Linton Kwesi Johnson

LKJ (born in Jamaica, 24 August 1952) is a UK-based dub poet. In 2002 he became the second living poet, and the only black poet, to be published in the Penguin Modern Classics series. His performance poetry involves the recitation of his own verse in Jamaican Patois over dub-reggae, usually written in collaboration with renowned British reggae producer/artist Dennis Bovell. His middle name, «Kwesi», is Ghanaian.

 «Writing was a political act and poetry was a cultural weapon.» – Linton Kwesi Johnson

◊ L K J   ↓   Inglan Is A Bitch

W´en mi jus´ come to Landan toun
Mi use to work pan di andahgroun
But workin´ pan di andahgroun
Y´u don´t get fi know your way around

Inglan is a bitch
Dere´s no escapin it
Inglan is a bitch
Dere´s no runnin´ whey fram it

Mi get a lickle jab in a bih ´otell
An´ awftah a while, mi woz doin´ quite well
Dem staat mi aaf as a dish-washah
But w´en mi tek a stack, mi noh tun clack-watchah

Inglan is a bitch
Dere´s no escapin it
Inglan is a bitch
No baddah try fi hide fram it

W´en dem gi´ you di lickle wage packit
Fus dem rab it wid dem big tax rackit
Y´u haffi struggle fi mek en´s meet
An´ w´en y´u goh a y´u bed y´u jus´ can´t sleep

Inglan is a bitch
Dere´s no escapin it
Inglan is a bitch
A noh lie mi a tell, a true

Mi use to work dig ditch w´en it cowl noh bitch
Mi did strang like a mule, but bwoy, mi did fool
Den awftah a while mi jus´ stap dhu ovahtime
Den awftah a while mi jus´ phu dung mi tool

Inglan is a bitch
Dere´s no escapin it
Inglan is a bitch
Y´u haffi know how fi survive in it

Well mi dhu day wok an´ mi dhu nite wok
Mi dhu clean wok an´ mi dhu dutty wok
Dem seh dat black man is very lazy
But if y´u si how mi wok y´u woulda sey mi crazy

Inglan is a bitch
Dere´s no escapin it
Inglan is a bitch
Y´u bettah face up to it

Dem a have a lickle facktri up inna Brackly
Inna disya facktri all dem dhu is pack crackry
Fi di laas fifteen years dem get mi laybah
Now awftah fifteen years mi fall out a fayvah

Inglan is a bitch
Dere´s no escapin it
Inglan is a bitch
Dere´s no runnin´ whey fram it

Mi know dem have work, work in abundant
Yet still, dem mek mi redundant
Now, at fifty-five mi gettin´ quite ol´
Yet still, dem sen´ mi fi goh draw dole

Inglan is a bitch
Dere´s no escapin it
Inglan is a bitch
Is whey wi a goh dhu ´bout it?

 ◊  LKJ  ↓  Mekkin histri  ⇐

How lang yu really feel
Wi woulda grovel an squeal
Wen soh much murdah canceal
Wen wi woun cyaan heal
Wen wi feel di way wi feel
Feel di way wi feel?

♦  Want Fi Goh Rave  ↓  [2007]

I woz
Waakin doun di road road
Di addah day
When a hear a lickle yout-man say

Him seh
Yu noh si mi situation
Mi dont have noh accamadaeshan
Mi haffi sign aan at di station
At six in di evenin
Mi seh mi life got no meanin
Ah jus livin widout feelin

Still mi haffi mek a raze
Kaw mi come af age
An mi want fi goh rave

I woz waakin doun di road
Annadah day
Wen ah hear annadah yout-man say

Him seh
Mi naw wok fi noh pittance
Mi naw draw dem assistance
Mi use to run a lickle rackit
But wha, di police dem di stap it
An ah had woz to hap it

Still mi haffi mek a raze
Kaw mi come af age
An mi want fi goh rave

I woz waakin doun di road
Yet annadah day
Wen ah hear annadah yout-man say

Him seh
Mi haffi pick a packit
Tek a wallit fram a jackit
Mi haffi dhu it real crabit
An if a lackit mi haffi pap it
An if a safe mi haffi crack it
Ar chap it wid mi hatchit

But mi haffi mek a raze
Kaw mi come af age
An mi want fi goh rave

◊  All Wi Doin Is Defendin’  ↓

war… war…
mi seh lissen
oppressin man
hear what I say if yu can
wi have
a grevious blow fi blow

wi will fite yu in di street wid we han
wi have a plan
soh lissen man
get ready fi tek some blows

doze days
of di truncheon
an doze nites
of melancholy locked in a cell
doze hours of torture touchin hell
doze blows dat caused my heart to swell
were well
numbered
and are now
at an end

all wi doin
is defendin
soh get yu ready
fi war… war…
freedom is a very firm thing
all oppression
can do is bring
passion to di eights of eruption
an songs of fire wi will sing

no… no…
noh run
yu did soun yu siren
an is war now
war… war…

di Special Patrol
will fall
like a wall force doun
or a toun turn to dus
even dow dem think dem bold
wi know dem cold like ice wid fear
an wi is fire!
choose yu weapon dem
quick!
all wi need is bakkles an bricks an sticks
wi hav fist
wi fav feet
wi carry dandamite in wi teeth

sen fi di riot squad
quick!
cause wi runin wild
wi bittah like bile
blood will guide
their way
an I say
all wi doin
is defendin
soh set yu ready
fi war… war…
freedom is avery fine thing

◊  Hiatus – Insurrection  ↓

Insurrection is a beautiful blend of dub reggae poetry and steady electronic beats that are used to remember and discuss the Brixton riots of 1981, that not only affected Brixton’s black community but Britain as a nation. It is the first single off of Hiatus’ forthcoming LP Ghost Notes and features respected dub poet Linton Kwesi Johnson.

The track is a poetic collaboration of Linton’s lyrics tinted with his distinctive Jamaican tones and Hiatus’, aka Cyrus Shahrad, smooth vocals and steady electro beats. Both artists have different roles in the track, Linton speaks from the perspective of being in the Riots, he starts the track by saying “it was in April 1981” and reminiscing about the riots . . .

♦  Di Great Insohreckshan ↓

♦ → ‘Liesense Fi Kill‘  ←[with the Dennis Bowell Dub Band_Paris]

◊  Reality Poem ↓

Dis is di age af reality
But some a wi a deal wid mitalagy
Dis is di age af science an’ teknalagy
But some a wi check fi antiquity

W’en wi can’t face reality
Wi leggo wi clarity
Some latch aan to vanity
Some hol’ insanity
Some get vision
Start preach relijan
But dem can’t mek decishan
W’en it come to we fite
Dem can’t mek decishan
W’en it comes to wi rites

Man,
Dis is di age af reality
But some a wi deal wid mitalagy
Dis is di age af science an’ teknalagy
But some a wi check fi antiquity

Dem one deh gaan outta line
Dem naw live in fi wi time
Far dem she dem get sign
An’ dem bline dem eye
To di lite a di worl’
An’ gaan search widin
Di dark a dem doom
An’ a shout ‘bout sin
Instead a fite fi win

Man,
Dis is di age af reality
But some a wi deal wid mitalagy
Dis is di age af science an’ teknalagy
But some a wi check fi antiquity

Dis is di age af decishan
Soh mek wi leggo relijan
Dis is di age af decishan
Soh mek we leggo divishan
Dis is di age af reality
Soh mek we leggo mitalagy
Dis is di age of science an’ teknalagy
Soh mek wi hol’ di clarity
Mek wi hol’ di clarity
Mek wi hol’ di clarity

•→ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P8GKQsef1OI ←

◊  Sonny´s Lettah  ↓ (anti-sus poem)

From Brixton Prison, Jebb Avenue London S.W. 2 Inglan

Dear mama
good day
I hope that when these few lines reach you they may
find you in the best of health
I doun know how to tell ya dis
for I did mek a solemn promise
to tek care a lickle Jim
an try mi bes fi look out fi him

mama, I really did try mi bes
but none a di less
sorry fi tell ya seh, poor lickle Jim get arres
it was de miggle a di rush hour
hevrybody jus a hustle and a bustle
to go home fi dem evenin shower
mi an Jim stan up waitin pon a bus
not causin no fuss

when all of a sudden a police van pull up
out jump tree policemen
de whole a dem carryin baton
dem walk straight up to me and Jim
one a dem hold on to Jim
seh dem tekin him in
Jim tell him fi leggo a him
for him nah do nutt’n
and ‘im nah t’ief, not even a but’n
Jim start to wriggle
de police start to giggle

mama, mek I tell you wa dem do to Jim?
mek I tell you wa dem do to ‘im?

Dem thump him him in him belly and it turn to jelly
Dem lick ‘im pon ‘im back and ‘im rib get pop
Dem thump him pon him head but it tough like lead
Dem kick ‘im in ‘im seed and it started to bleed

Mama, I jus couldn’t stan up deh, nah do nuttin’

So mi jook one in him eye and him started fi cry
me thump him pon him mout and him started fi shout
me kick him pon him shin so him started fi spin
me hit him pon him chin an him drop pon a bin
– an crash, an dead

More policman come dung
dem beat me to the grung
dem charge Jim fi sus
dem charge mi fi murdah

mama, doan fret
doan get depress an downhearted
be of good courage
till I hear from you
I remain
Your son,
Sonny 

•→ If I Woz A Tap Natch Poet  ↓

→http://www.poetryarchive.org/singlepoemId=14959

♦  Spoken Word ↓ Linton Kwesi Johnson & Henry Rollins

[Five Nights of Bleeding…]

Madness, madness
Madness tight on the heads of the rebels
The bitterness erup’s like a heart blas’
Broke glass, ritual of blood an’ a-burnin’
Served by a cruelin’ fighting
Five nights of horror and of bleeding
Broke glass, cold blades as sharp as the eyes of hate
And the stabbin’, it’s
War amongs’ the rebels
Madness, madness, war

«The cold war is over and we’re living in a… very dangerous period, where nobody knows what he’s going to do much – the Americans are talking about a new world order but I think what they mean by a new world order is American domination of the world… um … or the G-seven countries domination of the world. And if that is the case, then I’m afraid there’s gonna be a lot of more conflict, because the people from the Third World, people from poor countries are no longer, I think, gonna be prepared to live under the domination of these big powers.»

[Great Insohreckshan …]

It was in April, nineteen…..eighty one
Down ‘n on dee ghetto of Brix-ton
Dat deh Babylon dem cause such a fric-tion
Dat it bring about a GREAT insohreck-shun
And it spread all over deh nay-shun
It was TRULY an historical occas-sion
It was event of deh year and I wish I had been deer
When we run riot ‘tall over Brixton
When we MASH up 20 police van
When we MASH up the wicked one plan
When we MASH up the swam(?) ’81, fi what?
Fi make deh rule of dem understand
Dat we’re NAH  no more a  democracy