Art of Competition

Tempo writer and award-winning poet, Dorian “Paul D” Rogers sat down with poets, Haitham “Haze” Ghawanmeh and Paul Roberts to discuss their views on slam poetry and the art of writing and performing.

Paul D: When did you guys start writing poetry?

Haitham Haze: I started writing at around thirteen when I first realized how to vent via free writing. As I began to embrace the process more, I learned to draw on personal experiences and worldly events, which formulated with time and started coming together as metaphorical stories and similes over paper.

Paul Roberts: I started writing poetry a little later when I was in high school.  Initially, I wrote hip-hop lyrics for my friends and myself, but as I began to take words more seriously, it kind of organically merged more toward poetry.

Paul D: Can you remember how old you were when you first performed?

Haitham Haze: I performed my first piece at about fifteen around an intimate crowd. I was very nervous and had an incredibly shaky voice, but you always have to start somewhere.

Paul Roberts: My very first performance was when I was in college in New York. I had just joined my school’s spoken word poetry club, and we had a big slam scheduled a few weeks later. To practice being on stage in front of an audience, we all went to the Nuyorican Poets Café. It was my first real performance and I did well enough to be asked to participate in the Friday night slam.

Paul D: Cool. I started performing at about eighteen years old. The Nuyorican is a magical place. I remember shaking in my boots because it was so packed. I think it was also because so much greatness has been in that building. Rooftop Rhythms has hosted the first ever poetry slams or performance competitions in the UAE. Was this your first time slamming, Haitham?

Haitham Haze: Yes. I have been used to recording music and poetry and at rare times, performing around small crowds and friends. When I joined Rooftop Rhythms, I was a virgin to big crowd performances.

Paul D: That’s ironic because you seemed like a natural since day one. How about you, Paul?

Paul Roberts: The Rooftop Rhythms poetry slam was my first time competing at this level. I was amazed at how poets from all over the world were able to bring their own style, culture and creativity to the mic.

Paul D: I can’t wait until people get to hear our compilation album coming out this year so they can hear the diverse gifts that you mention. You both won one of the Rooftop Rhythms’ three slams. Each of those times, you went up against some pretty stiff competition. What do you think set you apart from the others?

Haitham: My three poems for that day focused on metaphorical stories, comedy, and current real world issues, respectively. I believe reaching out for a global emotion that everyone can feel and has somewhat experienced is one of the most important aspects to really touching the crowd.

Paul Roberts: I’m proud to say that I won the first ever poetry slam in the UAE. I also came in third place for the UAE’s third official slam. The competition was definitely stiff but we all had a great time. I think that the audience liked the rhythm of my poetry, the figurative language, and witty wording.

Paul D: You both are starting to get a lot of attention with your poetry since this art form is becoming more and more popular in the UAE. Where do you hope this passion takes you in the short-term and long-term?

Paul Roberts: I hope to further develop myself as an artist while continuing to inspire and be inspired. I would love to stay involved in the poetic arts movement that is happening here in the UAE. I can definitely see it growing and becoming an integral part of the culture.

Haitham: Writing has been one of my biggest passions since an early age. I have also been writing and recording conscious hip-hop music for some time, and I really hope that my poetry pushes me to write in more diverse forms and gets my work more recognition. Ultimately, I hope to be a factor in changing at least one person’s perspective on the world. Touching one person is enough to make the whole journey worthwhile.

Paul D: Have you thought about publishing your work and/or making a recorded album of your works?

Haitham: I have been recording single hip-hop pieces for the past few years. I hope to have this as the stepping-stone to record a hip-hop album for the people who like my work. I have also been experimenting with recording short videos of my poetry and aspire to making more viral poetry videos and even putting together a poetry album over simple beats in 2014. It’s going to be a big year coming!

Paul Roberts: I have thought about publishing and recording and am interested in doing both. I think that a recorded album would be a successful project followed by a publication.

Paul D: Who are some of your favourite writers? Who are some of your favorite performers?

Paul Roberts: I am attracted to cultural and political writers, so I like authors such as Chinua Achebe, Ngugi wa Thiong’o, M.K Asante, Langston Hughes and August Wilson. A few of my favorite performers include Saul Williams, Beau Sia, Lemon, and the Last Poets and of course all of my Rooftop Rhythms/Black on Black Rhyme family.

Haitham: I have read tons of Arabic poetry and literature for Mahmoud Darweesh during my younger years, which I believe have been the building blocks for my passion to write and share. On the other hand, from an English side, Tupac Shakur has always been one of my most respected hip-hop poets. How about you, Paul D?

Paul D: My favourite poet is the one that takes the bill? Who will it be?

HAITHAM HAZE’S WORDS:
This is the revolution for all the forgotten cases/the forgotten faces before they put make up to cover their traces/the heart of the topic before they tried to erase it