Prufrock performing at the Capital Slam finals
Photography by Jessica Ruano
(This is part two in a series of interviews with Ottawa-based spoken word artists competing in this year's Canadian Festival of Spoken Word being held in Ottawa this October.)
Last winter saw Prufrock playing hip-hop shows promoting his newly released album, Master of the Flying Guillotine. After failing to make it past the Capital Slam finals round in 2009, this summer saw him take a spot on the 2010 team representing Ottawa at this year's Canadian Festival of Spoken Word, and most recently he has been seen combining hip-hop, poetry and his skills as DJ at this summer's Fringe Festival where he and his fellow Capital Slam team-mate John Akpata were the duo dubbed “Attack of the Dreadlocks.”
I was able to interview and film Prufrock at one of his CD release shows and decided to catch up with him now as he prepares for the festival in October.
Graeme O'Farrell (G.O.): Why did you choose the name Prufrock for the stage?
Prufrock (P.R.): It's from a T.S. Eliot poem called “The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock” and it's an amazing poem, if you've never read it. I was reading it in school and was like what? People can write like this? I'm going to try this out.
G.O.: What's your impression over the past two years of performing as a slam poet?
P.R.: I think this year was a lot more fun because I knew what I was getting myself into, as opposed to last year it was more of an experiment to see where this can go. The level of poetry has increased a lot too with all the poets, we all hang out, you know the deal. Everybody just keeps improving. That made it fun because everybody was trying hard.
Between last year and this year I've noticed I've become a better writer. I don't write just one style anymore. I've been able to open up to different topics and genres. I guess the level of competition just forced me to improve, on top of the fact that I wanted to be a better writer.
I felt I was pretty one-dimensional when I started. Over time I now know I have the ability to do what I want to do. So it's like okay, this is the topic I want to talk about, there's no fear anymore of censoring myself or anything like that, I can just go. Making the team was really satisfying.
G.O.: When did you start writing and doing spoken word?
P.R.: I seriously started writing a couple of years ago and I started doing spoken word in 2008, around October or November I came out and at that time I was strictly an MC. It was an open mic and I did one of my songs at the time, and I was really nervous. It's strange because it's a different atmosphere. There's no accompaniment, there's just you and your voice. As opposed to music where if you make a mistake you can cover it up.
G.O.: Did you find spoken word was helpful to your work as an MC?
P.R.: Yeah it was. Originally when I started spoken word I was writing like I was writing hip hop to no beat. I noticed it wasn't really getting my message across, so what I had to do was just start writing differently, like a poet. I didn't know how people would react to it, so when I went into the semi-finals (in 2009) it was just me testing it out and it seemed to work.
I find I can be more descriptive now in hip-hop but I'm limited sometimes because hip-hop has a beat, whereas in poetry you can speak as fast or as slow as you want, you can change your tempo and all that stuff at any point in time.
G.O.: Is your writing process different when you're writing poetry as opposed to rap?
P.R.: It's starting to be different now because I'm looking at them as two different entities. I feel there's more responsibility on me as a poet than there is as an MC because of the way hip-hop music has been watered down. The stereotype of it is it's just a bunch of angry people talking about cars, guns, women and drugs. Whereas with spoken word, you should have a message coming across, trying to tell people something, trying to teach them something, give them a different perspective. Originally it was easier for me to write hip-hop and even now it is. I find writing poetry is difficult with the time-limit that we have.
G.O.: Why do you feel your responsibility is greater as a poet as opposed to an MC?
P.R.: When you go see an MC it's usually at night, there's liquor... You may pay attention, yes, but it's a party atmosphere. Whereas with spoken word you can have shows at noon when there's no liquor anywhere so it's just like okay, what's this guy going to say? You're speaking to a different audience because with rap it's nineteen and over. With a poetry show you can have five-year-olds. So I feel that there is more responsibility as a poet because it's not just a niche type crowd. Well, it is a niche crowd but it's so vast and diverse everybody can get something from it.
G.O.: How did spoken word help you get past the fear of censorship?
P.R.: I was at that point where my mind-state was kind of shifting. I was still concerned about what other people thought and how people would perceive me. I wasn't really able to say what I wanted to say because of fear of backlash. So in reality I was censoring myself but I was thinking of it as “Oh I can't say this because this or that person will be offended.” But the truth, to some, is offensive. I got past the fact that it doesn't really matter what I say. As long as you're telling people the truth, how can you dispute it? You can like it or dislike it, but you can't dispute it. There's no longer any fear because I know I can just share.
G.O.: Did that mind-state affect the production of your album Master of the Flying Guillotine?
P.R.: Yeah. That was kind of like my break out thing. I had done one LP with a group before and I had other LPs on my own. I just wanted to bring together all aspects of my life at that point. It was the love, the understanding, the acceptance, the anger, the injustices that I saw, all those things that were present in my head. I was like, this has to be the representation of me, so I'm going to be as honest to myself as possible.
G.O.: In my video interview with you after your CD release show you talked a little bit about your job working for Agriculture Canada for three years. When you left your job to pursue a career as an artist, how did your family react?
P.R.: I got a fair amount of resistance when I first decided to go this way because people saw me throwing away this wonderful opportunity and doing something ridiculous. They kind of motivated me to do well because... I think it's just a natural human reaction when someone says “You can't do this.” You say, "Watch me."
G.O.: Are you cautious about your future as an artist or are you confident?
P.R.: I'm not cautious anymore. I was for awhile when I first started because I was inexperienced and didn't understand. It's something that's been sitting in my life forever. Something I've always wanted to do. Since I was a child that's all I wanted to do really, or play basketball. Then I realized when I grew up that making the NBA is f***ing hard.
G.O.: Do you think making the NBA is harder than being a full-time artist?
P.R.: Good question. In different ways. Being a full-time artist you have to always be thinking, whereas, as a professional athlete people are thinking for you, you know?
G.O.: Where do you think being an artist is going to take you?
P.R.: I hope all over the world. I love it man. I love making people dance I love making people laugh, I love making people go “That's a really good point,” I love making people go “Oh ****!”
G.O.: Why do you do it? Why do you write poetry?
P.R.: It's given me a lot of clarity. It's allowed me to remember who I am because there's so many different things around. Outside interferences. This allows me to just be me. I walk down the street listening to hip-hop and singing reggae to myself just being a crazy dude and I'm okay with that.
There was a point I had a bald head and I didn't like myself like that, so I had to make a conscious decision. A lot of people want to try it but they don't try it so you say why don't you? Car, taxes, bla bla bla, so they don't do it. People fall apart like that, it eats at them. I don't think I'm going to have a mid-life crisis. For what? If I was going to, I'd have a crisis now, with no real job, no real income, now is the time to have a crisis and I'm just chillin'.
A lot of people have things to say but they don't say it. A lot of people have really good ideas and they don't share them, so I'm trying to share my messages and my work. My opinion is just as valid as the next dude's so if he's not going to say it, I'll say it.
G.O.: Any new productions coming up?
P.R.: I don't know what I'm working on but I'm making music with this dope guy. I'm trying to get my poetry better and I'm working hard at DJing. I like it a lot.
G.O.: One last question. What is a poet?
P.R.: An individual who is consistent. To me I see a poet as someone who has a message to spread or is trying to uplift people or wants you to hear their side of the story or is talking for somebody. Somebody who's going to move you, do something to you. They're going to teach you, show you what love is, re-think things that are important. They're going to rattle the cage a little bit. Not too too much, not always, but they'll rattle the cage a little bit. Tell you a good joke, you know? Just somebody who can express their thoughts in words.
G.O.: Thanks for the interview Pruf.
P.R.: Thank you man, respect.
You can see Prufrock perform this Friday at SPEAKout Poetry Slam in Toronto alongside other poets from near and far, including your humble Ottawa Events Examiner and this year's Capital Slam champion, Chris Tse, who will be featured in an upcoming article in this series. He will also be spinning turntables at Ottawa's Youth Summer Slam on Friday, August the 13th
Also check out more of Prufrock's work here and see a previous interview and CD release show on youtube.
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