filled places

fumigating in his brain

are left unknown to him.

But these places within are not all unknown; he has seen snapshots of some them. Whenever in the light of a bus ride down 5th avenue, or on a fire-walk upon the coals of his neighborhood block, or even under the single flame of his own company, the light sometimes shines at just the right angle to make out blurry faces of clarity.

Those moments are extravagant, exceeding rational roadblocks of social demands; the man made road-maps that fail to tap into the tapestry of his masterful secrecy.

These moments matter, their meaningfulness only able to be measured by the treasure of golden threaded insight and intuition, interwoven into the fabric of his being.

He has the heart of an honest priest, repeatedly marrying comedy and philosophy together in a holy matrimony that goes against the church of conformity.

He breaks past the limitation of any infj personality profile, or Standard Assessment Test on file, meanwhile making up his own exam, which he has titled “There’s nothing wrong with me Adam...it's not autism, I’m just a bossman, okay.”

"Okay Pete...hey Pete?

Did you know you stand as one of the biggest examples of being an honest to God individual that I know who does desire structure, but is willing to go with the flow as well?"

I sometimes fail to tell him that I understand; that I comprehend why he must defend against the endless onslaughts of outsiders; how when his mind is questing through questions, often pacing is the only way he can pace himself

in any way, shape, or form.

Instead

we fight each other like we're on that histories channel show Vikings,

But Despite This, the router of Truth he and I both pursue will always keep us connected as brothers in the same beautiful struggle, so that during times of triumphs and troubles he will be able to remember that here ,on this world wide web called reality, lies those...who know why he’s pacing...will not judge him for it...and will love him because of it

Because that's  his rhythm

His version a of whistle while he works

So take your tiiiiimmmmeee peter

It's okay

Live life at your own speed

Just make sure

that you remember

To pace yourself along way

Jaw Drop is a duo between Rhetorical Artz(me) and Langston Kelly, two Speak Life Storytellers and Dress Down artists. In early 2011, this happened.

The Movement Continues...

- Rhetorical Artz

Graduating

The day of Duquesne University's commencement ceremony
I stood up with my fellow class of 2011 graduates,
united together in a state of relief, excitement, and fear of what’s to come.

Speeches are given on how commencement is a celebration of beginnings, not endings; on how making this world a more loving place is just as important as finding a profession within this currently uncertain marketplace; that we’ve been given the educational tools needed to succeed both financially and spiritually, in this economy.

One would think that after hearing these inspiring speeches, that their would only be an air of hope for the quickly coming future of life after college, which their most certainly was. Yet as I try to breath this air of hope in, I can’t help but feel the urge to hold my breath, cause what comes next after academics, is a bit scary. When the dean of my liberal arts college declares us official graduates of Duquesne University, I watch in awe as not one graduate, including myself, throws their hats in the air to celebrate.

I can tell you, that the reason why my hat didn’t leave my head was because I feared that if it did, it would confirm the fact that the roof of college was no longer over me; that I would cease to have my university meal plan to put food on the table; that I was no longer a kid in the eyes of world I knew, as if I was ever still considered a child- by anyone other than my parents- after turning 18.

So I hid under that cap and gown, for just a little bit longer, hoping to become a little bit stronger before having to take it off; before having to move out into the world with no big job prospects, or overarching security nets; before having to face the good and bad consequences of not holding a socially normal career in mind, but a calling. A calling, which tells me that in time, these words of inspiring stories that I weave will conceive a child who symbolizes the birth of the loving world that I believe to be here... somewhere...waiting to be found.

So somehow, I’ll have to move forward, away from my history here in academia, and take on all the responsibilities of the “real world” while remaining the idealistic dreamer that I am, and sometimes, I wonder if I can. As I walk out of the commencement ceremony, that walking wonder turns into a running worry that I won’t be able to do so, transforming my walk out of the commencement hall into a mad dash clear across to the other side of campus, where when I’m finally far enough, I sit down and take a deep breath...finally filling my lungs with an air of hope for what’s coming after this.

I am reminded of the quote that states, “you learn by looking back, but you live by looking forward.” And at that moment, I realize that I’ve spent enough time learning about how hard this world has been. I’ve learned enough about how difficult it is to make a dream a reality, and how many people never make it trying to strike out on their own. I’ve even been well educated on the statistic of people who go back home to live with their parents after 4 years because of the lack of jobs available that are even remotely connected to the major they chose to pursue during their college career. I’ve been informed enough, and I’m done learning this stuff.

For there comes a time in a persons life when they can no longer learn anything new about how the world has been, but instead have to take their college degree in life and choose how they want their world to be and it’s time to for us...or at least for me...to graduate.

This is the song of my life!

I'll let this song speak for itself.

The Movement Continues...
- Rhetorical Artz

The God that has reveal himself to me
Told me to use what’s known as creativity
That’s uniquely and divinely channeled through me
As a nucleus for my spiritually

But I’ve heard, a lot of fables
About how if you not labeled
Under a certain religion
That you don’t have the provisions

So these people feel obliged to watch ya
When you messed up they say, “ got ya”
Like their your spiritual supervision

Thanks but no thanks
I’ll go ahead and walk the plank
You could even have to bother
To throw me into the waters

That are shark filled

Cause if you just look to the land
You’ll see that now-a-days
Most of these sharks
walk, and stand

They receive, a standing ovation
For embracing institution over innovation
Forget having a spiritual education
Religious prostitution’s has filled this nation

The only difference is how they convey it
Dress it up a different way, you don’t have to say it
Just take away the title, then you can portray it
As being a portrait of absolute greatest

Then call this picture a gift from God, the most High
Eventually it’s embraced
making you the most fly

Now your whole crew is cool
And everyone else
is made out to be fools

You guys got a lot of gifts
All except God’s jewel

The one used for it all
The most important tool
Creativity

Chorus:
Cause creativity is my ode to God
Guiding beauty amongst the mirage
Creativity
Creativity is my ode to God
Providing true love amongst the facade
Creativity
Creativity’s my ode to God
Connecting us within life’s collage
Creativity

And That’s why I find it odd
When people speak about God
With no creativity

Standard police are patrolling
confusing yet consoling
to stay in a comfort zone, that we are not controlling

A comfort zone that says “put are selves in a shell on a shelf”
and don’t come out, cause it’s bad for our health

They say it’s bad for the community
that it distorts our unity
This view amuses me because I follow it usually

Was unconsciously abusing me til I repented
then refuted the consensus so that I could be authentic

Although that makes me vulnerable
At least that stance is own-able
These free thought are my property there never loanable

But they’re always are sold for coal
when they don’t show all parts of me
It’s like having blood and a hearts
with no arteries

Cause without arteries, blood sweat and tears go no where
People would come to be inspired but would only find a show here
But many people roam the earth that show but never tell
About who they really are, inside they let their real selves dwell

This path of superficial glass needs to be shatter
So speak up about some stuff that truly matters

And if I flatter in this message then I’ll fail
so I wont
What I’m trying to say is don’t be like anybody else, be yourself