Poets ask for more: LSX seeks same recognition as dancehall acts

Sadeke Brooks, Staff Reporter

Despite Jamaica's poetry industry needing more funding and support, Clayton Lynch says his group LSX will continue to pursue its dancehall poetry.

The members of LSX: Clayton Lynch, Jerome 'Sage' Butler and Dwayne 'X' Tucker, were initially part of a bigger group called Jah Children. That group also included Joel Ellis, a guitarist, vocalist and a drummer. However, the group split in 2003 because of a misunderstanding.

Since then LSX has been on a journey, one that has been difficult at points but Lynch said they also got the opportunity to perform at various events across the island.

In 2005, he said LSX was featured as guest poets on BETJ. In 2005 and 2007, they performed at Dub Collec-tive Festival in Canada. They were awarded at the Youth In Excellence Awards and have performed there twice. The group also performed at the US Embassy in 2006 as well as at numerous charity events.

Lynch is doing drama at the Edna Manley College of the Visual and Performing Arts while Butler is doing arts management at the same institution. Tucker studies drama at the Excelsior Community College.

The group's educational pursuits might give some indication as to where their particular brand of dub poetry comes from.

"Our style of poetry, we are out of the box, we are extraordinaires of poetry. I'm the dubmaster. Sage would say we are the prodigy," Lynch told The Sunday Gleaner.

"We have mastered dubpoetry, spoken word, roots. We go through most of the writing style. Now we are going through dancehall. We even go through rap and jazz. We learn from everyone, all the boxes."

Taking away the 'uptown' stigma from poetry, Lynch said LSX has been bringing poetry to the grassroots through its style.

"We seh we doing dancehall poetry. Poetry in Jamaica is not for the norm, it's for the upper class of people. If we want more people to know, if we want to be more popular, go dung inna di ghetto, the city, the garrison and do the poetry. That's where we find the dancehall poetry. It's a new style but it's still poetry," he said, noting that they did an album called The Prodigy in 2007.

Every Wednesday, LSX also performs at Spoken Word at Kic Bac Bar & Grill, St Andrew, and they also performed at a staging of Manifesto Jamaica at Studio 38 in New Kingston. In addition to their poetry, Lynch has been part of the national pantomime for 11 years, while Sage was part of the Better Mus' Come cast. They have also done several radio and television commercials.

While their poetry is growing, Lynch said he wants the see poets being recognised as much as other artistes and musicians.

"I hope to see the group on the same stage equally with musicians. That's what we are aiming for, for poets to get an equal place like musicians," he said, noting that LSX will be doing collaborations with Chevaugn, Assassin and Vybrant.

unconventional style

Their plight was also noted in a recent performance at the Poetry Society Fellowship that was held at the Edna Manley College of the Visual and Performing Arts's Amphitheatre.

After touching issues affecting the youth in their unconventional style, LSX spoke about the lack of support facing the industry.

"Poetry a record but still nah get no airplay, a wonda who nah get pay," the energetic group said in unison, receiving 'braps' and claps.

According to Lynch, a lot more could be done on the Jamaican poetry scene.

"Jamaica is lazy. I think they are lazy. If we can have a literary festival every year, why can't we have a poetry performing festival? You have so much poetry in Jamaica and so many good poets. Even if you are a good poet, Jamaica still won't know you as a good poet. Nobody don't want to produce, manage or market poets," Lynch told The Sunday Gleaner.

"We don't have any support. In other countries you get grants. Poets nuh have nuh value in Jamaica. In other countries poets are recognised. You can't even have a family with poetry. Poets need support, poets need funding."

While he wants LSX to be successful, Lynch said he hopes other. Poets gain success too.

"We want people to realise that there are poets other than Yasus and Muta, that there are other groups too like No-Maddz and Royal African Soldiers. We alone nuh waan buss, other groups waan buss too," he said.