POEM: My Uncut Thoughts

When I get this pain in my gut

I know I may be stuck in a rut
Like if my foot was cut
By the shards of a broken nut
Sometimes, I hide in my hut
By keeping my door sealed shut
because I need to keep out the mutts
that don’t bite - they give head butts
So maybe I should take a walk in the Ghut
And look for yellow or green balls to putt
because life is like directing a movie uncut
Awoken, I slipped and fell on my butt!
© Linette Rabsatt

POEM: The Ingredients

Innovate

think beyond borders

beyond circumstances

to fix our problems

Invigorate

push positive energy

light up the room

and get things started

Inspire

encourage someone

be a coach or mentor

and help your brother

I see you

and I know you 

can be a role model too

You can make a difference

You have the power within you

to make a breakthrough

Innovation

Invigoration

and 

Inspiration

are the ingredients

to effect change

in your world

Ⓒ Linette Rabsatt

Dedicated to the Grade 2 students of the Cedar School, BVI

Album Spotlight: "On My Way to Greatness" by Shawndehrapper

Shawndehrapper recently released his first EP, "On My Way to Greatness."

Shawndehrapper is a rapper from the British Virgin Islands. He was very excited to chat with me about his latest project and looks forward to your continued support.

Who is Shawndehrapper?
Shawndehrapper is a secondary school student, and his family and friends know that he loves to rap. He was encouraged to participate in the Stop the Violence Rap Competition in 2020, which he won with his song, "Stop the Violence." He added that entering that competition helped him to get noticed. We also saw Shawndehrapper performing in the 2021 Qua-Rap-Tine Battle, which the Department of Youth Affairs and Sports hosted. He made it to the semifinal round.

"On My Way to Greatness"
Shawndehrapper wrote all his songs on this EP, which Nice Bay Studios produced. Shawndehrapper shared that fellow artist, Skippa - formerly known as KevyKev or Skipp Zenero, encouraged him not to fill his lyrics with expletives or gun violence. So, Shawndehrapper worked hard on this EP to make it more mellow and relatable.

Track List
"Something Bout You" featuring Don-G
Lyric Snippet: "Hold up, please don't look at the light, studio hot like we at a campsite, Don G come through, it's trouble tonight, Hold up, they watching, I gotta do this right...."

"Woman Be the Medicine" featuring Skippa
Lyric Snippet: Hook: "Light-skinned, dark-skinned, caramel and melanin, I don't see no better than, woman be the medicine...."

"Ruff in These Waters" featuring Lion Dre
Lyric Snippet: "Me and the Lion, we be out here vibing, trying make this music s*** work, so I grinding...."

"Red Card" featuring Maat
Lyric Snippet: "They move around like snakes, they say I can't get another, she could be replaced, my bars hit you so hard, it could leave you in a daze...."

"Bimas"
Lyric Snippet: "Wanna drop 10 on a AP, I swear these n****, they ain't me, Shooting my shot like is Kobe, Spitting these bars like I'm Jay-Z...."

Where to Find Shawndehrapper's Music?
Visit his YouTube and Soundcloud for his discography.

Acknowledgments
Shawdehrapper gave acknowledgments to Maat, Don G, Lion Dre, Skippa, Homegrown Studios for recording the EP, and Nice Day Music Studios for production.

Shawndehrapper's Favorite Track on "On My Way to Greatness"
Shawndehrapper's favorite track is "Something Bout You." He stated, "It was the tune we had the most fun making."

Who Does Shawndehrapper Listen To?
He listens to Priceless (favorites include "Free Runner" and "Thuggin"), Lion Dre, Flizop, Don G and Banco Bizmol.

Who Does Shawndehrapper Want to Collab With?
He answered quickly: Priceless or Banco Bizmol.

Advice for Persons Who Want to Perform

He encouraged future artists to "get known." Shawndehrapper suggested that artists ask to perform at events and get their music out. "It makes no sense to be rapping, and no one knows you or hears your music."

Shawndehrapper asked that we listen to his music and share it up!

Poem: Friendly but Deadly

Friendly

but deadly

as it intertwines

and cordially greets and hugs

Fruitful

but yet a killer

anything in its path

is consumed

leaving just dust

I love it

yet I hate it

because it’s colorful

yet devastating

and wanted

as a #1 option

because it makes a

coveted concoction

a sight to see

but I would not want to be

in its path

because it’s passion

is its bane

to other species

and it’s almost impossible

to tame

but to lose the treasure

means no more passion fruit juice

POEM: Burdens

my throat aches
from repeating myself
and crying for help
no one listens, no one responds,
I walk on
burdened and defeated
with no shoes on
and

my hands hurt
from toiling and tilling
while lifting the burdens

one may smile, one may glance
I call louder

until my echo answers
with no response

yet 

my feet pain me

from pacing the dark lanes

and scaling the brown hills

on the low, on the high

I clasp in prayer

with no strength 

in my fingers

but

the pains remain

and I'm not insane

so my toils could never

be in vain

my brain can

only process the pain

which gets worse

when it rains

my throat

my hands and

my feet

don't know

my heart hurts
from being empathetic
and holding the feelings
I can't listen, I can't respond
I cry on
saddened but not defeated
my shoes worn
yet....

© Linette Rabsatt

POEM: Minding My Business

I am going to mind my business
I'll mine it and mind it
because I invest
in what grows me
anyone who knows me
knows that my mind
is always on the next move
even when I'm jamming
to the old groves
my mind, which is mine,
should be used to mine
for golden opportunities
that will promote
growth in me
and my family
my business
my busy-ness
is all about
how I can mind
what's mine
to mine and find
a better way of life

© Linette Rabsatt

POEM: I am an Anomaly

I am an anomaly
I didn't ask to be
but I represent a dichotomy
a perfect imperfection
left to stand alone
and not even a drone
can guide me home
because I have none
I stand hapless, hopeless, stateless

unable to match a definition
while the melanin
stirs the soul
and the plasma
carries the truth -
the history of the roots
but I lace up my boots
and I shout in silence
because I choose
not to be defiant
because
I am an anomaly
that I didn't choose to be

and I can't let 

my fruits suffer 

for the deeds of me

© Linette Rabsatt