Just First Wave existing, in this space at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and in
academia in general, is one of the most hip-hop things that I've ever seen.
First Wave is a revolutionary scholarship program focused on hip-hop, spoken word and
multicultural arts.
Who want it, I put my life up in this track.
I's finally apparent that I have to go and lose my life to get it back.
Now listen up.
It's one of those things where all the time, people say 'What is spoken word" and "What
is hip-hop theater?"
You can only explain it so much, because you have to experience it.
We did not build your boats, though we did leave a trail of kin to guide us home.
We did not build your prisons, though we did, and we filled them, too.
Really what I was excited was about that somebody was going to pay my tuition, because I liked
poems.
And, that seemed like a crazy, stupid idea, but I was down to let them test it out on
me.
First Wave says, "You hip-hop artists, you can be anything you want to be."
I currently have a bachelor's degree in psychology.
I graduated in May 2015 with a journalism reporting degree.
I'm getting my degree in astronomy/physics.
It was an experiment of looking at the role of the arts, social activism.
In order for this campus to improve, we need to improve for everyone.
And all those practices could come together to create a more embodied, involved academic
experience.
They don't want us to see, how revolutionary our existence is.
I never get tired of seeing the talent.
I am jealous of the talent that our students have.
Art was meant to interrupt and the work will never be done.
There are artistic programs that exist all over the country, but there are none, nada,
zero, nilch that are like this.