Wordsworth (lyricist Lounge)

In Hip Hop, there are rhymesayers and there are wordsmiths. The former merely rattle off catchy, elementary rhymes that are easy to digest-and forget. Wordsmiths, on the other hand, articulately demonstrate their superior command of the English language by spitting clever, thought-provoking lyrics that jump out of your speakers and come alive in your imagination. As his name suggests, Brooklyn-bred microphone fiend Wordsworth is the epitome of a true Hip Hop wordsmith. At a time when the rap market is flooded with formulaic, cookie-cutter sensations who churn out fast, forgettable hits rather than solid albums, this Lyricist Lounge all-star is looking to the past to reinvigorate the present by recalling the essence of 1994-the second most important year in Hip Hop-when the beats were hard and MCs talked to listeners rather than at them about relevant topics they could relate to. As an undergraduate at the State University of New York's Old Westbury campus, Wordsworth became a distinguished member of the student body population by penning all of his papers and writing assignments in lyrical verse. After graduating with a degree in English Language and Literature in 1998, Wordsworth teamed up with part-time rhyme partner Punchline to form a duo, commonly known as Punch 'N' Words, and began making the rounds on the national underground Hip Hop open mic circuit. Audiences immediately responded to their conversational chemistry, and the duo rapidly developed a loyal fan base of college kids, backpackers, and b-boys and girls. After commanding the stage at a Lyricist Lounge showcase in 1997, an impressed Q-Tip, who hosted the event, tapped the pair to perform on "Rock Rock, Y'all," the closing track on A Tribe Called Quest's final album, 1998's gold-certified The Love Movement. Later that same year, they were also featured on Black Star's "Twice Inna Lifetime." Since then, in addition to appearing on a multitude of other artists' albums, Punch and Words have appeared in three Lyricist Lounge-related projects-2000's tour; both compilation albums on Mic Media/Rawkus; and MTV's now-defunct but nonetheless groundbreaking sketch comedy series The Lyricist Lounge Show, which Wordsworth co-created, scripted and starred in. However, in much the same way that Black Star's Mos Def and Talib Kweli give each other space to pursue solo projects and collaborate with other artists, Punch and Words share a similar understanding. After they released a self-titled EP on Mona Hip Hop/Landspeed in 2001, Wordsworth began recording solo material with producer Curt Gowdy, who has worked with such artists as Nas, Noriega, LL Cool J, and Fifty Cent. Wordsworth's new work is a significant departure from the music he created with Punch both lyrically and musically. It's refreshingly gritty, smart, ripe with wisdom acquired through life experiences and incredibly compelling. "I think of my CD as an audio mirror of life," says Wordsworth. "It embodies a timeline of experiences. Each song is a cinema crafted to strike a nerve and actually deliver a message. In my rhymes, I try to create pictures that illustrate emotions. When people hear my album I want them to feel like I said everything they couldn't say, so when a song ends their response is, 'Word!' To put it bluntly, my album is like an audio art gallery of emotions." Over the years, Wordsworth has also gained solo notoriety by performing on radio shows (Stretch Armstrong and Bobbito, Sway and Tech), at open mic venues throughout the country and appearing on popular mix tapes that have circulated worldwide. In 1997, his wittiness, masterful delivery and colorful wordplay earned him an invitation to participate in the 1997 Hip Hop Olympics, which were held in Los Angeles, where he competed alongside comparable teammates such as rap superstar Eminem and fellow Lyricist Lounge Show alum Thirstin Howl III. In addition to pursuing a career as a solo MC and continuing to be featured on other artists' albums, Wordsworth has parlayed the experience he gained from The Lyricist Lounge Show into a budding career both on- and off-camera in film and television. He continues to study acting, has written a number of film scripts and television treatments, and was recently featured in the award-winning independent film, Freestyle: The Art of Rhyme, which debuted at the 2002 Sundance Film Festival. Clearly, no boundaries can contain the unlimited ability of Wordsworth. Endowed with versatile talent-including rapping, acting, writing, producing and performing-along with charming charisma, handsome good looks and raw star quality, Wordsworth is poised to emerge as a triple threat crossover virtuoso with mainstream appeal and street credibility who personifies the ingenuity of Hip Hop.