Tapping into the source of my expression has been an eye opener for me. What I say has become just as important as how I say it. As an artist, I am well aware of the audience that surrenders its attention to review my work. Although my form of expression is to be considered, the question is always asked, “What is he trying to say?” Or where did that come from?” I tend to find myself in the right place at the right time. Incarceration has indeed been a challenge for me. It wasn’t until I realized that the chains of my confinement only held my body and not my mind. The foundation of my strength had not been compromised and that I had full control of the direction I wanted my life to go in. That motivation alone birthed my new found ability to express myself lyrically. My words speak to my morals and values. My words are a unique glimpse into the very core of who I am. Poetry and rap has become my outlet and the responsibility I have, to say what needs to be said has grown immensely. Maintaining who I am when I create produces some of my best work. What I have found in writing is freedom. The paper and pen relieves the pain of bondage. Even if no one can hear me, I continue to scream freedom through art. Martin Luther King Jr. said, “Morality cannot be legislated but behavior can be regulated…” I’m reminded of that every day. I challenge the morality of the oppressor. My words are a challenge to the silent who know the problem but won’t speak up. The time is now to speak up against oppression and humiliation. Whether the outlet is media, whether you organize the community or express yourself through art, we must be silent no more, reminding myself of the importance of what I say as opposed to how I say it speaks to the very core of what morality is.
William Tufayl Lane
“Free Slave”