Something In The Way Of Things (in Town)

Amiri Baraka, formerly known as LeRoi Jones has been involved in the African American art movement for decades. His reach from the beat generation, to the rap music today has impacted all aspects of the Black Arts Movement. The Roots, an African American jazz, hip hop band collaborated with Baraka in playing music to his poem, "Something in the Way of Things (in Town)." The music adds a whole new aspect to the poem. The drum beat accompanying music adds a dimension to the poem, and 'spaces' the poem out. Yet, the music does not take away from Baraka's voice, which is very powerful. The poem itself, I believe is about how the reader is someone special. The reader can "see something in the way of ourselves" and "know things you know and nothing you don't know 'cept I saw something in the way of things." The reader also realizes there is something going on. Throughout the poem the title emerges, something in the way of things. By studying the history of Baraka's time the things he is talking about in this poem are directly related to Baraka's involvement in the African American movements during and through the 1960s, "There's garbage on the street that's tellin' you you ain't shit
And you almost believe it Broke and mistaken all the time."