The UK’s First Hip-Hop Poet Laureate

Can Art Save Us?

Otis Mensah is the first hip-hop poet to be awarded a poet laureate title in the UK by the City of Sheffield. Influenced by the expressive freedom of Jazz, Otis documents his journeys of introspection through vulnerable expression that speaks to racial identity, masculinity, loneliness and being othered. He has had numerous commissions and live performances include the Glastonbury Music Festival. His poetry collection, Metamorphosis, gives voice to unspoken trauma in everyday-life and we also talked about why poetry can speak, but we may not talk to each other.

As the first Hip-Hop artist to be awarded a poet laureate title in the UK, he wants to use the position to break down barriers, smash the stuffy stereotype, and remind people that poetry is meant to be for the people. The Guardian.

Otis could be described as the most courageously vulnerable artist of the 21st century.

Series Audio Editor - Courtesy of Joey Quan.

Series Music - Courtesy of Barry J. Gibb

Closed Captions are added to all interviews in this series. Read only, text versions of every interview can also be found here: https://www.canartsaveus.com

Discover Otis Mensah here: https://otismensah.com/