“Fear is a warning and I’m scared” (muMs, A Sucker Emcee). Craig ‘muMs’ Grant repeats this phrase numerously throughout the play. Not only does it serve as the start of each act, but also this phrase illustrates his feelings throughout the performance. His overall life revolves around this feeling of fear that he experiences while he is growing up in the Bronx, trying to find himself, and battling with his wrecked family. Interestingly, muMs found bliss in hip-hop and rhymes while he was trying to overcome everything else that was going on in his life. As I watched the performance, I was surprised at what muMs priorities were. MuMs’ interest in becoming an emcee and moving a crowd didn’t make sense to me because I felt that he had so much more important things going on in his life. However, by the end of the performance, I was inspired by his story. During the talk-back, I realized that everything in muMs’ life eventually fell into place and the fear he felt actually didn’t stop him from doing what he loves. At this point, he obviously has overcome a lot since he was successfully telling his story and inspiring the lives of many during the night of the performance.

Before the performance started, I honestly wondered how this one-man show was going to be entertaining. I was excited to see how one person could possibly stand in front of an audience to tell a story with rhymes and hip-hop and actually move people. However, muMs recollection of experiences was more than enough to entertain. He immediately grabbed the attention of the audience and eloquently told his story. His experiences also provided many political messages that addressed capitalism and many stereotypes that young black men face. Since he addressed so many topics, this performance would appeal to almost all communities. Even if someone is unable to directly relate to his experiences, it is very possible to understand that regardless of gender, age, or race, everyone has dreams and aspirations.

Aside from the entertainment and political messages, I feel that the performance’s construction worked very well. The stage was ideal for a one-man show with DJ Rich Medina, behind muMs, providing hip-hop tunes. There was no fancy set such as the one seen in Teach, Teacher, Teachest but this worked great because the point of this performance was to evoke a different response. The set design was extremely simple but very helpful. For example, the lights in the back helped set the mood of the act that muMs was reciting. They also worked well with the music that DJ Medina was working with.

All in all, this performance is an epitome of what comes to my mind when I think of art. The performance was able to engage a wide audience of different ages. It was also successful in entertaining the viewers and presenting a political message regarding the situations that affect the world today. The topics that muMs discussed are all relevant and controversial issues that require to be addressed in artwork. Overall, I really enjoyed the performance and feel that everything from the simple set to the complex rhymes worked very well!