Hey! Yes, you! Do You like Hip Hop? How about poetry?

Even if you’ve just answered no to both these questions, I still would urge you to see A Sucker Emcee, staring muMs, aka Craig Grant. Without any costume changes, smoke machines, special effects, a backdrop or elaborate props, there he stands. With seemingly perfect rhythm and a whole lot of emotion, he begins to tell us his story. Behind him is Rich Medina, an elite DJ, he too is in regular street clothes. And together, they formed a performance I knew I wouldn’t forget any time soon.

Going into the performance, I admit, I didn’t have high hopes for it. I had already taken numerous field trips to see Hip Hop themed poetry acts, back in high school, so this really wasn’t going to be an amazing performance to me. Or so I thought. A Sucker Emcee wasn’t only comical, sad and hopeful but also raw. With the exception of the colored lights behind him and Rich’s music, muMs was completely on his own with his performance. The absence of all the fancy things I mentioned above is what made the performance complete.

muMs’ story wasn’t a unique or spectacular event in itself, but they way he recited it back to the audience was. His body language and facial expressions made it seem like he was actually reliving the moment in front of us. His tone and word choice made it exactly clear what he was trying to share. Even his screw-ups made the performance all the much better because we could relate to this normal person on a stage rather than a flawless celebrity on stage. He spoke with varying tempo, which at some points did make it hard to understand. And as someone not as well versed in Hip Hop culture as others, I did have a little difficulty understanding some of the references. But thinking back, I don’t think the intention was to have the audience understand every bit of his story. Or even understand it at all, but the intention was to make us feel it. I couldn’t empathize with the way he grew up or his experiences with drugs, but I could feel the emotions he had which then in turn stirred my own influx of feelings within me.

So back to my original question, I just want to say that even if you aren’t in love with Hip Hop or poetry, that’s no reason not to go visit this performance. Although I can’t say I took a life lesson out of his act, I’m still glad I was there anyways. A Sucker Emcee really appeals to everyone of all ages, all backgrounds and all preferences. Lovers of poetry can appreciate his tempo, rhythm and diction. Haters of poetry can value the story-telling quality muMs has. Lovers of art can enjoy his cultural references and the music; and haters can welcome the harshness and realness of his life experiences. Heck, even people who hate music can’t deny how well Rich’s soundtrack amplified the quality of the show. So I urge you to tell your friends, family, acquaintances, and strangers about the raw, yet sophisticated performance of A Sucker Emcee.