Artist description "The most influential artists that you probably never heard of!"

Music Style Poetry, Spoken Word, Rap, layered with Hip Hop, Jazz & R&B.

Similar Artists Last Poets, Nikki Giovanni, Gil Scott-Heron,

Artist History We’ve never stopped working on our poetry," Otis insists, "though we all have other trades. I’m a machinist by trade". We’ve always continued to write and do this Watts Prophets thing no matter what else we had going on". "We’d come together on special days, and for Black History Month," says Amde, who worked in drug and alcohol programs. Ironically, intrestest in them was waning just as the art, which they helped create, was establishing itself. But the Prophets were reenergized by a European tour organized by Don Cherry, which reunited them with DeeDee, and began to perform again at colleges and local rap seminars.As hip-hop evolved, the Prophets would enjoy seeing their obvious influence on younger wordsmiths, especially in gangsta rap. "Easy-E wanted to sign us before he died," says Made, adding another to the list of tragically missed opportunities. "Because his groups had been using our albums as inspiration. They just listen to it and ideas would flow."Hamilton et al. Also took issue with some sampling of their now-rare recordings. Not only about getting royalties and recognition, but also with tracks, such as Too Short’s "I’ll Stop Calling You Bitches"(?), which convoluted the original intent of Amde’s "Ill Stop Calling You Niggers." The issue was settled out of court.Then in 1991 came a stroke of luck, as hip-hop photographer and journalist Brian CrossMet Amde and wrote an Urb magazine article which brought them to the attention of producers The Dust Brothers (Beastie Boys, Tone Loc, Beck). And they found themselves back in the studio recording the self-released cassette EP Just Us? Just as history was repeating itself, reminding the Prophets of their mission, with the LA riots of 1992."People are asking, Can anything good come out of the LA Rebellion II?" Otis O’Solomon wrote in LA Times Op/Ed piece. "I say yes, but only if this city wakes up and realizes that plastering the ceiling won’t stop the leak in the roof."If nothing else, one good thing which emerged from the riots was the need for poets of truth such as the Watts Prophets, whose new album When The 90’s Came promises to be as vital now as Rappin Black was then.

Group Members Amde Hamilton - Otis O'Solomon - Richard Dedeaux

Albums Rappin' Black In White World, When The 90's Came

Press Reviews "Unquestionably rap’s most creative originators."-Los Angeles Weekly"An incredible story that is raps most forgotten chapter."-Urb Magazine"When the Poets perform titles such as "What Color Is Black?" and "Searchin`", the club is absolutely still, with even bartenders and pool players riveted to every word."-Los Angeles Times"The eloquently personify...our metamorphoses as people, prophets, and creators, and the cycle which we, as black folks, live."-Rap Pages "(Rappin` Black…) is something that should be taught in junior high school across the country."-No Sellout"Representing the beginnings of consciousness-raising prose spoken over music, the Watts Prophets are the conduits of a mind-awakening message, the truth according to Black People, a perspective that is not often seen or heard in mainstream America."-Los Angeles Watts Times

Location Los Angeles, California - USA

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