Hip-hop poetry falls flat

The latest volume of hip-hop poetry from poet Quincy Smith seeks to depict love, truth, knowledge and inspiration, or what Smith calls “the elements.” Though Smith’s poems consistently deal with, controversial, political and social issues, his creative methods capriciously fluctuate between the inaccurate and the realistic. At certain times, his disjointed style doesn’t seem to be able to handle such profound content; at others, he nails it perfectly.

Released online Aug. 24, The Elements: Love, Truth, Knowledge, and Inspiration features poems Smith has written over the course of 10 years, ranging from when he was a college student studying creative writing to when he first began work on his upcoming documentary film The Element: The Gift, which showcases spoken word. Perhaps because the poems were written over such an extended period of time, some poems excel and others fail, demonstrating Smith’s growth as a poet. Nevertheless, when style is ignored, Smith’s work radiates raw truth.

“I got the concept for The Elements from current events,” Smith said. “These are core ingredients that come from societal issues. In these hard times, a lot of people need hope and faith. I’m always telling people to strive for your goals and reach high.”

That’s what Smith did when he graduated in 1999 with a bachelor’s degree in English; Smith was the only African-American in the English Department at Cal State Long Beach.

“That was a challenge,” Smith said. “It was hard coming from a background where I spoke Ebonics. My professors saw talent but told me to polish it up, so I had to work on that, and learn to speak properly.”

During his time at Cal State Long Beach, Smith turned every effort in to his craft. He learned from the work of poetic legends, studied with USC professor Steven Cooper, took trips to overcome writer’s block, turned to nature and God for inspiration, performed at open mic nights and experimented by putting music in his poetry.

“When I was at Cal State [Long Beach], I started to develop my craft,” Smith said. “Once I wrote my first poem, I was doing blues and jazz. When I got ideas and concepts, I had that passion to develop the skill.”

Twelve years later, the result of all of this work is a collection of 44 poems that are moving at times and confusing at others. In his love poems, this gap is the most notable.

In “To Love, Cherish, and Honor,” Smith seeks pure love among earth’s carnal temptations: I dwell in place away from temptations. Beyond the clouds, in a zone where love and paradise embrace and exceed expectations on earth.

In “Every Day Is a Valentine,” Smith describes A couples’ burning itch / to get filthy rich, retire early in mid-thirties, / Own real estate like Monopoly, suggesting child-like dreams of getting rich don’t compare to the realistic, mature nature of true love.

Then Smith flips the switch and loses poignant and clever lyrics for grittier, more explicit ones. In “Remember Me,” Smith writes, Girl, what size are your hips? Twenty, twenty-five, a proper size nine; / Because I see it’s banging clearly, like the waves in the ocean.

The problem lies not in the content — after all, Smith seeks to write truth — but in the broken metaphors. Do ocean waves really bang like a woman’s hips?

“[Coming] from someone who had an experience in a relationship,” Smith said. “It’s just picking the right words that reflect how you feel in a particular time. That’s where being creative comes in. It brings [the poetry] to life, explaining how someone felt or how someone could feel in those circumstances.”

In some instances Smith executes this perfectly — in his emotionally charged poems, such as “Twenty-five to Life” and “Watch Me Fly in Due Time” — but at other times, his lines produce an unwanted effect.

I’m twisted, kicking my feet, trying not to lose my composure, writes Smith later in the same poem. I wanna be lethal like a grizzly bear plotting just to hold you.

Do grizzly bears hold people or maul them to death? Sometimes it’s difficult to see the connection between Smith’s words and the image he’s trying to describe.

Nonetheless, Smith’s collection of poems contains a wide range of emotions and images.

“President Obama” responds to god-like portrayals of Obama and warns audiences that No man is above God.

“Haiku Poem,” a piece made up of three haikus strung together, is so well crafted it doesn’t seem like Smith struggles with syllabic structure at all.

In “Black Queen,” Smith describes the beauty of black women and apologizes for the ignorance that has disabled many within society. He writes of felons within prison walls, the modern slavery of the black community, the colorful barbecues of California summers.

“Poetry is something that is profound and uplifting,” Smith said. “It’s just a way of life. Everything we do is poetry.”

Smith hopes the film rendition of The Elements will be released in spring 2012.