After the Watts riot of 1965 struck Los Angeles and the rest of the country, the Watts Writer's Workshop was created out of its smoldering ashes. It was here that writers such as Quincy Trouppe, Herbert Simmons, Eric Priestly and the poetry group known as The Watts Prophets hit the scene.
The Watts Prophets projected a raw, unflinching and brutally honest voice for their community. This group made up of artists Otis O'Solomom, Richard Dedeaux and Father Amde Hamilton, have been credited as the fathers of West Coast Rap. They have influenced and been sampled by hundreds of artists in the Hip Hop world such as DJ Quick, Dr. Dre, Snoop Dog and DJ Shadow.
Father Amde Hamilton disscusses some of the hidden history of South Los Angeles that his artistry was born out of. He and host Carlos Chavez also discuss Hamilton's life work as a poet and community activist and his most recent CD project titled "Energy."
- KBOO