PostPoems Be Artistic. Be Creative. Be Inspired!

I like this poet for many reasons. His expression and word play in poetry is one that can not be measured. He can write you a love poem and then turn around and spit a hot 16, which is what he did recently when he teamed up with our CEO, Mark G. With his lyrical abilities and undeniable swagger the BPC Anthem was born. His flow is flawless and he has set many pages of the BPC ablaze. I couldn't think of a better person to be the first one to sit on Spellman's Couch. I know you all love him just as much as I do, so I present to you my exclusive one on one interview with Poet of Pain.



1. Musically speaking, what gives you the upper hand over artist out right now?



Well I only would have the upper hand if I was in the industry and even then God is no respect of person. If he did it for them he'll do it for me. Basically I just do what inspired me to do what I do and that is basically to write songs from the heart that make you feel something inside. I remember music used to do that.



2. Other than the obvious, what does the name Poet of Pain symbolize? Cold August?



Well Poet of Pain has nothing to do with poetry or being a spoken word artist. It really isn't the obvious literal meaning of a poet writing about pain either. I was inspired by the late Nirvana lead leader Kurt Cobain and his ability to make songs so powerful that it touched the soul of a person who didn't even listen to rock. The lyrics were honest and raw and I think I unintentionally took on that torch. They named him The Poet of Pain in an article, I said it in a rhyme in 03 and it stuck ever since. ColdAugust is my original poet/author name. The name means that even in the hottest summer of struggle God will make a way and blow a wind from the snowy mountains to cool you off just when you feel like you can't take it anymore. That was inspired by a proverb that I read. Also I have a fascination with oxymoron's and Irony.



3. Sometimes your demeanor can come across as...arrogance. Do you think you're an arrogant person?



No I'm not an arrogant person at all but I will lyrically murder someone if they step out of line lol. In the past one of the cliques didn't like that I had to pull one of their peoples card in rhyme form. So BPC 's owner and I got a whooole lot of heat for having that posted. Sometimes I get very raw and politically incorrect and that's what makes me, ME. One thing I hate and you'll see me get arrogant about is people giving commentary and advice on my poetry like it's a conversation that invites an opinion about the poets personal life. Tell people what you liked or disliked about the poem, not your personal advice relating to their life. Save that for the discussions. Getting back to my beef I had a year ago... Poetry is supposed to be an expression, so you can't really judge and censor someone's art. So when I say stuff like F spoken word in a piece, don't take it personal. I AM man enough to say I have a chip on my shoulder sometimes and I let that aggression out through my pieces.



4. What do you consider to be your greatest accomplishment?



My greatest accomplishment is overcoming fear. I grew up a little sheltered so I had to get some street knowledge to learn how to deal wit confrontation. Overcoming fear allows me to do things and deal with uncomfortable situations like a soldier. God is good. All the time.



5. In your poem "Lake Montebello" you speak of how you go to the lake to clear your mind. What else do you do to bring calmness when your life is becoming chaotic? Also, elaborate on this line for me. "The true test of self is when no one else is home."



Well waking up well rested on an off day talking to my lord in the morning for starters. Also seeing a good matinee movie when it's not that crowded. "The true test of self is when no one else is home." This line means you really find what you are made of when you don't have the crutch of a relationship to get you through something. I recently moved on from a failed relationship and it's been very difficult to move on without another woman to fill the void that's been left. So I'm finding out what I'm made of.



6. Why is owning your own publishing company so important to you?



Well the publishing is just a part of the multimedia operation I want to have. I just want a company that encompasses many facets of artistic and literal expression. Basically I want inside the business for Graphic Art, Web design Photography, Books, Advertising, Music Production and little bit of everything.



7. In your poem, "Exhumed" you expressed how you felt betrayed by a family member once he got to a certain level in his life. What did you gather from that experience?



Well basically my nephew kind of dissed me because I think he didn't want to be in my shadow or someone controlling him. I hope he learns to be man enough to confront someone and keep it real. I used that piece to get the last of the bitterness out. I've learned you can't offer anything free to anyone unless they come to you and are serious and hungry about investing in themselves. So now I'm going to keep it more business with everyone. I'm not offering anything anymore. So I've learned not to force myself on people, just do the work, put it out there, and let them come to me. He is still family and I have love for him though. Musically from now on it's business.



8. Do you think that sometimes as a man, and as a poet/writer that your ego gets in the way of making certain decisions?



You might have to elaborate and break that one down in this post Spellman. Maybe give me a scenario. Personally my ego doesn't get in the way of my decisions at all.



9. Who's the most important people in your life and why?



My mother and my youngest sister. Those two are the only ones in this world that has my back without hesitation.



10. What's the first thought you have when you wake up in the morning?



My first thought is usually thank you lord for opening my eyes and I pray that better days are coming.



11. You and Mark G got together recently and created a masterpiece that had BPC members and non BPC members alike bobbing their heads. What was it like working with the CEO himself? Would you like to create another anthem for BPC in the future?



First off I like to thank everyone that's been rocking and supporting the anthem.



Aww man I tell you I've been wanting to collab with Mark G. for 2 years but we just never made it happen. I think he's only the third male on BPC that I've collaborated with. Me and M to geezy got each others backs though. We always clicked. That's why we flow so well on the radio show. Mark is a Fellas fella. I can't wait to do more hits together and maybe produce some beats for him. Yeah I'm trying to do some more anthems real soon. I have a couple up my sleeve already. It's going to be hard topping the one we did for real.



12. Do you have any new material you would like to inform the family about?



Well you can start with the old material first by going to www.lulu.com/poetofpain and grab my debut book and Cd. Go get that Spelly Spellz. As far as the future I'm going be dropping a mixtape to hold everyone until my next album gets mastered. All the way is the first one that has been done an ready to go. I'm also going to Seattle in June to record some more new material. So keep checking the booth, I'll be dropping a lot in there.