Smokey Robinson Being Black

[Twoshoes]

Hi , my second passion after Soul music is poetry, I've done a quick search of the site but cannot find any reference to this and I thought it might be of interest to some of you, sorry if it has been posted before at some time.

 

[Little-stevie]

Thanks for posting...  

[Gointoagogo]

Amazing - thanks for the post.

[Peter99]

Hi , my second passion after Soul music is poetry, I've done a quick search of the site but cannot find any reference to this and I thought it might be of interest to some of you, sorry if it has been posted before at some time.

Nice post mate.

 

Peter

 

[lorchand]

Smokey is one of my favorite writers.  When I first heard this a few years ago, I was blown away.  Smokey is from the 'Northend'.  If you were born between 1940-1960 and lived in Detroit, everyone knows where it is and what Smokey is talking about.  Smokey spoke to a generation of being proud.  We were raised that way because we had to carry the mantle and pass it on to the next generation.  It was expected of us.  We had to be the example. 

 

What they call Rappin' today, to me does not equate to the Rappin' of my time.  Some call it poetry, OK, but Smokey is Rappin'.  When I heard this, he took me back to 1960 and how the community raised us, and I do mean the community raised us.  Adults that you didn't know, knew you and you wondered how your parents knew what you did before you got home and received whatever punishment that you were going to get.    Timeouts were not popular back in the day.  The only timeout you got was incarceration and our parents did what they had to do so you would not receive the 'timeout' later on.

 

I am not sure if he wrote it or not, but I am positive that he lived it.  I absolutely love this piece from Smokey.  I have it in my Favorites where it will stay until I RIP.

 

Lorraine

[Sean Hampsey]

Like Dylan said... still America's Greatest Living Poet

 

 

Sean

[Twoshoes]

Smokey is one of my favorite writers.  When I first heard this a few years ago, I was blown away.  Smokey is from the 'Northend'.  If you were born between 1940-1960 and lived in Detroit, everyone knows where it is and what Smokey is talking about.  Smokey spoke to a generation of being proud.  We were raised that way because we had to carry the mantle and pass it on to the next generation.  It was expected of us.  We had to be the example. 

 

What they call Rappin' today, to me does not equate to the Rappin' of my time.  Some call it poetry, OK, but Smokey is Rappin'.  When I heard this, he took me back to 1960 and how the community raised us, and I do mean the community raised us.  Adults that you didn't know, knew you and you wondered how your parents knew what you did before you got home and received whatever punishment that you were going to get.    Timeouts were not popular back in the day.  The only timeout you got was incarceration and our parents did what they had to do so you would not receive the 'timeout' later on.

 

I am not sure if he wrote it or not, but I am positive that he lived it.  I absolutely love this piece from Smokey.  I have it in my Favorites where it will stay until I RIP.

 

Lorraine

Hi Lorriane, I only mentioned the poetry bit because that is one of my interests and I found this many years ago whilst searching you tube for poetry videos and it became my introduction to Slam which with the passage of time has become popular over here and spawned another form Flash fiction. Very interesting to read you observation and first hand expereince . I must admit it had never occured to me that he might not have written it, I'll have to research that some more, got to say I would be disappointed if he hadn't ,but it would not be the end of the world it's still a fabulous piece of writing which deserves to be heard by more people,for me it has stood the test of time which all good writing should.

[lorchand]

Hi Lorriane, I only mentioned the poetry bit because that is one of my interests and I found this many years ago whilst searching you tube for poetry videos and it became my introduction to Slam which with the passage of time has become popular over here and spawned another form Flash fiction. Very interesting to read you observation and first hand expereince . I must admit it had never occured to me that he might not have written it, I'll have to research that some more, got to say I would be disappointed if he hadn't ,but it would not be the end of the world it's still a fabulous piece of writing which deserves to be heard by more people,for me it has stood the test of time which all good writing should.

 

Two Shoes,

 

I should have first thanked you for posting this piece.  Whatever anyone wants to call it, it is OK with me.  It surprised me to find it on SS and it is always refreshing to hear it. 

 

With Smokey's fame and fortune, it was so wonderful to hear the real him.  I do not know him personally, but I know some of his family.  I forgot he came from the Northend until I heard the piece.  Forgive my language, but the Northend produced no punks, sissys, etc, if you get my drift. This also applied to gay men. They had to be even tougher.  You had to know the streets, know how to fight and get out of situations that most people never go through.  You would never know that hearing Smokey sing or if you listen to his lyrics.

 

When I hear Smokey speak this piece, you see why he, Berry and some others withstood the test of time.  It is inbred in them.

 

Lorraine

Edited November 20, 2013 by lorchand