Slam Poet Lays Down Tracks for DSU Students

Dan Crisler

Dakota State University students had the fortune of killing off a Monday night by witnessing slam poet and rapper George Watsky perform in the Trojan Center Underground, in an event hosted by the Student Activities Board.

For those who are unfamiliar with slam poetry, the official slam poetry site (poetryslam.com) defines slam poetry as “the competitive art of performance poetry.” In other words, it is a poetry competition that judges their participants on both content and delivery style.

Watsky recited his poetry dealing with subjects that ranged from family to vomiting on an airplane. However, this was no ordinary poetry recital. Specifically, Watsky showcased his slam poetry style by reciting his poetry in a very fast manner with an edge to his voice.

In between each poem, Watsky divulged pieces of his interesting background. A native San Franciscan born to hippy parents, he now lives in Los Angeles. He has been performing slam poetry since 2003, even getting a chance to perform on Last Call with Carson Daly. Asked why he became a slam poet, he provided a simple answer, “I enjoy writing and performing.”

When he’s not performing slam poetry, he releases his own rap CDs and performs it on his YouTube channel (for those interested, here is a rap video of his:

Students had the opportunity to buy one of his CDs and speak with him after the show.

Overall, all parties seemed to have a positive experience. The students cheered for Mr. Watsky when the act ended, and he, in turn, was cordial to those who spoke with him after the show.

Photograph taken from Doug Ansel