Tonight I witnessed Kim Fields performing spoken word with a group called Impromp2 on the Live In Hollywood show hosted by the curiously ageless Kiki Shepard. She was attired in a semi-ridiculous getup consisting of an orange baseball cap over blond (dred)locks, very tight acid washed jeans, pulled up almost cholo style to the cusp of her breasts.

The group was ok, but more an older “R&B Hits” style demographic. The song they performed was called “Mocha Soul.”

My problem is not with the ensemble she coordinated for herself tho…I just like being contrary, but whatever works for you is good with me. My thing is with the spoken word. What the fuck? I am at a loss for words to even describe how bad it was for me. It was like, “ok some dude’s playing some sort of jazz lite type muzak, with Tootie bopping around bare chest and orange fluff thingy talking about how down and real and blah blah she is with one of the guys in the band like “yah she’s fine, she’s the bomb, blah blah. ” Those are not the exact words but you get the point. I was thoroughly unimpressed, and woe is the day that I receive a press kit from her publicist.

The thing is, I know that some folks dig her spoken word stuff but I just can’t feel it. More than that I’m strangely revolted by it. That it was simply the most icky thing I”ve seen since I accidentally saw my grandads balls peeking out from the side of his boxer shorts.

Yuck! Hacktooey!! Spoken word is too good for that. Kim please stop. Please. I’m begging. Please. Spoken word is the last bastion of semi-popular musical resistance for many in the “ghettos” of the North *and* South and West coast too, please do not contribute to the popularity of sugar sucking tit pop poetry. We need the word for our youth please, not so black women can have yet another forum for talking about how date ready we are.