By Jennifer Norman
Staff Reporter
Publication Date: 02/04/08
Poetry and hip-hop collide for one Purdue student who performed his poetry for the first time Friday.
Tyrell Anderson, a senior in the College of Technology, has been performing pop and R&B music since 2003. He performed at the Poetry Slam, a poetry contest sponsored by Purdue Student Union Board.
Anderson's poems were quick and rhythmic, showing the stylistic influence his music has on his poetry.
He said his music lyrics are separate from his poetry, which addresses a different audience and discusses more personal matters than his music. Through performing poetry he is able to talk about topics he wouldn't want to sing about.
One of Anderson's poems was about beliefs and choosing what is right. He said the poem doesn't offer the answer to life.
"It's just putting out rhetorical questions," Anderson said.
The second poem was autobiographical. Anderson told the audience his life story in less than three minutes, addressing his past struggles and victories from his conception to the man he is today.
Anderson said he wanted to show that rap artists can be versatile.
"We can adopt to different topics that aren't in VH1 or MTV. We can do more," he said.
Performances at the Poetry Slam, which had 12 participants, included a freestyle rap and a description of befriending a communist in front of a urinal.
A lot of performers focused on what Anderson called "those deep conversations" - topics like liberty and love. The first-place winner, Reedi Garrett, a freshman in the College of Technology, performed a poem that addressed the importance of peace and freedom. She said she likes to write about anything in her life.
Her second poem was about a girl's struggle with self-image.
"I write to let my soul sing," Garrett said in a poem. "I write for all those that scream in silence."