WEBVTT 00:00:00.703 --> 00:00:02.684 Today, 00:00:02.684 --> 00:00:04.324 a baffled lady observed 00:00:04.324 --> 00:00:06.316 the shell where my soul dwells NOTE Paragraph 00:00:06.316 --> 00:00:09.457 And announced that I'm 00:00:09.457 --> 00:00:11.364 "articulate" NOTE Paragraph 00:00:11.364 --> 00:00:13.702 Which means that when it comes 00:00:13.702 --> 00:00:15.697 to annunciation and diction NOTE Paragraph 00:00:15.697 --> 00:00:16.703 I don't even think of it NOTE Paragraph 00:00:16.703 --> 00:00:19.390 ‘Cause I’m "articulate" NOTE Paragraph 00:00:19.390 --> 00:00:21.970 So when my professor asks a question NOTE Paragraph 00:00:21.970 --> 00:00:24.129 And my answer is tainted with a connotation 00:00:24.129 --> 00:00:25.477 of urbanized suggestion NOTE Paragraph 00:00:25.477 --> 00:00:27.943 There’s no misdirected intention NOTE Paragraph 00:00:27.943 --> 00:00:28.920 Pay attention NOTE Paragraph 00:00:28.920 --> 00:00:31.258 ‘Cause I’m “articulate” NOTE Paragraph 00:00:31.258 --> 00:00:34.815 So when my father asks, “Wha’ kinda ting is dis?” NOTE Paragraph 00:00:34.815 --> 00:00:37.953 My “articulate” answer never goes amiss NOTE Paragraph 00:00:37.953 --> 00:00:41.469 I say “father, this is the impending problem at hand” NOTE Paragraph 00:00:41.469 --> 00:00:42.796 And when I’m on the block 00:00:42.796 --> 00:00:44.491 I switch it up just because I can NOTE Paragraph 00:00:44.491 --> 00:00:47.129 So when my boy says, “What’s good with you son?” NOTE Paragraph 00:00:47.129 --> 00:00:52.539 I just say, “I jus’ fall out wit dem people but I done!” NOTE Paragraph 00:00:52.539 --> 00:00:54.131 And sometimes in class NOTE Paragraph 00:00:54.131 --> 00:00:57.060 I might pause the intellectual sounding flow to ask NOTE Paragraph 00:00:57.060 --> 00:01:00.725 “Yo! Why dese books neva be about my peoples” NOTE Paragraph 00:01:00.725 --> 00:01:02.890 Yes, I have decided to treat 00:01:02.890 --> 00:01:04.952 all three of my languages as equals NOTE Paragraph 00:01:04.952 --> 00:01:08.950 Because I’m “articulate” NOTE Paragraph 00:01:08.950 --> 00:01:11.371 But who controls articulation? NOTE Paragraph 00:01:11.371 --> 00:01:14.525 Because the English language is a multifaceted oration NOTE Paragraph 00:01:14.525 --> 00:01:16.344 Subject to indefinite transformation NOTE Paragraph 00:01:16.344 --> 00:01:19.957 Now you may think that it is ignorant to speak broken English NOTE Paragraph 00:01:19.957 --> 00:01:23.114 But I’m here to tell you that even “articulate” Americans 00:01:23.114 --> 00:01:25.114 sound foolish to the British NOTE Paragraph 00:01:25.114 --> 00:01:28.363 So when my Professor comes on the block and says, “Hello” NOTE Paragraph 00:01:28.363 --> 00:01:31.000 I stop him and say “Noooo … NOTE Paragraph 00:01:31.000 --> 00:01:33.144 You’re being inarticulate … 00:01:33.144 --> 00:01:35.307 the proper way is to say ‘what’s good’” NOTE Paragraph 00:01:35.307 --> 00:01:38.922 Now you may think that’s too hood, that’s not cool NOTE Paragraph 00:01:38.922 --> 00:01:41.900 But I’m here to tell you that even our language has rules NOTE Paragraph 00:01:41.900 --> 00:01:44.512 So when Mommy mocks me and says 00:01:44.512 --> 00:01:46.770 “ya’ll-be-madd-going-to-the-store” NOTE Paragraph 00:01:46.770 --> 00:01:51.756 I say “Mommy, no, that sentence is not following the law NOTE Paragraph 00:01:51.756 --> 00:01:55.447 Never does the word "madd" go before a present participle NOTE Paragraph 00:01:55.447 --> 00:01:57.950 That’s simply the principle of this English” NOTE Paragraph 00:01:57.950 --> 00:01:59.620 If I had the vocal capacity I would 00:01:59.620 --> 00:02:01.674 sing this from every mountaintop, NOTE Paragraph 00:02:01.674 --> 00:02:03.950 From every suburbia, and every hood NOTE Paragraph 00:02:03.950 --> 00:02:07.503 ‘Cause the only God of language is the one recorded in the Genesis NOTE Paragraph 00:02:07.503 --> 00:02:09.220 Of this world saying “it is good" NOTE Paragraph 00:02:09.220 --> 00:02:11.791 So I may not always come before you 00:02:11.791 --> 00:02:13.185 with excellency of speech NOTE Paragraph 00:02:13.185 --> 00:02:15.716 But do not judge me by my language and assume NOTE Paragraph 00:02:15.716 --> 00:02:17.235 That I’m too ignorant to teach NOTE Paragraph 00:02:17.235 --> 00:02:18.785 ‘Cause I speak three tongues NOTE Paragraph 00:02:18.785 --> 00:02:19.933 One for each: NOTE Paragraph 00:02:19.933 --> 00:02:21.678 Home, school and friends NOTE Paragraph 00:02:21.678 --> 00:02:23.882 I’m a tri-lingual orator NOTE Paragraph 00:02:23.882 --> 00:02:25.851 Sometimes I’m consistent with my language now NOTE Paragraph 00:02:25.851 --> 00:02:27.810 Then switch it up so I don’t bore later NOTE Paragraph 00:02:27.810 --> 00:02:29.687 Sometimes I fight back two tongues NOTE Paragraph 00:02:29.687 --> 00:02:31.622 While I use the other one in the classroom NOTE Paragraph 00:02:31.622 --> 00:02:33.547 And when I mistakenly mix them up NOTE Paragraph 00:02:33.547 --> 00:02:37.040 I feel crazy like … I’m cooking in the bathroom NOTE Paragraph 00:02:37.040 --> 00:02:41.632 I know that I had to borrow your language 00:02:41.632 --> 00:02:44.477 because mines was stolen NOTE Paragraph 00:02:44.477 --> 00:02:48.377 But you can’t expect me to speak your history wholly 00:02:48.377 --> 00:02:49.879 while mines is broken NOTE Paragraph 00:02:49.879 --> 00:02:51.398 These words are spoken NOTE Paragraph 00:02:51.398 --> 00:02:53.705 By someone who is simply fed up with 00:02:53.705 --> 00:02:56.325 the Eurocentric ideals of this season NOTE Paragraph 00:02:56.325 --> 00:02:59.808 And the reason I speak a composite version of your language NOTE Paragraph 00:02:59.808 --> 00:03:03.560 Is because mines was raped away along with my history NOTE Paragraph 00:03:03.560 --> 00:03:07.790 I speak broken English so the profusing gashes can remind us NOTE Paragraph 00:03:07.790 --> 00:03:10.050 That our current state is not a mystery NOTE Paragraph 00:03:10.050 --> 00:03:15.258 I’m so tired of the negative images that are driving my people mad NOTE Paragraph 00:03:15.258 --> 00:03:19.501 So unless you’ve seen it rob a bank stop calling my hair bad NOTE Paragraph 00:03:19.501 --> 00:03:23.157 I’m so sick of this nonsensical racial disparity NOTE Paragraph 00:03:23.157 --> 00:03:25.710 So don’t call it good unless your hair is known 00:03:25.710 --> 00:03:27.255 for donating to charity NOTE Paragraph 00:03:27.255 --> 00:03:32.182 As much as has been raped away from our people NOTE Paragraph 00:03:32.182 --> 00:03:36.121 How can you expect me to treat their imprint on your language NOTE Paragraph 00:03:36.121 --> 00:03:38.735 As anything less than equal NOTE Paragraph 00:03:38.735 --> 00:03:40.607 Let there be no confusion NOTE Paragraph 00:03:40.607 --> 00:03:42.421 Let there be no hesitation NOTE Paragraph 00:03:42.421 --> 00:03:44.485 This is not a promotion of ignorance NOTE Paragraph 00:03:44.485 --> 00:03:47.930 This is a linguistic celebration NOTE Paragraph 00:03:47.930 --> 00:03:53.009 That’s why I put "tri-lingual" on my last job application NOTE Paragraph 00:03:53.009 --> 00:03:55.740 I can help to diversify your consumer market 00:03:55.740 --> 00:03:57.372 is all I wanted them to know NOTE Paragraph 00:03:57.372 --> 00:03:59.105 And when they call me for the interview 00:03:59.105 --> 00:04:00.615 I’ll be more than happy to show that NOTE Paragraph 00:04:00.615 --> 00:04:01.350 I can say: NOTE Paragraph 00:04:01.350 --> 00:04:02.563 “What’s good” NOTE Paragraph 00:04:02.563 --> 00:04:03.548 “Whatagwan” NOTE Paragraph 00:04:03.548 --> 00:04:06.452 And of course …“Hello” NOTE Paragraph 00:04:06.452 --> 00:04:09.126 Because I’m “articulate” NOTE Paragraph 00:04:09.126 --> 00:04:10.899 Thank you. NOTE Paragraph 00:04:10.899 --> 00:04:12.284 (Applause)