by Talaam Acey
NRGOD, 2001, $15.00
ASIN 6-035-59974-2
On the first track of his second independently released CD, Morally Bankrupt Volume II, Talaam Acey explains what you can expect to hear on the album's fifteen tracks. In a conversational tone, he introduces each poem, something that's unusual for music releases, especially spoken-word recordings. But then everything about Acey's second CD is a departure from the norm.
"Revolutionary Malpractice was just a call for poets to check themselves," says Acey. "Half these cats with all this revolutionary stuff, they don't mean what they saying. They ain't snatching guns from no cops and taking over no governments. So you know, just keep it real. Ask yourself, am I saying some stuff that's useful, practical, or am I just talking some interesting things that people are going to enjoy."
A slam phenom, Acey has nurtured his lyrical and performance career at the Nuyorican Poetry Cafe and at the National Slam. Morally Bankrupt represents Acey's second attempt at social commentary, challenging established ideas of morality and revolution. Acey manages to avoid the didactic nature of such heavyweight issues by invoking a performance presence, both audible and spiritual, that is reminiscent of Gil Scott-Heron and the Last Poets.
While many of Acey's colleagues record with rock bands and DJs, he relies on his best instrument, his voice. Track number 11, "Lucidity II: Live Version," a well-known crowd-pleaser, attests to his verbal dexterity. There are poems that seem like rants or afterthoughts and probably would not stand up on the page, such as "Newark is for Niggaz II." But any shortcomings are easily silenced by the sheer enjoyment of the record.
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