Spoken word has a central and indispensable position in African American history and culture, according to the Smithsonian.
Black on Black Rhyme Melbourne Verses and Vibes is bringing some of that history to Brevard County this weekend with an open mic night.
Origin
Black on Black Rhyme originated in Tallahassee in 1998 in the apartment of Keith Rodgers, according to the group’s Eventbrite page.
Rassan ‘San’ Alexander Hicks joined the group of poets, artists, and performers nearly 10 years ago.
“I was doing poetry with them, doing slams, traveling, doing shows in Tallahassee. (It’s) what crafted me as a poet and artist altogether. Then I moved around a little bit and then came back to Melbourne, Florida.”
Hicks started the Melbourne chapter of Black on Black Rhyme in 2023 because he felt like the poetry scene in Melbourne was scattered about.
“I just feel like more of us need to come together as a community to make it more legit, more structured, so we can do more together. That's what I feel like Orlando has. I just noticed there's more structured cultural events like that in Orlando, like the Fusion showcase.”
San Alexander’s Journey to poetry
Hicks first began composing lyrics in middle school.
He wrote his first set of lyrics to the beat of Flip Flop Rock by Outkast.
As a kid, Hick’s father would challenge him to examine what artists were saying in their songs instead of getting distracted by the beat.
“My dad would say, ‘what was he talking about in that song?’ I don't know. I just liked the beat. And he was like, ‘Nah, you can't do that. You got to listen to what they’re saying because you could be bumping something and they could be talking about something that you really don't like or you’re not about.”
Hicks said that made him particular about what to say because he didn’t want to portray a false image.
Although Hicks was passionate about poetry and music, it wasn’t until college that he felt confident enough to take the stage when his friend took him to a Black on Black Rhyme event in Tallahassee.
“At the end of the show, the host goes up and says, ‘Is there anybody else that wants to touch the mic tonight before we shut down.” My boy points to me and says, ‘Hey, he raps like Kendrick Lamar.’ Host looks at me and says, ‘Oh, yeah. Come up here man.’ I spit a verse and ever since then I was at the show every week.”
Artists like Kendrick Lamar, J.Cole and Big K.R.I.T motivated Hicks to take his writing seriously.
“I always wanted to inspire people, the same way that their music inspired me. That's what got me to start writing poetry.”
Next on stage…
Attendees to Black on Black Rhyme Melbourne Verses and Vibes on Saturday, March 23 will be able to hear live music, poetry, and more.
“You'll see some experienced artists like myself, and then some up and coming artists. It’s open mic so you never know what you get. That's what I love about it the most,” said Hicks.
There will also be food and drinks at the event, along with some trivia.
“It's not always just straight poetry and music all night. I play the Urban Trivia game. It's a little card game that I found in Atlanta. I went to invest Fest in Atlanta last year. It is a black owned, black created card game. Urban trivia has questions about Black culture, Black movies, and stuff.”
To attend the event, visit Black on Black Rhymes Melbourne’s Eventbrite page.
Doors open for the event Saturday March 23 at 8:30 p.m.
It will be held at the American Legion Post 191 in Melbourne, Fl.
Tickets can be bought online or at the door.
