**Will "Da Real One" Bell was killed violently early Sunday morning outside his cafe in Miami. Get to know him, get to know his work so that his legacy can continue on in us and our children.**
WHO IS DA~REALONE? Will Bell, "Da~RealOne," while growing up in the Liberty City projects of Miami. It wasn't unusual for him to be suddenly awakened on school mornings by the sounds of Marvin Gaye singing "Sexual Healing" on the household stereo and the loud laughter of a house full of people engrossed in card games. The separation of his parents, the need to belong, and the lack of positive neighborhood surroundings are just some of the adversities that allowed him to make the amazing transition from troubled youth to a five time nationally televised spoken word artist. Early on he wrote and recited for only friends until a close friend read a powerfully poignant piece he had written called "Still Swinging." So moved by this piece, he was asked if he realized that people were gracing stages all over the country with poetry like this. His answer was, "No." He was immediately introduced to another poet who took him to his first spoken word venue where his words blazed the stage and without even knowing what it was, he had entered a "Lip, Tongue, and Ear" Poetry Slam and walked away with first place!
The year was 2001. It was the year Will Bell became "Da~RealOne" and his passion for this art form was made clear. The stage was set for his success. Inspired by the other poets, he reflected on the excitement he felt and the sense of power he witnessed that seemed to be most present when poetry is performed in front of a microphone. He compared his first spoken word experience to being "the next best thing since ice-cream in the summertime." Ever since that first night, he's been awakening spirits with political musings that ignite fire, sharing bittersweet memories of his past, and turning up the heat with sensual erotic metaphors. WHERE HE'S BEEN... As a spoken word artist, Will "Da~RealOne" accumulated a wealth of experience through his many performances throughout the United States. He's appeared on stages in Boston, Mass. Durham, NH St. Louis, MO Tallahassee, FL Baltimore, MD Washington DC Norfolk, VA Hampton VA New Orleans, LA Atlanta Ga. Birmingham, AL Los Angeles, CA San Diego, CA Tampa, FL New York. NY Memphis TN. Phoenix AZ. New Mexico Jamaica (Black River) Turks Islands PV. Linden NJ. Chicago ILL. Sacramento CA. Minnesota MN Milwaukee WIC. Honolulu Hawaii And he continues to frequent poetry venues locally and internationally, recently adding hosting and promotions to his already extensive repertoire of experience. WHAT HE'S DONE... He is a Canadian World International Poetry Slam Champion 2004 and 2005. A Miami Masters Preliminary Slam Finalist, M. O. M. A. Poetry Slam Champion, Ghetto Poetry Slam Champion, The Love Jones Revived Slam Champion, Flo-Wednesdays Slam Champion, Funk Jazz Lounge Slam Champion, Mello-Mondays Slam Champion and most recently The Miami Masters Poetry Tournament Slam Champion.
Will made his mark in the history of South Florida poets by being the first poet to ever hold down a prime time radio spot, on Power 96's Teddy T and Lucy show. He was also the first poet to grace the air waves of all three major urban radio stations in the area (WEDR/99Jamz,/Power96, and /HOT105). He has just completed two back to back seasons on the HBO program Russell Simmons presents HBO's Def Poetry Jam. With other notable appearances including many local cable shows. He also appeared on the new Black Family channel (MBC Network) on the new hit show "Spoken." He is the official sports poet on CBS Sports Zone with Jim Berry. And has just completed a two cameo appearance in the new BADBOY Entertainment video of The Notorious B.I.G and Bob Marley "Hold ya head." Urban Poet Laureate award of Dade County at the Lip, Tongue, and Ear Slam Championship. The recipient of the "Black On Black Rhyme" Mr. Poetry Award 2005. He has performed and worked with "The Summer Bridge Program," a school for gifted youth in Miami, during the summer of 2003.
His goal: to introduce young people to this creative way of using words to express themselves. An advocate of young people, he is frequently asked to make presentations to youth, especially those from the same environments as he had to endure as a child. Invitations to make video appearances and CD collaborations resulted in working with Malcolm Jamal Warner (Cosby Show), and being featured on the "Blues Resurgence" CD by internationally renown spoken wordsmith Talaam Acey. Will's style has even scored him an endorsement deal with a Miami-based urban clothing store (Cool J's) selling all the latest brands.
He has graced the stage with Mos Def, Dead Prez, Flowetry, Clifton Powell, John Ledgend, Alicia Keys, Malcolm Jamal Warner, Monique (Parkers and Queens of comedy), black-eyed Peas, Johnny Gill and Eric Bene't. ALL IN ALL...
Dubbed the Tupac of Poetry, his style has been compared to the late great rap artist Tupac-Shakur due to his raw edgy content and straight forward delivery. His formidable stature and strong-baritone voice command attention. His word play holds an audience spellbound like the intricately woven lyrics of a song. What he shares is personal, and his audiences feel it. His persona is one of modest strength and calm passion. When asked what keeps him humble in an arena that he seems to dominate wherever he goes, his reply is this, "I am never bigger than the poems I write or the people who listen to them." HIGHLIGHTS OF DA~REALONE THE MEDIA Featured on Live From Da~Crib television show Miami Herald Article Appeared on Haitian Television Network Westside Gazette Urban America News paper Hits Factory television show Positive Beauty Image Magazine Power 96 Teddy T & Lucy radio show Hot 105 Funk Jazz Lounge show Sun-Sentenal CBS ABC NBC HTN - From Will Da Real One's Myspce
and I've been trying to experience
this thing called joy
ever since my youth
But since birth
I have been living with 3 strikes
against my soul.
And I'm constantly taunted
with a sentence to eternal fire
after existing in a world
that was way too cold.
Now I'm forced to address topics
that people say in order for me to say this
I'm way too bold.
Never mind me dealing with facts
like once upon a time
black folks were sold,
because a muscle bound n*gger
was worth his weight in gold.
And people don't understand
that I can't write about
a field full of lilies
From the stories that I was told.
I can't write about things
like having my own room as a child.
I can't write about
how my mother was so proud of my report cards
due to her depressed state
over my psychological profile.
And I can't write about
the fact that I served as a soldier of this great nation,
with out getting into how
I was denied time after time
from continuing my education.
Through the rejection of my college applications
Or how the proclamation
aint got a damn thing to do with Haitians.
So I just can't write about
how every thing in my life is fine.
In a state where the police chose your fate
with the sentence of jail
or being shot 41 times.
Or how even to deal with the world
once upon a time I had to snort,
not one not two but at least three lines.
And I can't write about
all the religions I've tried
Because people say that God
will never leave me,
but I can't recall not one time
he actually stood by my side.
And I can't write about
how I grew up in the inner city,
without some rich saditty trying to show care through financial pity.
Like it was only money I was missing.
And I can't write
about the countless drug deals
I did in my home
and not stop to think
that it was my mother's life I was risking.
And I can't write
about how after my father left,
all the dating mistakes my mother made
I can't write about
the tears I seen fall from her eyes
from all the games her boyfriends played.
and
I can't write about
the attempted molestations
growing up with the frustrations of
was it all my fault?
And I can't write
about how when my uncle
would slide down my draws
I was thinking it was natural,
and can't begin to tell you
what the fuck my uncle thought.
Just to find out years later,
to him the same thing his father's brother taught
I can't write about
how my father proudly watched me grow.
And I can't write about
the love of another person,
because all my love walked out
when he left 27 years ago.
and I challenge any one of you
to write about happiness,
after your younger brother and sister
looks at you like you supposed to know.
And I can't write about
black Queens
because my mother was always referred to
as being a bitch or hoe.
Because I can't write about
long walks in the park
with out dodging bullets
just trying to get to the corner store.
And people still don't understand.
That if I just had to write about happiness
I just couldn't Write
no more!
"I Can't Write About"
© 2006 Will "Da~RealOne" Bell
All rights reserved.
No comments:
Post a Comment