The Dope Poet Society

The Dope Poet Society is a politically charged hip hop group from Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Their music is characterized by clever and sometimes controversial lyrics. [ [http://www.hiphoplinguistics.com/news/2008/08/canadian-hip-hop-duo-promotes-politically-conscious-intelligence Hip Hop Linguistics, Canadian Hip-Hop Duo Promotes Politically-Conscious Intelligence] ] ProfessorD.us (formerly Professor D) is the lead vocalist of the group, known for his tongue twisting, “rapid fire” rap style. The group has been active since 1995 and has toured around the world. [ [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=65Nf9O9CF3I Youtube.com, Dope Poets on World Tour Intro'd by Chuck D] ] They have also performed and collaborated with some of the most influential artists in Hip Hop including Public Enemy [ [http://exclaim.ca/musicreviews/generalreview.aspx?csid2=888&fid1=24723&csid1=109 Exclaim Magazine, Canada's premier political rap group] ] , Dead Prez [ [http://www.amazon.com/Everythings-Political-Feat-Dead-Prez/dp/B001AD5HDG/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&s=dmusic&qid=1223492264&sr=8-3 Amazon.com, Everything's Political] ] , Jeru the Damaja [ [http://www.amazon.com/Action-Inaction-Feat-Jeru-Damaja/dp/B001AD5H5O/ref=sr_f2_1?ie=UTF8&s=dmusic&qid=1223492488&sr=102-1 Amazon.com In Action or Inaction] ] , and Boot Camp Click.

Professor D changed his name to ProfessorD.us with the release of his 2008 album, "Third World Warriors Vol.1", which lists the artist as "ProfessorD.us - The Dope Poet Society".

History

The Dope Poet Society, in their early teens, recorded a song and music video for YTV, entitled "Canadian Unity" (1992). The group founded Justus League Records and released their first vinyl single and music video, "Too Many Years" (1995), which appeared on Rapcity and was featured on MuchMusic's Indie Spotlight. Their debut album, "Dangerous Days" (1997), was the first full length CD to be independently released by a Canadian hip hop group.Fact|date=October 2008 It was credited by "Now" as "fostering a… sense of community" in Toronto’s hip hop scene. [ [http://www.nowtoronto.com/issues/16/41/Ent/feature.html Now Magazine, Poets’ Hip Hop Mission] ] Their second album, "Hipolitics" (1999), spawned their first major hit, "Fuck Mike Harris!" [ [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pBK88ESBbmU Youtube.com Fuck Mike Harris! Live] ] In their review of the EP, "Now" wrote, “If Dalton McGuinty or Howard Hampton [Ontario provincial opposition leaders of the time] wanted to really make their point with the youth, they'd adopt the lead cut on this five-song EP as their campaign theme song.” [ [http://www.nowtoronto.com/issues/18/40/Ent/discnow.html Now Magazine, Hipolitics Review] ] The song became a huge hit on college radio across the province and across the country.Fact|date=October 2008 Public Enemy frontman, Chuck D, began playing the song on his internet radio show on bringthenoise.com and began a relationship with the group which lead to mentorship and collaboration. [ [http://exclaim.ca/musicreviews/generalreview.aspx?csid2=888&fid1=24723&csid1=109 Exclaim Magazine, Canada's premier political rap group] ]

The Dope Poet Society is known for quickly responding to political events with critical material. [ [http://www.jlr1.com/Toronto%20Star%20Article.pdf Toronto Star, Music meant to have a message] ] In 2000, they became the first group to release a song “dissing” George W. Bush, and condemning him as a “terrorist". [ [http://www.jlr1.com/Toronto%20Star%20Article.pdf Ibid.] ] Two weeks after September 11, 2001, the group released their CD "9/11 World Trade". In the title track they allude to Malcolm X’s likening John F. Kennedy's assassination to "chickens coming home to roost", implying that September 11th was another case of "the chickens coming home to roost". In 2003, in response to the US’s invasion of Iraq, The Dope Poet Society released the single "War of Terrorism". The song was debuted at Toronto’s Metro Hall to a crowd of 80,000 anti-war protestors on February 15, 2003. [ [http://www.newsocialist.org/index.php?id=1658 New Socialist Magazine, Promoting Intelligence: Toronto duo stokes the fire...] ] Jeff Chang wrote in the UK’s "New Internationalist", “The Dope Poet Society's song 'War of Terrorism', challenged the moral righteousness of the war and echoed many anti-war activists' concerns that far more insidious motives were driving it.” [ [http://www.newint.org/issue359/even.htm Sounds of Dissent, New Internationalist] ] In an article commissioned by The Centre for Political Song at Glasgow University, Janis McNair notes that "The Dope Poet Society’s track War of Terrorism, expressed a fundamental conjecture of anti-war protestors: the root of the conflict is oil." [ [http://www.gcal.ac.uk/politicalsong/research/mcnair.html Make Music, Not War] ] The title of the group’s latest album, “ProIntelPro: Promote Intelligence Program” is a play on the FBI’s COINTELPRO operations, as the group’s self-proclaimed aim is to “promote intelligence rather than counter it”.

"Third World Warriors Vol. 1"

The 2008 album from ProfessorD.us – The Dope Poet Society, is entitled "Third World Warriors Vol. 1". The record focuses on world politics dropped with “constantly morphing… tongue twisting flows” [ [http://exclaim.ca/musicreviews/generalreview.aspx?csid1=126&csid2=865&fid1=33671 Exclaim Magazine, "Third World Warriors Vol. 1"] ] and an army of guest contributors including award winning musicians, rappers, singers and producers. [ [http://jlr1.com/TWWpress.htm JustusLeague.us, Press Release] ] The album’s first single and video is called “Freedom in Haiti”. [ [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ffVEpjVp4Rk Youtube.com, Freedom in Haiti (music video)] ] Produced by Justus League virtuoso Jad-X, the track incorporates elements of Rock, Hip-Hop and a spellbinding chorus by Toronto R&B sensation Obie. [ [http://jlr1.com/TWWpress.htm JustusLeague.us, Press Release] ] In the song, ProfessorD.us raps about Haiti’s under-heralded place in history as the site of the world’s greatest slave revolution and of that nation’s continued oppression by The USA, France and Canada, under the guise of foreign aid. The music video is directed by US journalist and Filmmaker Kevin Pina and features original footage daringly shot by Pina in Haiti. [ [http://jlr1.com/TWWpress.htm JustusLeague.us, Press Release] ] The ‘B-side’, “Everything’s Political”, features M-1 of dead prez. The song is ProfessorD.us and M-1’s sharp response to all those who ask, “Why is your music always so political?” [ [http://jlr1.com/TWWpress.htm JustusLeague.us, Press Release] ] dead prez, like the Dope Poet Society, cite Public Enemy as a major influence, and the groups consolidated their revolutionary camaraderie while sharing various stages around the world. [ [http://jlr1.com/TWWpress.htm JustusLeague.us, Press Release] ]

Discography

Albums

* 1997 "Dangerous Days"
* 1999 "Hipolitics"
* 2001 "9/11 World Trade"
* 2005 "ProIntelPro: Promote Intelligence Program"
* 2008 "Third World Warriors Vol. 1"

Singles

* 1995 "Too Many Years"
* 2003 "War of Terrorism"
* 2008 "Freedom in Haiti"

References