New Monte Smith Video

The AIM has introduced me to so many inspiring and passionate people, and one of my very favourite of these is a street poet named Monte Smith. He hails from North Carolina, USA and as well as being a street poet he is also a rap journalist, community based educator and anti-racist activist. He is the creator and producer of the world's biggest street poetry competition 'The Red Bull Word Clash' and he also has a book called 'Don't Shoot The Hostages' which is available for sale now so check it out while you're having a look at his website.

He recently performed a show in his local area (a pretty rare thing actually) and we are all thrilled to have some footage to watch. Please have a look and also check out some of his other clips on his YouTube page.

We are also hoping that he will be able to make it to the UK in November for The 5 Elements event and the Lyrical Warfare UK Tour. We love having him as a member of the team, he is completely committed and massively talented. I love just talking to him - and we talk to him for hours at a time. He is so sincere, so passionate, so determined. As a white man fighting for equal rights for blacks he for some reason takes a lot of stick. Many people believe that he should not be fighting against racism because he is white which I think is frankly ridiculous. Just because most people are only concerned with fighting the inequalities that relate to them, it doesn't mean that everyone is like that. Even with all the hassle he gets, he still continues because he believes in doing what is right, not what is easy.

If you like what you see in this clip then you should definitely have a look round his site and get yourself a copy of his book because it really is a masterpiece. Hard-hitting, honest, educational, inspiring. Totally real.