I’ve sort of let this particular series fall by the wayside, but it’s time I brought another great person to your attention! Now, before we really get into it, I just have to warn you that this probably won’t be for everyone. Give him a chance, though, and let me know what you think of him!
George Watsky is a brilliant, brilliant guy. There’s two distinct sides of him: the spoken word poet and the rapper/musician. I like them both just about equally, but I can understand how some people lean to one side or the other.
George is a 20-something recent Emerson graduate from San Francisco, California. He’s a 2006 Brave New Voices National Poetry Slam champion and has released several albums, some of them even for free! He’s peaked at #7 on the iTunes hip-hop charts and has even been on the Ellen Show…twice!
Here’s a nice little timeline of how I got to know him.
(Language warning! Nothing too horribly bad, but you’re going to want to send the kids out!)
First, I found him via this interesting little video, (apparently, formerly) titled “Pale Kid Raps Fast”:
Then I watched some of his spoken word videos. Here are two of my favorites:
V is for Virgin
S is for Lisp
He’s also got a few music videos out. This one is probably my favorite:
“Man of Constant Sorrow” featuring Dylan Saunders (which makes my Starkid-heart skip a beat!)
So, why do I like Mr. Watsky so much? For one, he’s incredibly intelligent. His word play is fantastic, and he has a real talent for make you think while you listen to his poems/songs. I also always have a soft spot for someone who has self-deprecating humor such as he does. He’s a real person and has no problem admitting to his obvious dorkiness. He’s great at interacting with fans, and he’s not in it for the money. You can’t help but like someone who wants to create art simply for the sake of creating.
Here are the various places where you can find him:
If you’re weird and a nerd like I am, here is the Rap Genius link to all of his songs. You can look up his lyrics and learn the meanings.
What do you guys think of him? Which side do you like better, the poet or the rapper? Which videos are your favorites?
