Known for being a dynamic spoken word artist, Lamont is growing artistically, always challenging himself in the literary field. This young artist has been capturing the attention of audiences around the world with his ability to recite poems. On stage, he speaks of what he knows, of everything that’s relevant in the community, sharing his own life experiences—and he has a way of dredging up those hidden demons we might be refusing to recognize. More on Lamont in his own words:
PTM: Thank you for giving us this interview. How are you feeling today?
Lamont Carey: I am wonderful.
PTM: Tell us a little about yourself.
Lamont Carey: I was born in Washington, DC, raised in the system (laughs).
PTM: How did you “discover” spoken word?
Lamont Carey: I “discovered” spoken word while attending an event with a spoken word artist by the name of “One Wise African.” He was the host. I was not impressed with some of the performers, and I happened to mention that I could do better. Well, the next artist that One Wise African introduced was me! (laughs) I freestyled a piece and the crowd enjoyed it. I have been have doing spoken word ever since.
PTM: Of your own poetry, do you have a favorite, and why?
Lamont Carey: Yes. My favorite spoken word piece is “I Hate This Place.” “I Hate This Place” is a story about an 8-year-old boy that lives in a community, full of people that are abusing all kinds of substances. He sees that they have no hope, so he wants to get out. The only person that he sees making a way for himself is a drug dealer. The child befriends the drug dealer, and he becomes instantly overwhelmed with the underworld. He goes to prison. He tries to change, but because of some of his past mistakes change becomes impossible, he believes. He ends up dying on the same steps that he tried to escape. So many people have said this is their real life story. Others have related the poem to their life, work, and relationships. It is surprising to learn how someone finds their struggles or successes in something you have created. I guess it goes to show that we are more alike than not. One of the things that I believe makes it possible is because we all understand what having loss, pain, loneliness, and self-esteem issues feels like. So that is my favorite piece. [It’s] on my CD “Imagine.”
PTM: Is there a side of yourself that you didn’t know existed until you started writing?
Lamont Carey: Yes. I didn’t know that I had a softer side. I lived my life for the most part as a knucklehead. Spoken word reintroduced me to the person beneath the character I’d created in my youth. Now I have a book out about love, lust, and relationships entitled “Why I Keep U A Secret” (laughs).
PTM: When you got started, did you have doubts about your writing ability? And if so, in what ways have you learned to overcome them?
Lamont Carey: Yes. Because I started as a freestyle performer, I thought I couldn’t write poetry. Although I wrote several books and screenplays in prison, I had never written poetry. I thought poetry was roses are red and violets are blue. Now, I know poetry is what you believe it to be.
PTM: For those that don’t know about spoken word, how would you describe it to them?
Lamont Carey: Spoken word is your voice, your views, your feelings about the world, your neighborhood, your relationships, and your feelings. Spoken word is a person’s opportunity to be creative in expressing themselves on issues that they are passionate about. I have heard artists speak on horrible things that they’ve personally experienced, like rape and other abuses. I have performed pieces on how I feel about searching for my soul mate, and how I feel about society judging us on how they perceive us. So many spoken word artists tell their life stories. A lot of them say that spoken word is their therapy. Having an audience identify with your struggle, having them offer or ask advice helps spoken word artists let go of issues that have held them captive. The spoken word community is actually a real community that seems to seek oneness with the world. You really have to attend a spoken word event or open mic. I bet you would find you in someone on the stage. That is a comfort, and shocking to that know someone is surviving the same issues you are working through. This is spoken word: your words, spoken to an audience that is listening to what you have to say.
PTM: Tell us about your first performance as a spoken word artist.
Lamont Carey: Wow. I was scared at first. Then, I took a second to find a topic in my mind that the audience had not heard about from the others, and I freestyled what is now the title piece of my CD “Imagine.” They loved it so I thought, ok, this may be something. I am an opportunist (laughs).
PTM: What’s the key component to a good spoken word artist?
Lamont Carey: The most important component that I believe makes a good spoken word artist is the ability to bring a poem to life. So this involves good delivery, adding emotions, and reciting the poem from memory. I think reading a poem from a piece of paper separates the artist from the audience. Spoken word is more than just the words. It’s the experience. People come to be entertained and to connect with the artist. I try to make love to my audience. I attempt to make eye contact, respect their boundaries, and inspire them to want to care about the topic I am speaking about.
PTM: Who are some of your favorite spoken word artists, and what are some of your favorite pieces?
Lamont Carey: Wow. There are so many. I am a fan of One Wise African. This brother’s spoken word pieces are like movies. You see, feel, and envision everything he speaks on. When he talks about love, I believe I feel what he feels. Great artist. Will Da Real One is one of my other favorites. When he says things like “Tomorrow I will face tomorrow,” he is able to take you into the ghetto hallways so you can see the hopes of the people there, struggling to deal with their pain. Then there is Adar Ayera. The best way to describe her is “emotions.” She can take the issues of oppression and make you feel oppressed. She can take an issue like domestic violence, and you will feel the [bruises] swelling. She helps me want to fight for women. She makes me want to change my habits. She does more than entertain. She changes me on the inside. You all have to Google or YouTube these people to experience them. I already know that I am not doing them justice, but these people are what I believe spoken word is intended to be.
PTM: Your book is titled “Why I Keep U A Secret.” How did you come up with the title, and would you tell us a little about the book?
Lamont Carey: Writing this book was a journey within itself for me. I found tenderness and vulnerability inside that I didn’t know existed. I wasn’t aware that a woman talking near my neck excited me. I didn’t realize that I found something beautiful in all women. I also discovered that my wants could be demanding. I released a part of me that I didn’t know existed, so that is why I named the book “Why I Keep U A Secret.” One reviewer said that she left her palm prints engraved in the pages. Another said that this book can cause leakage. What was surprising is that a man told me that I showed him how he wanted to treat his woman, so it was his manual! I have also been told that I have some issues that I need to see a specialist about (laughs). Just let me tell you this, most people consider me a thug, so showing a softer side was shocking to many of my fans. I usually perform on issues like “Self Esteem,” “Delinquency,” “Illiteracy,” and “Injustices,” so to release a book that was the total opposite of the image I had created allowed me to find more of myself as a person and artist. I am not whole yet, but I am getting there!
PTM: Where can we get a copy of it?
Lamont Carey: “Why I Keep U A Secret” can be purchased at any online store, or you can order it from your local bookstore. In addition, you can order it from my website: www.lamontspov.tk. By ordering it from my site, you will receive an autographed copy and a special gift.
PTM: Who has been your biggest influence outside of the writing world?
Lamont Carey: Freedom has been my biggest influence. There is nothing greater than that. Now if I had to pick a person, right now it would be two people. My son, Pharaoh. I have to make this world a better place for him. I have to become a role model and love him like I have never expressed it to any other person in this world. The other is presidential contender Barack Obama. His accomplishments and determination make me say “yes I can.”
PTM: How has having your writings published changed you?
Lamont Carey: It feels great, because I have released my thoughts into the world. The only issue is that it gets steamy in between those pages (laughs).
PTM: What is your biggest struggle with your writing?
Lamont Carey: I get scared when I get close to ending larger works, like my books and screenplay. It’s like I have to break away from this world that I created. Sometimes I really start to care about some of my characters. The other thing that I cannot do is write an autobiography. I have come a long way, but not that far!
PTM: What, in your opinion, are the most important elements of good writing?
Lamont Carey: A good writer is a writer who writes. The hell with structure and stanza! Readers read. Teachers grade. Writers write to release a world inside of them. There will always be someone that doesn’t like your work, but there are millions who will love you!
PTM: Are you working on any books or projects that you would like to share with us?
Lamont Carey: Yes. Right now I am deciding which of three books to release. My audience wants another poetry book that reflects the social issues that I covered on my CD. So I am leaning toward releasing that book, and the title is “Reach Into My Darkness.” I am also in post-production for a series that I wrote and will direct entitled “Laws of the Street.” It is like “The Wire” meets “The Shield.” It is a great project. For instance, I have one character by the name of “Angel”. At thirteen, her mother convinced her to have sex with a drug dealer to support her mother’s habit. After that experience, Angel declared that neither she nor her mother would ever be in that position again, so she started selling heroin to support her mother’s habit. There is always a story behind the corpse before it airs on the news, and my goal is to show how individuals in the inner city can feel trapped, inspired, but most of all determined to survive. So be on the lookout for the show. The website is in development, but it will be: www.lawsofthestreet.com. Check YouTube for clips in the future.
PTM: What dreams have been realized as a result of your writing? Any special memories that you would like to share?
Lamont Carey: I have become a business owner. I have three companies. Contact Visits is a nonprofit. Our mission is to assist ex-offenders transitioning back into the community. Serving N Time is a prison pen pal service that tries to keep incarcerated persons connected to caring people in society. That connection can be instrumental in helping them change and prepare for their futures. It takes the community to better the community, so we have to care and take care of the people who live in our communities or we put ourselves at risk. Lastly, LaCarey Entertainment, LLC. This is my artist management company. Our goal is to assist grassroots artists and established artists in achieving their goals in the entertainment industry.
PTM: Any recent appearances that you would like to share with us. Any upcoming ones?
Lamont Carey: I recently appeared on Russell Simmons’ and HBO’s Def Poetry Jam. There is a clip on YouTube and my website: lamontspov.tk.
PTM: You had a chance to perform on Def Poetry Jam and made a few appearances on The Wire, which was the most challenging. What did you learn from those experiences?
Lamont Carey: Both were great experiences. The Wire was great, because I had a small part in a hit show. Then I was able to build a relationship with Pat Moran to funnel some of the talent who appeared on the show. All together, I was able to place 64 or so actors on the show as background actors and Day Players. Def Poetry Jam was a great experience because they—Stan Lathan, Russell Simmons, and HBO—thought I was a talented spoken word artist. That just felt good, like “chicken soup for the soul.”
PTM: If you could have a conversation with any poet, living or dead, who would it be? List three questions you’d ask them, and then tell us why that poet and those questions.
Lamont Carey: Tupac. I’d ask him, how did you know that you had to rap in order to be heard? How could you allow the character you created to consume the person you were? Did you realize the power you had before your death? I chose Tupac because he was a powerful poet who I believe had to create a character and genre to get his message out. He was a revolutionary. I just think he was unable to stop the gangster he created to live and lead his life.
PTM: How difficult was it to get your first book published? How did you go about it?
Lamont Carey: I self-published. It is extremely hard to get a book picked up by a publisher. A lot of the publishers want your work presented through an agent. Agents want you to have sold something. Plus, they want to pay you so little for your work. I decided to invest in myself.
PTM: If you could leave your readers with one legacy, what would you want it to be?
Lamont Carey: That Lamont took charge of his life and changed the world. There is always someone watching you. They are imitating or following the path you trod before their feet. Lamont chose to lead them to productivity. Someone is following and imitating them as well.
PTM: Thank you for time.
Lamont Carey: Thank you for yours.
