Liverpool Slam Heat, NSW

Held on Friday 5th November, the Liverpool heat was host to slam competitors from around Western Sydney. The event was sponsored by Information Cultural Exchange (ICE) and Street University, where it was held. After the slam was over, the audience were treated to an open mic session with spoken word performances and even some musical pieces!

The winner of the heat was Musa Yasin aka Good Brother Musa, The Pious Poet, a Nuyorican Poetry Lounge semi-finalist/vocalist/poet and rap and soul artist with a solo album under his belt.

APS: Have you performed in front of an audience before?
MY: Yes coming from New York City and also being a ball player and artist and I'm used to performing I'n front of large crowds.

APS: How did you feel performing your own writing?
MY: I don't write poetry, I usually ask the judges to pick a topic or I use something that day that affected me. I speak from the soul the raw soul unrehearsed. There's nothing more pure than that.  When poetry was first formed by a group called the last poets they used the same form. So I try to follow I'n their footprints.

APS: Do you have a favourite style of writing or a favourite writer?
MY: I love the last poets and respect all writers that have a message and inspire people.

APS: Do you think it is important for Australians to write and perform their own work and why?
MY: Yes it must be their own work, because identity is everything I feel poetry and word are your energy, so if you speak someone else's peace it's like your borrowing a piece of them. And poetry started for the underdog the unspoken voice the oppressed.

The runner up of the Liverpool heat was 30 year old, David Kopycinski, who has been writing hip hop and poetry from the age of 16 and has been performing for about 18 months.

APS: Have you performed in front of an audience before?
DK: Yes, I have performed in front of audiences, usually small and intimate showpieces at the Street University's Word cafe and just recently performed for two nights at the Mersey Sound Collective Def Jam series, with the biggest being the Emotions of a Newage Poet book launch.

APS: How did you feel performing your own writing?
DK: When I write, I get an immediate feel as to whether it will be a performance piece or a piece that I may one day publish in a book. I definitely love performing my work though.

APS: Do you have a favourite style of writing or a favourite writer?
DK: Not really, but I love the work of Maya Angelou. I just really appreciate some of the Australian Poets that are performing at some the venues I’ve performed at, artists such as Omar Musa, Newage Poet, L-Fresh and Musa Yasin.

APS: Do you think it is important for Australians to write and perform their own work and why?
MY: I do, but I feel there is a real divide in the Australian scene, with huge contrasts in influences, styles and techniques- which is all good though. I would really love to see more writers perform though.

You can catch both Musa and David performing at the NSW State Final this Friday, 19th November!

(Pictures of the Liverpool heat to come!)