Review
BAD ASS RAINDROP
(FadeKe) Kokumo Rocks
Luath Press Ltd., 96 pp.
FadeKe Kokumo Rocks (this book is published under the name Kokumo Rocks) is a black Scottish performance poet. Rocks grew up in a small Scottish mining town, did disastrously at school due to undiagnosed dyslexia and was inspired to become a performance poet by seeing Maya Angelou perform and having Angelou subsequently encourage Rocks to be, in her words, "a free bird, not a caged one."
Bad Ass Raindrop represents a collection of poetry spanning the 10-year period of 1992-2002 and, by her own admission, includes the raw as well as the polished. It has some undeniably high moments. Right off the mark, "Fat Black Woman" hits the spot – it’s sharp and tasty, and an obvious homage to Angelou’s poetry, particularly "Phenomenal Woman." The rest is wildly up and down, showing in some cases the slightly stilted tone of "I’m writing poetry now."
Many of the poems in Bad Ass Raindrop could have benefited from some focused editing, and in places the writing and rhythm become muddy and unclear. That said, Rocks’s voice is undeniably strong and fresh, as with the title poem: "One day a raindrop on acid got the hump/It spat at traffic cops, break danced on cars/Danced in shit, slid over hospital sheets/Dropped into medicinal drinks/Yes it was a real bitch of a raindrop/Cold wet mean/And looking for trouble."
Rocks’s talent for imagery and intense, no-bullshit language is warming and uplifting – similar to Angelou’s work, but updated, sharper, more hip. She’ll be worth checking out at WordFest, as her writing leaps off the page and could be very arresting live. She’s still finding her poetic feet, but when Rocks hits her stride, watch out.
FadeKe Kokumo Rocks is appearing at WordFest on Thursday, October 16, Friday, October 17 and Saturday, October 18.
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