The finalists for War Of Words Season 2 are.....!!!

For this 2nd edition of War Of Words, we had a total of 22 video entries/ submission from Spoken Word Poets in different parts of Nigeria using the theme "Be The Change You Seek."  

 However, only 16 poets can be selected to compete on stage at the main event on Sunday December 15, 2013. 

So after plenty argument and disagreement, our in-house judges finally reached a consensus.  Though we must mention that picking the 16 finalists was no easy task. We know and appreciate the efforts put into all the video submissions. 

We know each poet is unique in his or her own right and trying to say a poet is better than the other can be perceived as an injustice to creativity. 

Thus, we say a big THANK YOU to all the poets who entered for the competition. 

But the rules of the competition limits us to 15 poets, but we decided to pick 16 poets (we no try??). 

The 16 finalists for the Season 2 of War Of Words -Slam Poetry Competition in no particular order, are as follows:

1. Slimzy
2. Kruseaphix
3. Mac Dave
4. Shegzrhym
5. I am Rage
6. Chika Jones aka Scribblelirian 
7. Thinkingpen
8. Prestige d WordSmith
9. Olaide Afolabi aka PoetStreet
10. High On Word
11. Atilola Ajayi
12. Yetunde George
13. Foursyte Bogani
14. J-Quill
15. Osigwe Benjamin
16. Ehiz d poet

Wild Cards (in case one of the chosen 16 poets does not show up and to be chosen as listed):

1. Chiemezie Ibe
2. Moses Ukam aka Youngflashy

(The Wild Cards will replace any of the 16 poets who don't show up 
on the day of the Slam Poetry Competition on December 15, 2013)

Thank you all.

You are cordially invited to  "War Of Words Season 2.” 

Date is Sunday December 15, 2013

Venue is The Prince of Anthony Hotel 27 Oyedele Ogunniyi St, Anthony Village, Lagos.

Time is from 2.30 pm.

Gate is Free (but do buy a WORD UP DVD at the gate to support us, and buy yourself a drink when inside).

#WarOfWords2 The Difference by High On Word

The Difference by High On Word

Do you know the difference between me and you

It is not that I have money and you don’t

It is not that I have properties and you don’t

The difference between me and you

Is that I’m always happy and you’re not

I’m ever thankful but you don’t

I don’t complain but you do

You want to do everything to be rich

I do what I love and do it well

I always know I’m wealthy

I respect myself, do you?

The contrast between us is that

I want to help people but you always want people to help you

The similarity that does not exist between us is the fact that

I took time to get better, sharpening my strength

You went into the farm with blunt instrument

I don’t blame people for my troubles

Do you take responsibility for yours

Giving ache your ankle

But it is health to my bones

And air for my lungs

You think that money makes rich

But it is riches that brings money

Work hard, but always create time to think

Pray hard and believe what you prayed.

Value yourself

Don’t exchange your value for food

You are bigger than your stomach

Don’t exchange it for money

You are richer than your pockets

Your possession does not describe nor define you

You describe and define them

They are, because you are

Pay less time to your stomach’s hunger

Else, you will be bound to self

Don’t you know that you are a slave to that which

You pay attention to and

A servant to that which you look up to

You are more precious than gold

You are a god

More precious than silver

You are forever

Hello my friend

The distinction between a rich man and a poor one is

Awareness and Value

That is what I heard the rich man in my             

thoughts

Say to the poor man in my imaginations

Check out the video via this link

#WarOfWords2 The Difference by High On Word

http://youtu.be/Vo3krj5Id5g

#WarOfWords2 WHEN WE REALIZE by Ehiz d poet

This guy is good, 
deep words, 
nice flow, 
and passion is clearly evident.
He narrowly missed out on being one of the 15 finalist during War Of Words saeson 1.
Will he get lucky this time?
Well, if you ask me, 
I will say, me likey likey!!!


WHEN WE REALIZE by Ehiz Momodu aka Ehiz d poet

Won't it be funny?
To wake up some day and realize that humans with hands, and untamed thoughts
Have been dancing to rhythms of rat drums hovering round a circle of untidy definitions where we are like script-less antagonist armed with bitter memories of what we thought are bigger than all we are.
So we drunk our minds in anger and distance it from love of all kinds,
Paint the eyes in raging passions and pierce it thick into the racing heart of a fellow antagonist,
And with our own hands, we drag apart the earth
And masquerade the flesh of our falling comrades
Into an act of out of existence..
Then our dreams becomes hanging..
And soon dies like untold ferry tales
Like fantasies defeated when realities strikes to the fore
Then our heads turn into a grave host of undone dreams,
Of unmade songs, of UN-fought wars
And of voices of rusty ideas echoing dirges of regrets
Maybe when flood of reality swabs out the blind folds
And stop the music of rat race and rat lanes only for us 
to realize that the clock is helplessly holding its hands at very end,
Then we turn to drink the falling remains of uncouth songs,
Dream of moon and cooling blues
Sing dead blues and pretend cool,
Smile like fools and polish our noose
And watch hooks drain our seas into private pools of few
Leaving our skins black-dead like stolen blistered fishes
Maybe then we would cheap trade our every word
To buy incantations as the only way to travel peace down our dreams...
At least they would make one smile-and fold reality under the pillow to another dawn,
So they keep us dreaming and build island of dreams
In every of our sleep.-at day -dusk --or young dawns
And fuck the business of reality insane,
Deadlock the brains and tangle everything there is humans can do
Into expectation of miracle rain
And set sail to propaganda camps to add volumes to the chorusing chants of corrupt dames, 
seeking change from their nebulous plans.
But the truth however is, change isn't about dreaming all day long
It isn't about being a fan of those that sing shabby songs
It is about striking the rod into the heart of rocks to escape water for thirsty throats
It is the sword that slams against ivory shields to water tongues with victory songs
It is in the hands that craft dreams into reality..
It is about you being the change you want be.

Check out the video via the link below

#WarOfWords2 WHEN WE REALIZE by Ehiz d poet

http://youtu.be/hc94TiN0-9o

#WarOfWords2 Blank mirror by J-Quill

Blank mirror by J-Quill

Scene 1,

Tell me about a honest

Impostor,.smiling greedily

In a Pose like;Sizwe banzi

I mean

Polished Smiles

Rehearsed speech

Perfected etiquettes

Standing untop of rovers

Waving hands and at the 

Right price?

My vote is yours

Scene 2 is like seeing 2000 

Gentlemen,queuing for a 

No-gentle man's job of a Driver

In a cement factory were only

One driver was needed anyway

Scene 3 unravels the mystery

As seen in cemetery

Marred visions of the

Allu victims

Aborted projects of corp members, caught up in flames

Or shredded in pieces yet

United in the phrase

"Mass burial"

Scene 4 is having four-seen a

Success,and amidst ur thrust

Tryna reach out tryna get it

Like a flash!,an unforeseen

Phrase from within

"Na man know man 

World we dey"

So scene 5 survives the 

Episode of the improvise me

Whose five senses realize that

The glued revolution I seek

Eludes sages revolution so

Even gazing @ d mirror,

I don't see me,absurdly

I can't see me but a missing

Figure of me in the mirror

You know why?

Cos the change I seek is not

The face I see in the mirror,

Its the inner-me in scene 1,

To scene 2 who don't neglect

Talent to sap for colar jobs

Or enbark on jungle justice

As seen in scene 3 so

When I see 

"chop mama thank you "

Peers on scene 4 as a poet,

I'll let my pen bleed out

To stupor I mean,

My zeal for change

Would be the urge to purge out

The me within so

When the 5 scenes co-relates My 5 senses,

Then and until then can I be

The change I seek!

Check out the video via this link

#WarOfWords2 Blank mirror by J-Quill

http://youtu.be/y9tC5z1-aiI

#WarOfWords2 Whispers by Moses Ukam aka Youngflashy

Whispers by Moses Ukam aka Youngflashy

Hidden urge of secret identity discharged
Dripping like grandmothers licking roof. 
Resistance stabbed to bleed with two fingers poked into his nose to stop its breath,
Dis-countenance let rooms to gossip tenants,
Enthusiasm strangled by excuses,
Motivation slowly slaughtered by greed.
Pain caught in the act,
oh what have I done? It asked!
But later it said,
I was only doing my job to remind you,
you're still alive.

Incessantly enslaved by our orgasm 
Colonised by our itch-ness and tickles,
You never can tell when this virus has taken Over you like overdosed drugs
Can be lethal, you know? 
Trust me am the world strongest device in
Word created to oppose all words before or Next to me,
never to be a subject nor nether to my brother YES,my name is NO! 
See I live right in you but you don't use Me,
from the list you don't pay attention you're a debtor so you owe me. 
Yes! You're guilty am seeing you,
stop looking Around,
stop searching for a no me, I don't Exist, 
more like abstract am your
mindset on hind sight.

You can't find me in the corridors of
Power,not on newspaper or even in Grandmother soup pot.
See,you refused me in your hair Style, assent, smell, smiles, skin colour,
you're disgusting lie in disguise of truth. 
With just a tap from behind 
your thought went one step backward feeling the Irresistible smooth,soft and sweet 
Touches of my brother
YES I will instead of YES I do!. 
With such healthy procrastination 
Your truth loss weight to
Common sin instead of common sense.
Am not begging you but break up your Relationship with stagnant 
get divorce and Marry me cause am the right instinct for you
My name is CHANGE!,

I live in the street of your decisions,
I can't wait for you cause time is jealous.
My girlfriend nigeria cry all night begging to Return to my arms,
Locked up in the cage of
Freedom it's dangerous
Dating un-repentance just to
Keep your bed warm,madness! 
You know how much you need to
Get away with this repeating steps but yourself unforgiving wouldn't let you,
Gushing through the eyes of your thought, 
when will you loss grip on comfort for once? 
Watching pleasure laid in the coffin to be buried,
Remorseful goose bumps sparks
With had I known common
On the lips of your mind,
Compendium of dreams thwarted just to Rebuffed a drop of buzz.
See I am you!
Discover me cause am right within,
The change you seek,
It's an outfit, wear it!.

Check out the video here

#WarOfWords2 Whispers by Moses Ukam aka Youngflashy

http://youtu.be/15EYX0uZ9Ac

How to Win a Poetry Slam Competition.

How to Win a Poetry Slam

Poetry slams gained national prominence in the 1990s after originating in the mid-1980s at Chicago's Get Me High Lounge, USA. 

These contests, driven by judges and audience members, pit wordsmiths against each other in a competitive round of performance poetry. 

Poetry slams are boisterous events that sometimes incorporate elements of hip-hop rhythms and themes into the performances. 

Try these tips to win a poetry slam.

Instructions

1. • 
     
   • Perform like you mean it. Poets and poems bursting with vitality, anger and other strong emotions win high scores at poetry slams. A subdued or shaky performance won't cut it with slam judges or audiences.
   • Set your timer. Slam poets are judged on the length as well as the content of their performance. Poems three minutes or under are given the highest scores. Longer performances are penalized by half a point, up to three points for poems over four minutes.
   • Hone your skills. Try out a variety of poems, reciting everything in your arsenal, from confessional pieces and political commentary to angry rants and risqué humor. Give plenty of readings before participating in your first slam.
   • Engage your audience. Poetry slam audiences critique poets during the performance, not after. Heckling, foot stomping and booing are common if a poet is deemed unsatisfactory by the audience. If you handle hecklers with a witty phrase or comeback, you may win back the audience.
   • Make lots of friends in the poetry slam world. Get to know slam organizers and judges, and bring lots of your own friends to poetry slams. The more fans you have, the better chance you have of winning a slam, since the contests are based on audience and judge approval.
   
   

   Tips & Warnings

   • Do use poems that address oppression. Angry or socially conscious poems are popular at many poetry slams.
   • Don't use props or costumes at a poetry slam. They are forbidden by slam rules.

   
   
   Source:
   
   
   http://www.ehow.com/how_2060270_win-poetry-slam.html
   
   

Submission of Videos for #WarOfWords2 is now extended by 2 weeks.

Due to popular demand, the submission of videos for War Of Words Season 2 is now extended by 2 week. Therefore deadline for video submission will now be midnight of October 27, 2013.

The fifteen finalists that will compete on the War Of Words stage in December 2013, will be announced in the 2nd week of November and also on November 23, 2013 during WORD UP Volume 6 http://wordup411.blogspot.com/2013/10/word-up-volume-6coming-soon.html. 

Go to http://wordup411.blogspot.com/2013/09/war-of-words-season-2-begins.html for the details of video submission for War Of Words Season 2.

Up for grabs:

1. $500 for the winner 

2. The top three poets get to perform at the next edition of WORD UP in February 2014 alongside the best Spoken Word Poets in Naija.

The competition is only open to Poets that have never performed at any WORD UP event.

Stay tuned to 

http://wordup411.blogspot.com/    and  http://www.wordup411ng.com

Follow us on Twitter:          @WORDUP411 ,  
Like our facebook page    https://www.facebook.com/wordup411

#WarOfWords2 Be the change you seek by Mac Dave

Be the change you seek by Mac Dave

What is mine is mine
Is my time to shine
Is about time I be at my prime
Is about time I wipe my tears and tell my eyes stop eye rain
Is time I stay on course and breakthrough walls
Is time I pray of course and open doors
Cause for many years I have been off course
A guy with no vision a mirage an illusion
I was so off guard that when poverty came
It came on hard striking, striking on hard
I was beaten so bad; if there was a score card
It will be zero to something it was that bad
Like that wasn't enough. He had his friends over
To have a taste of my chin chin
His friends were procrastination,depression, frustration
And after all that I was left on the floor with humiliation
Whispering into my ears; words crippling upstairs
Into my memory, telling me that I can't be great
That my present state is locked down
That he has the key to the gate from now
But as he left awhile later
Walking home I found love down town
Telling me scolding me to stand
Words renovating my psych anew,a brand
And after he spoke I took a stand
Because I was crawling before
Never had more life in me for sure
Cause no one will believe in me
If I don't believe in me
I am the change I seek
If I say am weak am weak
If I say am rich am rich
And that's how to reach my peak
Your words are the gateway to the changes you seek
Stay on the words you speak
And you will shine from week to week.

Check out the video via this link

#WarOfWords2 Be the change you seek by Mac Dave

http://youtu.be/9d2OeBCJdLU

#WarOfWords2 Be The Change You Seek by Dawhiizz-aD

Be The Change You Seek by Dawhiizz-aD

I am not here to lecture,
Neither your mind have I come to puncture;
But I will fetch from the well of experience
And not run pipe from the tank of witness.
Because my word is a mystery-
That has a history-
From where it makes a story-
That can relieve you of your misery.
So, if you will listen; you will reason.
Listen!
I’ll tell you a story, but it could flare up in you a fury.
If you are on a chair,
It will definitely rip off your hair.
I knew a man who wanted to own a fleet of cars
“I will own houses one of these days, he says.”
But we were to beg fifty naira for food, so I thought,
Is he crazy, I was lost in my thought.
The last time I saw him, he had become a crim
A public badger he had become, but what happened to the dreams he had long form.
Then I realised, it not good enough to cook words
Strive and ensure you eat those words.
To think and desire is so easy
But to do and have is what that is fuzzy.
Just like a plane, you must first run on land.
It is your fleet and pace that takes you above any ground.
Hear this!
Like a pole, first, be firm and take a stand-
Before you look ahead for another ground.
To see others listen and your words reason;
You first be what you speak and have what in others you seek
Because to make strong the weak, you must prolong your strength week
See! The feeble carry about frail hopes of change-
Because they are brittle in thoughts and don’t see beyond their kinds range
You must be robust in thoughts-to transfer your zeal to men with words
Because to require, you must first acquire.
That’s why, only a warrior tells the tale of a conquest-
And same can lead a nation on another quest.
You don’t fetch from a dry well-
Or cars run on an empty tank.
You must first be filled to fill,
Different to make a difference,
Be big to trample,
And have to give.
Because, only from the bank of alter-
The world can withdraw and deposit.
Be what the world seek- that’s a clue
And from you-they will take their cue

Change!!!

Check out the video via this link

#WarOfWords2 Be The Change You Seek by Dawhiizz-aD

http://youtu.be/_n8h5S8LN-I

#WarOfWords2 Be the Change by Tiana

Be the Change by Tiana

You blame it on the government every time you gather in your tent

Still bent on the fact they aren’t executing their assignment

Yet causing the society a serious dent

And how every supposed enjoyment

Turned into a great torment

How they could not even refund the money they lent

Well, I’m glad to inform you ladies and gent

That the solution to this predicament lies within you, me and every one in our environment

Even though we think something is missing

Yet we take no responsibility doing nothing

Action is needed so lets get something doing

And stop blaming our leaders for bribery

When you've always paid your way

Stop blaming the country for scarcity,

When you've never closed your eyes in prayers for economy supplicity

We all agreed our politicians are greedy,

But how generous are you in giving to poor and the needy

please let us stop this nagging sense of dissatisfaction

cos you've added nothing to bring about solution to the present condition of our nation

If you think everyone around you is tired.

It’s high time you retired

In order for our prayers and desires to be answered without going haywire

Good turns they say deserves another

If we as individuals

Young and old of every family member

Including the farmer, street hawker, banker and company mangers

Would make our ways right and proper

Join hands together

Going to the top won’t bring about any disorder

I assure you we are already the change we want to see

Check out the video via the link below

#WarOfWords2 Be the Change by Tiana

http://youtu.be/BoD1aSUIUlE