Quote by Abiodun Oyewole: “We didn't invent poetry; we just modernized it.”

Abiodun explains that The Last Poets didn't create poetry from scratch but rather updated its style and delivery. They brought a fresh, contemporary approach to spoken word, making it relevant for a new generation.

In the late 1960s, as part of the Black Arts Movement, The Last Poets revolutionized spoken word by infusing it with raw political urgency and rhythmic delivery. Oyewole clarified that their innovation lay in contemporizing ancient African oral traditions for a modern urban context.

American poet and founding member of The Last Poets, the spoken-word group widely considered a predecessor of hip-hop. Formed in New York in 1968, The Last Poets combined African drumming and political verse to become the voice of Black radical consciousness in the late 1960s.