MCs and slam poets verbally slammed a cardboard cut-out of the president in front of a wall to wall crowd last night at the Union in the Slam Bush Athens Heat.
Monique Griffin, a senior African American studies major at Ohio University, took the $100 prize against six fellow Bush-bashers with her poem, Your War. Compared to her opponents, Griffin took a more historical and racial approach to attacking the president.
Young people need to understand who and what they are voting for and about
Griffin said. Too many young voters get involved in organizations and groups without knowing the back story. I wanted people to know their history so we don't repeat it.
After winning the slam, Griffin announced her winnings would pay for her books this quarter. Griffin is not sure whether she will be able to make the trip to Miami, Fla., for the national competition on Wednesday Sept. 29.
Other contestants in the slam were Jason Lea, Dave Cruze, Steven Rounthwaitz, Troy Gregorino, Allen Price and Charles Fubar Budde. Lea, Cruze and Gregorino chose to deliver their disses to a beat while Griffin, Rounthwaitz, Price and Budde took the acapella-poetry approach.
Prior to the onslaught on the president, Maurice Williams, the master of ceremonies, prefaced to the contestants they cannot threaten the president because it is a federal offense. After Bush was figuratively ripped apart by the MCs and poets, his cardboard counterpart was thrown into the crowd and literally destroyed.
Before the battle began, Mike DJ Barticus Bart spun records to get the crowd in a hip hop and political mood. Bart provided his own Bush disses by spinning Jean Knight's Mr. Bigstuff and James Brown's Funky President on the duel turntables.
Akil Houston, OU professor of African American Studies; John Gilliom, OU professor of Political Science; and Bart handled the judging responsibilities in the slam.
It's extremely important to have events like this because the common conception of contemporary hip hop is it's misogynistic materialistic and apolitical
Houston said. It also connects contemporary hip hop to the original voice
which was meant to give power to the disenfranchised community.
Stu Pflaum, who acted as coordinator and DJ of the event, said he was relieved to see such a diverse group of people at the slam. Pflaum said he hopes they did not just come for the hip hop but because of the political implications as well.
It was a new experience for the people and the professors in attendance
Pflaum said. I hope they were enlightened and realized what our generation is about to do and how serious we are about voting.
Pflaum said political hip hop events like the slam are not going away in Athens until it is time to vote. He encouraged everyone to get out and vote no matter which candidate they support.
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