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Judah 1 takes us on a DMT level spiritual trip during ‘Threads and Lines’ as the clique examine expressing spirituality through poetry. Kuya David stands up for page-poetry during the ‘2 Piece’ and they all roast yet another IG poet to ash during the #poetry review. Judah 1 hits the clique with the shortest ‘Five for your Eye’ prompted poem in Pen Clique History!
[EPISODE INDEX]
- 1:06 – “3.2.1. Silence” by Judah 1
- 4:31 – “Threads & Lines”
- 17:06 – 2 Piece Combo | “Suburbia” – Phil Kaye
- 29:05 – 2 Piece Combo | @MS.Reflections
- 34:45 – 5 For Your Eye
A Mic and Dim Lights, a small community open mic running since 2000 in Pomona, CA, was where I first grew to admire Judah 1. I noticed him not only because of his poems but because his work as a leader pushing poetry forward. He was community-focused and had bars and spit with confidence. He would take this skill set to it build in the world outside of open mics and showcases. Judah showed a younger me that you could not only spit dope poems, but can better your community and self through poetry and the journey it can take you on.
Surrender to the journey is a lesson I’ve learned looking up to Judah. I’ve learned to let art take you where it will and be ok with that. From infusing my own work with spiritual lessons by looking for god in every poem, I have learned to trust the God inside of me, and let it direct where I take my work. When Judah took a Slam team to NPS, made of up of Pomona locals and people I quietly looked up to from a far as they almost won the whole thing (NPS). That solidified the potential of the poetry in my community. It planted a seed that I let slowly grow for years. Judah would start a storefront, a studio for musicians, artists, events and spiritual pursuits. This place brought me another moment of clarity as it was a new model for where we can take this poetry scene. Machine Pomona was a beacon for the always growing inspiration I’ve gained through Judah: Keep pushing poetry into spaces where it was not before, and to keep letting my poetry push me to places I have not been before.
As we set in on Pen clique there was a handful of poets from the Pomona scene I wanted as guests because they were personal heroes, and Judah was one of those who was always more to me than just a dope poet. Having his example in the back of my mind was fuel to even get this project off the ground. Knowing there was potential to do my own thing with poetry was heavily influenced by Judah and his trust of his own vision. My foundation was made stronger by hearing Judah spit poetry and take it beyond its typical boundaries. It’s important that we are out here inspiring each other to reach into our own dreams and work for what we want to see.
Judah came through to Pen clique ready as always, and gave us the shortest “Five for your eye” prompted poem in Clique history as well as some real honest critiques and technique insights during the show. There was a moment I am especially proud to show the world, something that crystallizes everything I have ever looked up to about Judah. Judah’s work is often cryptic and hard to understand — something I love about his poetry — but when addressing that idea as a critique, he reveals to us the intentional wonder he is putting into his work. He’s giving you “the Canvas” and the task of filling it up. He’s reminding us that poetry is offering us an opportunity to find something about ourselves or he says: “What does it look like to you? Ain’t that beautiful?… That shit is ill.” A statement that sums up a lot of my feelings about poetry and life; we all should be working to be uniquely ourselves and trust the God that lives in each one of us more confidently.
He, alongside Treesje Powers, now operate LionLike Mindstate, a showcase and community space and yet another means of inspiration for young poets. They are doing new amazing things with poetry. They showcase dope artists and a strong community presence and offering engaging shows and free art workshops. Lionlike are hosting Slams in Pomona, again showing the people in the community how far they can take poetry and their vision. Judah is a part of the foundation of my work; he’s unknowingly inspired this punk rock idiot to do what I wanted to with poetry and he’s still showing us that we can decide how far and where we take the art we love.
Write-up by Daniel Hees
Edited by Seraphina Lotkhamnga
Photos by Aubrey Rowe
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Episode 16 ft. Olivia Ku
How does poetry evolve with social media? Guest poet Olivia Ku brings her special blend of micro-poetry and big feels to ‘Threads and Lines’ as they break down Instagram poetry and it’s potential. The Clique reviews a Lucille Clifton classic short poem, and have a constructive roasting session on IG micro poetry during the ‘2 Piece Combo’ poetry review. Lastly, Olivia goes deep into short poetry flex during the “Five For Your Eye” prompted poem.
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Episode 06 Ft. Lyrically Twisted
Lyrically Twisted takes the stage as the Clique’s first and only rapper of the season! The whole clique delve deep into loneliness while staying LIT AF during the “2 Piece Combo” and LT aka Tyrone Stokes spits his “5 for ya eye” prompt off the top.
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Off Page: September 2020
For this month’s showcase, we got the Lao & Mien songstress SIRENA, non-binary poet star Pastiche Queen, clique fam actor/rapper/poet Matt Nye, our first international poet Kitty Kaji, and Dope Spot hiphop homie Jüne!
