The Last Poets

An American spoken-word ensemble formed in 1968, The Last Poets are known for politically charged poetry set to percussion and are widely cited as precursors to hip hop.

The supplied review describes a sparse, cold show at the Melkweg in Amsterdam featuring Umar Bin Hassan and Abiodun Oyewole with a younger percussionist; Jalal Nuriddin (Jalal) is mentioned as absent and having been involved in an incident referenced by the reviewer. Publicly verifiable facts: formed in 1968 in Harlem; influential in spoken-word and early hip-hop development.

A vivid first-hand live report of The Last Poets at Melkweg emphasizing sparse attendance, intense percussion and powerful spoken-word delivery. The reviewer focuses on Umar Bin Hassan and Abiodun Oyewole, describing long, visceral performances of revolutionary pieces. The write-up conveys exhaustion turned to exhilaration after a two-hour set.

For:Fans of spoken-word, political poetry, early hip-hop and radical 1960s-70s music