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I am an activist/ soul poet/urban fiction/hood horror writer, originally from The Windy City. I live and breathe urban culture and elevated street essence thanks to knowledge of self. My roots in hip-hop start at my early family house parties when records by Sugarhill Gang, The Last Poets and ( after all the uncles made that trip to the room us kids weren't allowed in) Parliament-Funkadelic. But I still caught that contact and I could still feel and understand the soul of the music. I always longed to be on the other side of the speaker, pumpin'. My father is a novelist ( Charles Van Pugh "The Hospital Plot" and "The Griot")and instilled in me early in life an interest in arranging words and rhythms. My mother is also an artist, she designs jewelry and does nice erotic sculpture. After they divorced I began to write rhymes and read books and study other artists alot. I was raised in three parts of the city-The North Side, The South Side and (in the suburbs of) Waukegan and North Chicago. I found myself drawn to street culture everywhere I went. I formed many rap crews and participated and opened for various respected artists at showcases and talent shows. I got serious with MCing in the 90's spittin' at The Double Door, Elbo Room and the highly acclaimed sets at Lower Links put on by Shame Love Tempo. At the end of the nineties I relocated to Brooklyn NY where I became very involved in Talib Kweli and Mos Def's community center NKIRU, being program coordinatior and co-host of it's monthly open mic event -FOUNDATIONS. It is there amongst many of rap's underground elite ( dead prez, Zion I, Black Star, Toni Blackmon, Masouko Chipembere, etc.) that my style came into being. Also many of the discussions, on panels and private, with some of the black literary greats ( Octavia Butler, Ishmael Reed, Sistah Souljah etc.). I call my style SOULBLOOD. I pull from the soul to draw my pictures; literary and musical. I believe in creating lyrics/stories/essays/poetry that are eternal in essence...that defies the confines of time, ideology, and expectation. I lace my lines with gems -but not to be preachy, only to express what is on my heart to the world in a way they can feel me. I have an agenda, a series of realistic topics I want to bounce off of the world. I would like to provoke thought and conversations on alot of different issues...social, emotional, physical, scientific and political. Most of all though, I feel my mission as a writer of various black orientated medias -in these days and times-is to motivate, enlighten and uplift my audience- The Hip Hop Generation.That , too me , is mostly those who came into being men and women during The Reagan Era, and also any Man, Woman,or Child raised by or close to any aspect of Hip Hop. P.E.A.C.E Positive Energy Activates Constant Elevation Lenard M Pugh, born March 8 1971 Old Town Chi-Town, Buzz and Snaggs had a 2nd son One from Cabrini, both from fams with mo’ than 3 childrun Both had charisma, both had talent, both liked to have fun Both were barely out of high school, both of them were so young My big bro Snook-when I was born, he was jus’ 1 We got along most times, but revenge never went further than our tongues We had scrap but we knew when to unite as 1 Lived in a 2 bedroom apartment in my grandma’s building Dad loved the south side, Ma thought the north side was appealing Dad was a teacher slash artist, Ma, an artist slash nurse And still-after food, toys, bills, and liquor…no change shook in her purse She took classes, worked night shifts while dad wrote with that thirst Up all night at his typewriter, eyes red, brain cells about to burst We ain’t get no time outs man, we got warnings and whoopings –understand Hit by fam with extension cords, switches, belts and bare hands Or like…turn around boy, bend over, pull down yo pants And stay still, don’t dance, or I’ll beat you till you can’t stand Dad came home late, sometimes Ma made it home to cook dinner We suffered some, but the crib was cool in the summer, plus warm in the winter Soul music, good times, bad times, the realest feelings Fam fights, good news and bad news…tragedies, moments of healing I was told I was named after Grandma Lena and some man named Morgan Maybe he was important, I sat through 100 sermons at Gospel Temple At Rain or Shine, I zoned out to the organ My mother thinks I wasted my life with this knack for ghetto reporting So rap can take the back for now, my real life is more important…yeah LENARD M PUGH A.K.A PUCALI RAW is a Chi-Town raised, NY refined MC with a serious soul aesthetic. DO THE KNOWLEDGE
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