Adrian Green

Lyricist and spoken word artist

A Barbadian lyricist and spoken word artist who has disseminated information or disinformation, depending on your ideological bent, as a radio news announcer, and television producer, and through two CD publications of his poetry. He’s won some awards, too.

Publications:

    – Random Acts of Conscience (CD, spoken word)

    – Hard Ears (CD, spoken word, 2009)

WHY I DO WHAT I DO

create lyrics 1) to reinforce patterns of thinking and behaviour in myself, 2) to effect changes in thinking and behaviour in listeners and 3) for the fun of it.

HOW I DO WHAT I DO

Several ways. I breathe deeply, sit quietly and allow a word to come and suggest the following word. I decide on the overall message(s) or theme(s), state it, and fill in the spaces with supporting lyrics. Sometimes de lyrics is just come.

INFLUENCES

The Bajan people, Harriet Tubman, Amos Wilson, Heru, Bob Marley, Sizzla, Khalid Muhammed, Louis Farrakhan, Ayi Kwei Armah, Senegalese culture, Midnite (reggae band from St. Croix), old-time calypsonians, Bruce Lee, Gandhi, Fidel Castro.

EXCERPT

We are the dirt

Divine earth

We are the trampled upon

Sampled and drawn from the direction of the dawn

to build empires on which the sun was never supposed to set

We were never supposed to get

Only be gotten

Sons and daughters forgotten by heaven

We are the dirt

That covered the floors of hell

And protected the demons’ feet from the heat

Of their own sins

      —from “We the Dirt”

LAST BIG THING

Talk Hard CD launched Dec 2009; recipient of NIFCA (National Independence Festival of Creative Arts) 2010 Gold award in drama / speech for “Bajan Green.” Appeared in Headliners calypso tent for Crop Over 2011.

WHAT THRILLS ME MOST ABOUT MY WORK

The meditative state of creativity which I enter when creating is a relaxing sedative. The high I feel when performing to an enthusiastic audience is a stimulating intoxicant. The satisfaction of seeing persons enjoy and become engrossed in the recorded work is an inspirational tonic.

WHAT THRILLS ME LESS

I performed at a Crop Over pork lime once. I want to be able to get that audience to pause over the pork, put down the rum and listen.

MY BIGGEST CREATIVE OBSTACLE

Finding a way to get the work and its messages out to the masses of teens and twentysomethings consumed by popular culture.

CHOICE WORDS

        Work        The foundation of sucess

        Peace      The desired by-product of a s successful life

        Truth        The essential ingredient in lsting peace

        Results    How we know truth

        Deep         Where one must go for truth and the result of lasting peace