“The Voices of My People” is my journey down memory lane. It’s my memory of Nigeria, of my father’s home, calling out to me in poetic form. The call is simple: “do not forget where you came from!” Listening to that call has changed the trajectory of my creative work. It’s inspired me to pay homage to African writers, thinkers, and revolutionaries like Chinua Achebe, Wole Soyinka, Malcolm X, Kwame Nkrumah, Jean-Jacques Dessalines, W.E.B. Dubois, Sékou Touré, Amiri Baraka, Gwendolyn Brooks, Audre Lorde, Etheridge Knight, Gil Scott Heron, and so many more. In the end, the poem is a reminder for all African peoples to stay connected to the Diaspora’s wisdom.

Read more here: https://kelsey-ogbewe.medium.com/the-voices-of-my-people-36e4816dedab

The Voices of My People - Single

The Voices of My People

The Voices of My People (Poem)

These so-called "diaspora wars" do us no good as a people…

Lyrics:

[VERSE 1: Kelsey Ogbewe]

it’s hella negroes in a chokehold.
they let america feel so bold
to feed ‘em lies.
“secure the tribe?” 
a hill you die for while you find 
every f*ckin' way to piss on legacies
that held the line.

you lyin’ to yourself.
you think you uncle sam’s man? 
damn shame, cuz you've seen 
this f*cked up plan to maim 
members of a melanated class 
past what you think is in the past.

colonizers hangin' on to caste systems.
itchin’ for the fast shooters.
recrutin' ’em masked troopers.
a Krew of them Kracka Krazies.
pigs pickin’ on a picket line
pickin’ sides with politicians paying 
for they pensions, huh? 

like what you thought this was? 
you know they out for blood!
they keep it tucked inside they waistbands
to waste ni**as on blocks. 
cops don’t give a damn if you not
american Black.
sever yourself from rest of the pack,
you caught lackin’ again.
divide, conquer, they win.
gahdamn...

[OUTRO: Malcolm X Speaks]
The Organization of Afro-American Unity sees the only hope for the Black man in America in a strong Africa. 

And the necessity of the Afro-American becoming inseparably linked with the overall program that’s existing on the African continent. 

The two problems must go, must be solved together. 

And the two courses must go forward together. 

And so, the Organization of Afro-American Unity has a program to link the Afro-Americans with the Africans and the Africans with the Afro-Americans. 

When I say “Afro-Americans,” I mean those throughout the entire Western Hemisphere. 

This is our only hope. 

Our hope is in a strong Africa. 

And when Africa is strong, our position in America will be one of respect. 

But if Africa is weak, we will never be in a position of respect in America.

© 2022 Kelsey Ogbewe. All rights reserved.

Blood: Johnny P's Caddy (Freestyle) - Single

Blood: Johnny P's Caddy (Freestyle)

I wrote and recorded this piece in 2021, inspired by two things: Afaa M. Weaver's Bop poetry form and Black men and our relationship to anger.

I thought about how we often deny ourselves the space to express the vulnerable emotions behind our anger. Or how some of us grew up thinking that our anger makes us inherently fucked up. Neither of which should be the case. Anger is a revolutionary tool when wielded properly.

So Black man, what is your anger trying to tell you?

READ THE FULL POEM HERE: https://kelsey-ogbewe.medium.com/the-damage-of-denial-3c8d4ee4e6aa

the damage of denial - Single

the damage of denial

. . . part of a series of relationship-themed poems for my collection-in-progress.

LYRICS: 

What’s understood ain’t gotta be explained…

(Damn)

This nigga can’t see she’s drained. 
She’s had enough of his lies. 
He tries to wax poetic,
 knowing that his words are callous. 
Cold. 
Irksome. 
Lacking the love that he claims to give. 
His doublespeak digs a deeper grave,
 a hollowed-out maze. 
She’s pissed.

“BULLSHIT!”

She shouts, with the sound of fatigue
 that bleeds through her vocal snares. 
She no longer cares to navigate through  
the gibberish that flows from his lips. 
To her, he speaks the hypocrite’s tongue, 
the dialect of dishonesty,

(Lyin' ass nigga)

 the language of myths
strung together by tragicomedy. 
It’s honestly absurd. His words are laughable. 
They fall on her deaf ears,
‘cause she can’t hear past them
broken promises he made.

This moment,
or a collection of unlearned fuck ups,
run up his mind.
He can’t fuck up this time.

What’s understood ain’t gotta be explained…

© 2022 Kelsey Ogbewe. All rights reserved.

FIGHTING WORDS . . . the sound of fatigue - Single

FIGHTING WORDS . . . the sound of fatigue

Dedicated to
. . . the woman who called me her Cinderella man without the flowers.

. . . another audio experience from my work-in-progress poetry collection dropping soon. stay tuned for more details about the book.

READ HERE: kelsey-ogbewe.medium.com/wild-cherry-a13a138e6e70

She makes his stomach turn and teeth chatter. 
These lungs filled with quickened breath can’t speak. 
He thinks to kiss her soft, butter pecan cheek. 
To hold the scent of her skin for a lifetime. 
Commit the aroma of warm hugs on cold nights to memory.
 Every part of him, engaged with familiar feels 
Of her face cushioned against his lips, 
Watching a well played twitch of her lips to touch his.
He fell in love with these moments, 
In love with her potent presence pressing play on paused pleasure. 
It’s a sweet treasure to watch her smile.

The way her upper lips curls
While Nile River-like words flow smooth from tip of tongue
Calms these lungs to breath slowly,
Shows him no reason to worry.
His Wild Cherry,
His muse,
Sweet with blunt truth.
This piece is written pain
And patient love making stained with purplish hues.

© 2022 Kelsey Ogbewe. All rights reserved.

Wild Cherry - Single

Wild Cherry

. . . and the story will continue right after this short interlude . . .

LYRICS

[INTRO]

(from the end of "Wild Cherry")

. . . this piece is written pain
and patient love making
stained with purplish hues

(from the beginning of "Fighting Words")

. . . what's understood ain't gotta be explained
. . . damn (damn)

[VERSE: Spoken Word]

we fake f*ckin'.
we fake safe havens.

we say fake vague
statements of love,
and they smell of dung piles
piled up on doorsteps
served with rose petals.

we settle nicely in the arms
of dark liquor puddles.

we swim away
from what’s burnin' inside.

we hide behind
the numbness of
phone screens.

we fiends for control
who fight to feel
right at home tho . . .

© 2022 Kelsey Ogbewe. All rights reserved.

SOLILOQUY - Single

SOLILOQUY

“Art is whatever makes you proud to be human…” 
— Amiri Baraka

“Poetry means taking control of the language of your life…” 
— June Jordan

“The first change that takes place is in your mind…” 
— Gil Scott-Heron

I've had a lot on my mind these past few years. Some of those thoughts turned into poetic audio experiences. Between 2017 and now, I've turned to poetry to explore my inner world. What you're getting from me now are small glimpses into those explorations, pieces of myself taken from the last few months. 

I named this EP Pieces of a Man for that reason. It's also an homage to Gil Scott-Heron, one of the many poets who inspired me in this craft 10 years ago. 

My first body of work in 10 years is a personal project that only scratches the surface of an even more personal collection of poems, essays, and short stories. I hope to give y'all that book sometime next year. In the meantime, listen with me as I process these "jagged jigsaw" pieces of a man.

Pieces of a Man (EP)

Afterword

CHAPTER IV. as told by a Germantown griot

CHAPTER III. SOLILOQUY

CHAPTER II. Fighting Words (the sound of fatigue)

CHAPTER I. Wild Cherry

Pieces of a Man

Here’s another piece of myself in poetic form. Listen with me as I’m still processing these jagged jigsaw pieces of a man.

[PAGES FLIPPING]
[SPOKEN WORD POEM]

You said all the right words that night to persuade me,
To sway my fragile mind
Away from only allowing myself to write on its walls.
“In due time, you’ll trust me with your secrets,”
You said, permitting me to let my guard down
And accept your scribbled love messages.
I got subconscious creases filled with memories
Of your midnight moans moving from ear to ear.

I hear, “goodnight, baby,”
“I love you, baby,” “I’ll always have your back, baby,”
“you can trust me, baby,”
Them were pillow-talking promises that  Punctured through my hardened flesh.
You always knew how to maneuver your tongue
In ways that pressed for more beneath the surface.
Perfectly crafted expressions of your need for my tenderness
Dripped from your honey-dipped lips,
And sh*t, I listened to every word.

But why did I dismiss the whiff of your rotten ashtray breath?
Why not recoil from the stench of death?
Why was I so quick to get addicted to your poison?
Did I become numb to the noise and warnings
of the ghosts that haunt this bed?

(N***a you know she’s toxic . . .)

You know, they said never trust your big butt and your smile.

(It ain’t even worth it, fam . . .)

Damn. Now how I wish I’d seen through your
Tobacco-laced schemes, exploiting
A wounded man’s softness.
‘Cause maybe then I would’ve never been so quick
To spill my secrets in your sheets.

[PAGES FLIPPING (2)]
Say bruh. Enough with all that poetry sh*t, man.
What else you got this notebook, man?
You got some raps in here?
Lemme see . . .

[RAP OUTRO]

Wait a minute you done healed?
You ain’t really in your feels?
You lyin’ muthaf*cka
I see the past picking at your mind
You was blind to the b*tch back then
Caught it way way back when
You called her out her name . . .

© 2023 Kelsey Ogbewe

Pillow - Talking Regrets

Every song and poem I've dropped is a snapshot of a moment. This song is a snapshot of when I realized it was time to leave a love affair with chaos. I had to get my peace of mind back. There's more to the story of this song, but I'll tell it some other time. For now, the best way to enjoy this record is to get in the whip, roll the windows down, drive, and vibe.

LYRICS:
[INTRO]

We just gon’ vibe out right quick.
Right quick, right quick. Look.
Ayo, turn me up in the headphones a lil’ bit man.
Yeah, yeah, that’s perfect.

(What you wanna do man?)

[VERSE 1]

I just wanna keep it real with ya.
Peel back some layers,
Feel with ya.
I don’t wanna run no games,
Play with pain,
Whatchu sayin?
Say it plain, sista.
Look, n***** want peace.
So please sit down
And spark with me,
Get caught in this relief.

[PRE-HOOK: SPOKEN WORD]

See, I dunno if I ever told you this,
But sometimes a fog of stress—
The stress of bouncing back
From years of having love affairs
With chaos—hovers over my mind.
Look, I know, I know.
I gotta find a way to let that shit go.

(Let it go!)

[HOOK]

But even if I miss ya, please.
I just wanna feel at peace.
And I know you wanna keep
Lyin’ to my face, baby.
Now, she lookin’ at me crazy.
Like, “n**** what’s up withchu lately?”
You done switched up.
I don’t give a fuck!
I don’t give a fuck!
Wait a minute, yuh!

(Let it go!)

But even if I miss ya, please.
I just wanna feel at peace.
And I know you wanna keep
Lyin’ to my face, baby.
Now, she lookin’ at me crazy.
Like, “n**** what’s up withchu lately?”
You done switched up.
I don’t give a fuck!
I don’t give a fuck!
Wait a minute, yuh!

(I gots to leave)

[VERSE 2]

Ooo believe me, baby
I don’t wanna switch it up on you, baby
But I’m feelin’ something’s off with you, baby
(You) got me stressin’ over bullshit.
The messes you made.
Grey hairs in my beard.
I see eye bags in my mirror.
Can’t sleep. Red flags for four years.
Look, I don’t wanna put you in a hot seat.
But I know that you been cheatin’ on a n**** ,
So I gots to leave.
Trust me, I’mma get on fine.
Not aloof, but the proof
Be the peace on my mind.
Wait a minute.
Don’t blame me for your foul sheets now, baby.
This your relief bed. Lay in it, baby.
‘Cause a n**** got things to do.
So best to you.
I’m goin’ right back in the stu.

[PRE-HOOK (2): SPOKEN WORD]

Oh you thought I never knew, huh?
You thought I never saw that nigga’s draws
Laid out on your sheets?
Please. You can keep your fauxpologies.
See, my peace be the tradeoff.
Shit, a n**** finally from this
Love affair with chaos.
Nah baby, don’t fuck up my bliss.

(Let it go!)

[HOOK]

But even if I miss ya, please.
I just wanna feel at peace.
And I know you wanna keep
Lyin’ to my face, baby.
Now, she lookin’ at me crazy.
Like, “n**** what’s up withchu lately?”
You done switched up.
I don’t give a fuck!
I don’t give a fuck!
Wait a minute, yuh!

(Let it go!)

But even if I miss ya, please.
I just wanna feel at peace.
And I know you wanna keep
Lyin’ to my face, baby.
Now, she lookin’ at me crazy.
Like, “n**** what’s up withchu lately?”
You done switched up.
I don’t give a fuck!
I don’t give a fuck!
Wait a minute, yuh!

[ENDING]

(I gots to leave!)
(Which ways to go?)
(Get away from you!)
(I gots to leave!)
(Which ways to go?)
(Get away from you!)
(I gots to leave!)

© 2023 Kelsey Ogbewe

PEACE (I Gots To Leave!) - Single

PEACE (I Gots To Leave!)

//The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it?// 
Took that quote, thought about it for a while, observed the world around me, and penned Premedita"ded."
The 1st installment of my observations on society over Mobb Deep's Shook Ones Pt. 2 instrumental
For more info visit:  https://kelseyogbewe.com/

Lyrics: https://genius.com/Ko-kelsey-ogbewe-premedita-ded-lyrics

Recored & Mixed  by Etienne 
Follow him on soundcloud ----> https://soundcloud.com/entirelytoonasty

Visual ----> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t-s2OFp13nE

Premedita"ded"

Poet | Essayist | Artist
“You cannot enslave a mind that knows itself, that values itself, that understands itself…” — Wangari Maathai

Kelsey Ogbewe

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