The Last Poets – Understand What Black Is

Gathering an understanding

It is more than fair to say that The Last Poets have had an extraordinary run. Their career has spanned six decades and an astounding 18 albums. All the while, they have inspired cutting-edge African-American artists such as Gil Scott-Heron and Common to use their art as a tool to highlight the horrors of racism and discrimination. Since forming 50 years ago on Malcolm X’s birthday, The Last Poets have made it their duty to speak out against racial injustices both domestically and worldwide. For three decades (1970-1999), the Last Poets were a constant and prominent voice within the industry. Their strong, Black Panther attitude kept marginalized black Americans hopeful even in some of the most tumultuous times. Since 1999, they have been relatively quiet. Both the fatigue of their initial run and the deaths of Suliaman El Hadi, Nilaja and Abu Mustapha contributed to this hiatus.

Given their already massive success and late-life hardships, it was completely fair to expect The Last Poets to be finished. Lucky for us though, 2018 has seen a revival for the group, as they celebrate their 50th anniversary. Understand What Black Is is the group’s first release in 19 years and it comes at a very proper time. With the constant political division and tensions rising, perhaps the Last Poets are exactly what we need right now. The question is, does this album execute to the same degree as the rest of their catalog? And the answer to that question is a resounding yes.

The album opens up with the title track “Understand What Black Is.” This track dispels the negative stereotypes of being black and flips them on their head. Abiodun Oyewole and Umar Bin Hassan’s poetry on this track is sharp and strong-spirited. On top of this, the escalation of tension in the instrumental section really drives their point home. Dark woodwind motifs and master-crafted engine room percussion really help to create a strong atmosphere throughout the track. On “How Many Bullets,” The Last Poets explain the futile efforts of white Americans to marginalize American minorities. The line “You thought you killed Malcolm/But that only multiplied his power” perfectly exemplifies the message Oyewole and Hassan are trying to spread. Strength and determination in the minority community only grow as people target their leaders and perpetuate discrimination.

“Certain Images” deals with toils of complacency in modern America. When people do not seek out a better life for all fellow Americans, it is hard to achieve progression of civil liberties. “We Must Be Scared” is perhaps the grooviest on the tracklist. The double stroke-laden drumming along with the ever-present Conga grooves provide a dancey, yet powerful canvas for the Poets’ strong words. “Rain of Terror” highlights the hypocrisy of Americans’ views on terrorism. The poetry on this track cuts through your bone, especially in light of some of the most recent American tragedies. It is not the easiest listen, but it is an important one at the very least.

Overall, the Poets have returned with an album that would have made Malcolm proud. Oyewole and Hassan spout words of conviction over these Jamaican flavored reggae-hip-hop grooves. Even at their ages, they still have something to say. Whether you care about that message is up to you, but with six decades of experience under their belt, even the effort is impressive at this point.