BlackOnBlackRhyme.com

*Future

"Father, Mother, Village"

U may have heard of this man in comments like,
“that’s just my baby daddy”
And for good reason
He has left his children un-seasoned
They’re more than just mouths to feed
They’re minds to seed in need of a good farmer
How many times have they heard
your father will come visit you?
But to them, you are just invisible
Leaving women with a job
you were meant to do
And asking where God is
And what God did
Was give His only son
who gives us a way to the Father
And we deny that same right
to the children we father
Because nine times out of ten
We didn’t have a father
It’s kind of sad
75% of people in my generation
will never be able to say:
Thank you dad, for wanting me
Thank you dad, for loving me
Thank you dad, for feeding me
Thank you dad, for beating me
when I needed to be beat
For putting me to bed
when I wanted to stay up late
I tried to hate you for it
But i’m older now
It takes the village to raise the child,
and we are not there yet...

U may remember this woman from statements such as,
“I’m done dating Black men”
To say that is to say you are nothing
like the strong women from back then
Back when they were mothers,
not club hens
Don’t be fascinated by the fantasies
of phallic fantasies
Become a victim of your own ignorance
and question the man in me
How is it
A woman can give her body up in exchange for change
No restitution
without prostitution
She needs to change but
She can’t get her life on track
for being on the track
she’s off track
In her mind, body, soul
Love engraved
became scars on the back of ecstasy’s slave
It’s called atrocious
Expressing hatred for the love they still make to her
Even though she consents they’re still raping her
Taking her
Away from her role in life
she has no control in life
her Womb barren no longer bearing life
she’s not giving life
she’s not living life
Dead at 24 and waiting till 70 to be buried
It’s not right
But sometimes that’s the way it is
Maybe it was her missing father figure
during her impressionable years
that caused to her to forget
how beautiful she really is
Stop responding to baby got back
take your babies back
and train them in the way they should go
Will they?
You never know
But you have to do your job because
It takes the village to raise the child
and we’re not there yet...

U may have heard of these people in comments such as,
“why can’t they let that slavery thing go?”
Last night I had a dream
That Dr. King died for nothing
Malcolm was gunned down
simply because X marked his spot
I woke up
Feeling a deeper blue than Langston Hughes
wrote for B.B. King
who told Lucille to whisper it to
Suge Avery who sang it for
Ms Ceily who asked Mista!!

What’s going on with our people today?

We have brothers killing brothers
and sisters becoming unwed mothers
and children watching
Men beating women,
50% of our marriages ending
and children watching
We find more time to complain
about the music our kids listen to
But won’t listen to our kids
More time complaining
about police harassing our children
But won't police our own children
Education starts in the home
and often times that’s a war zone
So guess what?
Kids are killing kids
Wanting to be tough guys
because daddy is doing a bid
Not knowing that the true test of a man
is not where he stands during times of comfort
But in times of adversity
That equals us when we can stand collectively
To disagree is to pillage your own village
So will you vote genocide or suicide?
One way or the other,
it’s your neck on the chopping block
So please, use your last words wisely.

Children are watching...

BLACK ON BLACK RHYME FEATURE SERIES

NAME : Future
WEBSITE: -
EMAIL: thee_future@yahoo.com

- Flint, Michigan poet who is one of the fastest rising stars in the new spoken word movement.

Edwin Wilson aka “Future,” is one of the fastest rising stars in the new spoken word movement. In this just his second year of professional writing, already has he been on 2 college slam teams, both times winning intrastate college team slams in Michigan. The erotic poetry slam champion at The University of Michigan Ann Arbor, as well as countless features at local venues in the state of Michigan. If that seems cool it’s only the tip of the iceberg!

Edwin has swiftly become a well traveled performer, hitting spots like Church Hills in Miami Florida, Zansabar, Java Head and Urban Energy in Washington, D.C.

What makes the “Future” is his unique delivery and vocal projection. He speaks with the conviction of a General and the intensity of a middle linebacker! He is Also the 2004 Redemption Poetry Slam Champion for the Detroit Region of the contest, and he also performed for the BET Pantene Total You tour in Detroit and Washington D.C. sharing the stage with the talents of Nikki Giovanni, Yolonda Adams, MC Lyte, Myra J., Jacque Reid, Donna Richardson and others!

Edwin Wilson was born in Flint Michigan on April 3rd ,1979 at Hurley Hospital. He attended Flint Northern High School. After bouncing around a few colleges and pledging IOTA PHI THETA FRATERNITY INCORPORATED he finally settled in at the University of Michigan-Flint where he will soon graduate with a degree in Mass Communications and minor in Africana Studies.

Ed can always remember being very creative with his words, but he never tried to develop his skills due to his involvement in athletics. With dreams of the NFL behind him he picked up a pen and began a new “Future.” The first Slam competition he ever entered he placed second, missing a tie for first by a half point! Since then he has been growing and laying his own path stage after stage.

Cities and venues performed in include but are not limited to:

Saginaw, Michigan- Decades

Flint, Michigan- Beans and leaves, Good Beans Café, U of M-Flint, the Lunch Studio, Urban League, Courtland Center Mall, Purple Moon night club

Big Rapids Michigan – Ferris State University

Lansing Michigan – Michigan State University

Ypsilanti Michigan – Eastern Michigan University

Ann Arbor Michigan – University of Michigan

Midland Michigan – Northwood University

Kalamazoo Michigan – Western Michigan

Detroit Michigan – the Key Club, Half Past Three, Steve’s Soul Food, Chameleon Café, Café De Troit, Red Apple Gallery, Club Envy, 1515 Broadway, heart Plaza

South Field Michigan – Crème Café,

Miami Florida – Church Hills

Washington D.C. – Java Head, Zanzibar, Urban Energy, the Tacoma Theatre, Bar Nun, Washington Convention Center

Richmond Virginia – Hyatt Hotel

Also performed in New Orleans Louisiana, Columbus Ohio, Nashville Tennesse

If you like this piece you can email Future at:

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