Where I'm From - Lemon - Def Poet

[@z3r0t0l3r4ns]

"The Lord may not come when you call; but He's always on time" that line is epic

[@shane2863]

Pretty sure he lifted that from dmx.

[@NicoleH73]

Lemon grew up in New York/Brooklyn. He's a product of his environment. He's not trying to be anything but himself. There are plenty of black-Latinos. I'm from Harlem and I grew up around plenty of cats like Lemon.

[@mtkdabest]

"the lord may not come when you call but he's always on time"

[@borninvincible]

he stole that line from DMX

[@face1339]

@@borninvincible That line is older than DMX bud.

[@BallinCougar15]

I love this! I'm not even from NY but he sure hell made me feel like it lol. Talk about depiction. He was too nice

[@ellathepan4836]

Oh my gosh he's so amazing! I actually got to meet him too and he's just a really nice person.

[@itsinphy]

I like the ending - "...the Lord may not come when you call, but he's always on time..." Sick line.

[@zekone83]

the lord may not be there when you call but hes always on time...

[@pr0ud2bap1n0y]

that last line gave me chills. amazing poet

[@AttackerWannabee]

he is ON POINT about the jamaican patties with coco breaddd!!!!

[@jesusjones1024]

I always come back to this poem cause the delivery.....smooth.

[@quiquibabi]

This was awesome, so much talent. He takes poetry on a different level

[@kisses2u4u]

Oh yes it is all about the patti with coco bread n coleslaw!...Was pleasently surprised by this poet he was not wat i was expecting...and i strongly agree...The Lord May not come when you call but he is always on time x

[@RAWKNtoni]

BROOKLYN STAND UP! Oh yes. I miss Brooklyn.

[@samish9330]

He may not come when you call but he always on time.MY GOD. 💜💖

[@amalhood]

its not a song to raise the sun, it is a call to prayer and worship God.

[@YaTaqwa14]

This might just be my favorite Def Poetry performance of all time

[@shane2863]

Dope. NY ain't never had the best weed spots though. Not a day in history.

[@AnonymousShortii]

much respect for him! this is the prime example of a person who turned his life around. He was in jail and educated himself and started doing poetry so no excuses.

[@testimonycentral340]

I am part bodigua! and this to is we're my mindset lies. this guy is good

[@testimonycentral340]

Lol my android always correcting stuff incorrectly lmto. I ment bodicua. I didn't notice that duh on me

[@chrisr5649]

Did you mean Boricua? Lol

[@meloman11208]

bushwick is where we from this guy is a smart man and a good one to knickerbocker and grove

[@Brooklyn1530]

Hell yea! Bushwick forever, never east williamsburg. That word is just something the yuppies conjurd up to raise their property value and take over what little we have...like no you may NOT change Graham Avenue - Avenue of PUERTO RICO to something else because it offends your sensibilities lol. This is Bushwick Sick so yuppies need to stick their asses back on that metro north train back to Connecticut 🤣

[@vivalakenya]

Yessir!!! The lord might not come when u call but He's always on time. Word!

[@zarenj21]

That shit was crazy. I love seeing this generation strong in the Spoken Word

[@gaveee]

by far one of the best poems I've heard

[@Eventsandthings]

Keep telling them stories Lemon. Love your style and originality, keep it up!!!!

[@murdok620]

this guy's had the most applause i've heard in one performance!!

[@zeynelbuyuksahin4867]

Then listen to the knock knock poet. The audience literally gets on their feet.

[@Vianey112233]

he's giving an example of how muslin preachers speak in prison.

[@IROC209]

The lord may not come when you call, but he is always on time.

[@Nurgleoneshot]

I love when you get those Krispy new greens

[@BasminNadraDreamwalker]

this daughter of all relations sends out big Love 2 Brotha Lemon Anderson who has learned 2B who & what he is everywhere he goes...share yo witness of true freedom u man from the county of Kings, brings a smile 2 this QueenB of the gateway city ;-)

[@TayBabeyy12]

Damn. This was beautifuL

[@BrendaSandovalBerryBrenda]

That has always been my favourite line!

[@rakbatum08]

@instrumental its no act...there's no place on earth like Brooklyn. You'll only know if u been there

[@CrazyJodice]

15 poeple hit dislike 'cause they don't have the best weed spots

[@dommck11]

I'm so proud to be from Brooklyn! xD

[@JosephWhalenDesigns]

This man from Grand says damn. Always funky fresh...........

[@NewYorkCityPurls]

I am addicted to this poem

[@chefawkes]

i loved of it, because of his showmanship and style. I live in toronto, and couldn't get even 1 reference lol. still awesome though.

[@561400]

this man is greezy i luv watching this video

[@sogginwithyou]

lots of gospel songs say that Mary Mary, plus ever since blues came onto the scene, singers have begun to use the gospel in a variety of genres

[@souflotv]

thank you ..for saying this ....

[@monty150]

bring this show back

[@fairlyagile]

i love lemon. this poem is sweet!

[@rapido83]

Checked it on the net, it's from Nina Hagen - Right On Time. Lyrics: You can't hurry my God No, no, no You just gotta wait You've gotta trust God and give him time No matter how long it will take But he's a God we just can't hurry But he'll be there, don't you worry I say he may not come when you want him, But he's "right on time!"

[@Cheapgamer420]

Muslim, 5%percenter, Israelites.. This guy know his shit

[@cracklingvoice]

He IS a 3-time felon.

[@badbaggage2378]

1 of my favs

[@Greermedia]

Not glorifying, simply understanding where he's from and appreciating

[@yonasdesta10]

Dawn! That wad dope!

[@Papo1981NYY]

This!!! is Puerto Rock Style, we can argue all day about who influenced who! white to black..... they all my panas!

[@freeflowingeternity]

hes is really talented i first saw him on the app TED and heard his poem about taking his jordan shoes

[@Tissy94]

BROOOOK LYNNNNN this descirbes it very welll too

[@CrazyJodice]

Thats was awsome!!!!!!

[@XxChiiChobitsxX]

If Ya Like This Ya Should C him perform his book County Of Kings - My Grade went to see him perform and he is amazing!!!!!!!

[@AbstractPoetNerd]

@willshakeyou I think what he's saying is that you have to believe in something. He's not saying that something is god or life after death or anything. He's expressing that you have to put your faith somewhere, even if it's not something most would attest to faith.

[@brianletlhabane6018]

timeless poem

[@LaLokita2448]

boricua

[@captainterrible525]

@johnthepalm That's your opinion. You see a sad story. I see a "triumph in spite of". Most people can appreciate things they relate to. That poem means a lot to folks w/ parents who've made bad choices. Phylicia Rashad does a great poem on there. Floetry has a great poem. Some are funny. Some are sweet. Some actually do end quietly. And the people are applauding the passion. & though you may not like the delivery or the content, that is the poet's truth & i may not like it, but I respect it

[@lola123434]

He not ACTIN in no way , he's from Brooklyn . we all like that

[@kbnastyman]

The second part is really good. The first part will fly right over the heads of the non-BK natives.

[@johnthepalm]

@captainterrible525 This is so much sadder than you realize. When I was younger I had the opportunity to be argue with many people who were critical, clever, abrasive, stubborn and brilliant. You shut down your mind when you hear something you deem negative. Learn that negativity is the first step to creativity. The urge to destroy is the urge to create. Learn and you will be free.

[@Brooklyn3955]

lol - I was born and bred in the county of Kings in 73, but I'm not an angry Puerto Rican or Black, so I guess I don't count in Lemon's version of Brooklyn. LOL - good spoken word though even though I don't really get your version of Brooklyn as much as you can't understand mine,.

[@Revengex19999]

We get it you're better than us wassa wassa

[@Brooklyn3955]

@@Revengex19999 Nope, nope. I get it though, you think you understand me., but you really don't. Never said I was better than you or your "us". I never said, the poem was bad. Just saying, the work doesn't speak to me, and I was born and bred in Brooklyn.

[@JUANO510]

amazing

[@fafinho11]

NY baby!

[@booger680]

love it!

[@TheJahlani]

Thank you! People at my school get so uncomfortable when I say things like this. Like when I speak 'properly' I'm not acting white. And my white friend who's from the hood aint acting black. She from the hood so she naturally speaks a certain way. It's not anything to be ashamed or proud of but it's a simple fact ya know?

[@johnthepalm]

@johnthepalm Your use of the phrase "eurocentric" is quite interesting. Of course I have mentioned many poets who are not European in our discussion, but maybe you mean something else when you use that word. Maybe you would like to elaborate.

[@trump2024isnow]

That was SIKK...!!

[@RAWKNtoni]

YES I NEED A PATTIE WITH COCOA BREAD! FLATBUSH! I aint have one in like 2 years. Damn they aint got that out here...

[@Hot2male]

i toast to u my brother.real talk on this one.

[@Sw88tie]

@StatenIzzy1 Really?I didn't know that. But most of them don't look it.

[@Listenhoesitsmeh1]

speaks the truth and how could he be acting black if being black is a race. Saying that is saying you agree with the stereotype that blacks should sound, act, dress a certain way. Nah, Lemon just who he is and he's BROOKLYN!!!!

[@somesayju]

i luv this

[@mrsnawatson]

Boricuaso Mira what's good fellow brooklynite! Bed Sty raised me. Shit in PR they call me crazy! Peace!

[@jase9lives]

why don't ya;ll just look him up.. if he has a site.. email him and ask him instead of trying to figure him out based on opinions and conjecture?

[@AbstractPoetNerd]

@willshakeyou I can understand your mixed emotions over the word "faith" and the meaning it might usually evoke. I put my faith into things like hard work, thinking logically, and making a better life for myself. Faith is simply something everyone has and puts to use in different ways. Religious faith, moral faith, etc. Always different kinds. You can definitely have faith in trying to develop a better understanding of the world that surrounds you and certainly with no religious undertones.

[@MALIRIPPA]

borough of royalty the infinite party rocker home of big poppa 92 door KNOCKERS!!!!

[@lady2hood4u]

I loveeeee him

[@TheJoe84]

Shit is real.

[@willshakeyou]

@AbstractPoetNerd yeah but still it's really hard not to associate the word faith with "believe without proof or inspite proof" and i try not to have that at all in my life. but i understand what you mean and I agree with you... =)

[@lilosaint]

have the best weed spot OC

[@KaylaaNdYouu]

Perfect. :)

[@Derrick_Ham]

He should have ended when he said funky fresh. That would be a perfect ending of his poem. I like his style!

[@johnthepalm]

@captainterrible525 Thank you for your response. There is no single standard for poetry - agreed. But these "poets" upset my nose. I watched "Knock Knock" and it is a very sad story, but not a very good story or a poem. There is not enough room here to debate what constitutes great poetry. I understand that people enjoy much of these spoken word performances. Have you notices that these poems always end with a kind of crescendo? The poets seem to have the idea that poetry is about applause.

[@TifanShu]

@JuStStePhAniiE It's spelled Boricua and it refers to people from Puerto Rico.

[@johnthepalm]

@captainterrible525 ...with one exception so far. You recommended a poem recited by Phylicia Rashad. I did take your advice and listen to it. And I agree that it is very good. I then began searching for material by the poet (her mother) Vivian Elizabeth Ayers. Of course this is not by any of these contemporary poets, but a work from the era of Langston Hughes. As far as me being "hostile", if you are of the impression that my criticisms are personal, read more carefully.

[@xJaZZiiTheItGirlx]

This man is a white spaniard who resides in PR. Whites blacks and natives are mixed a little too. Yet we still know their is a difference between the three. If he has any black or native blood, it very little. He's as native or black as your average white boy more than likely.

[@MzBification]

i like this here

[@HellsHord]

right shit back in the day I used to stand in line at Allen's bakery to get my coconut bread, black pudding, currant rolls, roti......lime with my boys at prospect park, check me if you know what im talkin bout.

[@Fallinangel621]

That was HOT

[@LailahAhm]

@wojo91baby I wasn't implying that but I believe everyone goes through struggles. While people of colour may have to suffer, unless you know every single white person, you cannot say that they suffer more or less. Never underestimate another person's pain. It may not be as obvious as the pain suffered by POC but it still exists.

[@KeishaCharmaine]

ahhhh F L A T B U S H !!!

[@justmee123]

He wasn't trying to compare the two.

[@PRSolja]

Just out of curiosity what is your definition of poetry? Why don't you think this poet words wasn't poetry?

[@kristid5735]

There is a such thing as "acting" a race. The movie 'White chicks', weren't they "acting" white? Some people naturally can have ways (characteristics, behavior etc) like other races because they grew up with that other race. However, there are cases were many don't grow up around said race and want to "act" black because it's "cool" or they are attracted to it. Every race acts different because of culture etc. Latino's will be similar naturally because they are mixed "races" not a "race".

[@TheJaniRose]

@LailahAhm well said. special note: he's puerto rican, he's people of color. same difference.

[@johnthepalm]

@captainterrible525 Yes, when you say that you think one of the poems I mentioned are "dry and boring" it means you think they don't have a value above what you have stated that value to be, which is an impoverished value. I don't know what you are afraid of. Just say you think Auden sucks. Too much Oprah? When you choose relativism you choose a structure that supports nothing specifically because it supports everything. Or does racist poetry have some value you would like to illuminate?

[@PirateLifePurpleGold]

he is fine!!

[@davidgibson3020]

who here in 2022

[@Newyorkswag]

he's giving an example about the 5% nation of islam nd the supreme mathematics homiee

[@Brooklyn1530]

Are these 2 poems he said in this video or one long one? Please help ^_^

[@willshakeyou]

am i a rythmless void for being mesmerized by the universe and this wonderful part of it called the human mind, and still not believing in any religions, gods or anything "supernatural" (whatever that might mean..)? does the search for truth, and not assumption of things on faith make me a rythmless void? if any one is wondering about my position on this please watch this video /watch?v=gZQiBWzBtBY i love most of lemon's videos here on youtube, i just don't agree with that little part lol