George Watsky
Encyclopedia
George Watsky is a poet
and rapper from San Francisco, California
. Watsky performs slam poetry
, and was featured on Season 6 of Russell Simmons
Presents Def Poetry on HBO. Watsky’s talents began to receive national and international acclaim in 2006 when he was the Youth Speaks Grand Slam Poetry Champion, and was also named Brave New Voices International Poetry Slam Champion.
In 2006, Watsky was described as the "Bay Area's reigning teen champion" as the winner of "nearly a dozen slams" and "was on the team that took fourth place in the national contest" in 2005.
Watsky's poetry incorporates political and social themes. In 2006, in the midst of "a lively performance" to a "sold-out crowd", Watsky "likened politicians behavior to a common bar pick-up line" and "won the night's top score".
Reviewing a 2008 performance at Brandeis University
, Sarah Bayer wrote, "Skinny, quirky George Watsky was next, with the night's most innovative piece. Watsky, a sophomore at Emerson College and a member of the grand prize-winning team from San Francisco at the National Youth Poetry Slam in 2006, adjusted the microphone to different parts of his body, imitated the sound of rewinding tape and recited binary code (a trope that caught the eye of headliner Saul Williams) in an altogether amusing performance."
Watsky graduated from Emerson College
in 2010 and has achieved newfound fame with his viral YouTube
video "Pale kid raps fast." He was featured on The Ellen DeGeneres Show
on January 24, 2011, performing a slightly modified version of that rap.
In 2009, he produced a fifteen track hip-hop album titled Watsky
. In 2010 he released the album Guilty Pleasures
, which he made available as a free download on his website. Produced by Procrastination (San Francisco musician Tobias Butler), Guilty Pleasures contains mashups
between popular songs and those from his first album.
Watsky was profiled in The Boston Globe
in 2009. The Arts section reviewed his one-man show "Where the Magic Happens" favorably and called him a "poetry-slam star."
In Summer, 2011 Watsky announced his new mixtape titled "A New Kind of Sexy", which was released on Monday, August 1, 2011, at 4:00 AM Pacific Time. In the weeks leading up to the release, a track would be released each Monday. One of the tracks on the album was called "4AM Monday".
Taking it to the page and stereo, George’s debut poetry collection and CD, Undisputed Backtalk Champion, was published by First Word Press in 2006. Edited by novelist Adam Mansbach, the book is currently in its fourth printing. As an emcee, Watsky has performed on both coasts with his band Invisible Inc. The trio’s self titled album, a blend of jazz and hip hop, features R&B sensation Passion. George’s self-released debut, Watsky, reached as high as #7 on the iTunes Hip Hop albums chart.
An honorary graduate of the Centre for Sustainability Leadership in Melbourne, George has emerged as part of a vanguard of artists involved in the sustainability movement. The inaugural Speak Green winner for poetry on climate change, Watsky was twice invited by Robert Redford to perform in Sundance, Utah. He served as host of Green Mic in San Jose, California and of the culminating concert of Powershift 2007 in Washington DC, and performed at Rock the Debate in Oxford, Mississippi, prior to 2008′s first Presidental debate. His work has brought him to the opening plenary of Green Cities 2008 in Sydney, Australia, and Greenbuild Chicago, where he took the stage immediately before President Bill Clinton.
Touring while finishing his college education on a condensed schedule, George has performed at conferences and universities in more than half the states in the US, and two in Australia, appearing at some of the nation’s most notable venues, including the Apollo Theater, the Kennedy Center Concert Hall, the San Francisco Opera House and the Shrine Auditorium. He has shared billing with, among others, Beyonce, Stevie Wonder, Bonnie Raitt and Muhammad Ali.
Poet
A poet is a person who writes poetry. A poet's work can be literal, meaning that his work is derived from a specific event, or metaphorical, meaning that his work can take on many meanings and forms. Poets have existed since antiquity, in nearly all languages, and have produced works that vary...
and rapper from San Francisco, California
San Francisco, California
San Francisco , officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the financial, cultural, and transportation center of the San Francisco Bay Area, a region of 7.15 million people which includes San Jose and Oakland...
. Watsky performs slam poetry
Slam poetry
A poetry slam is a competition at which poets read or recite original work. These performances are then judged on a numeric scale by previously selected members of the audience.-History:...
, and was featured on Season 6 of Russell Simmons
Russell Simmons
-External links:** * * * * * * from the US Holocaust Memorial Museum* *...
Presents Def Poetry on HBO. Watsky’s talents began to receive national and international acclaim in 2006 when he was the Youth Speaks Grand Slam Poetry Champion, and was also named Brave New Voices International Poetry Slam Champion.
In 2006, Watsky was described as the "Bay Area's reigning teen champion" as the winner of "nearly a dozen slams" and "was on the team that took fourth place in the national contest" in 2005.
Watsky's poetry incorporates political and social themes. In 2006, in the midst of "a lively performance" to a "sold-out crowd", Watsky "likened politicians behavior to a common bar pick-up line" and "won the night's top score".
Reviewing a 2008 performance at Brandeis University
Brandeis University
Brandeis University is an American private research university with a liberal arts focus. It is located in the southwestern corner of Waltham, Massachusetts, nine miles west of Boston. The University has an enrollment of approximately 3,200 undergraduate and 2,100 graduate students. In 2011, it...
, Sarah Bayer wrote, "Skinny, quirky George Watsky was next, with the night's most innovative piece. Watsky, a sophomore at Emerson College and a member of the grand prize-winning team from San Francisco at the National Youth Poetry Slam in 2006, adjusted the microphone to different parts of his body, imitated the sound of rewinding tape and recited binary code (a trope that caught the eye of headliner Saul Williams) in an altogether amusing performance."
Watsky graduated from Emerson College
Emerson College
Emerson College is a private coeducational university located in Boston, Massachusetts. Founded in 1880 by Charles Wesley Emerson as a "school of oratory," Emerson is "the only comprehensive college or university in America dedicated exclusively to communication and the arts in a liberal arts...
in 2010 and has achieved newfound fame with his viral YouTube
YouTube
YouTube is a video-sharing website, created by three former PayPal employees in February 2005, on which users can upload, view and share videos....
video "Pale kid raps fast." He was featured on The Ellen DeGeneres Show
The Ellen DeGeneres Show
The Ellen DeGeneres Show, often shortened to Ellen, is an American television talk show hosted by comedian/actress Ellen DeGeneres. Debuting on September 8, 2003, it is produced by Telepictures and airs in syndication, including stations owned by NBC Universal. For its first five seasons, the show...
on January 24, 2011, performing a slightly modified version of that rap.
In 2009, he produced a fifteen track hip-hop album titled Watsky
Watsky (album)
Watsky is the first studio album by the American spoken word artist George Watsky, released on November 1, 2009. The album was co-produced by Max Miller-Loran.- Track listing :All lyrics written by George Watsky....
. In 2010 he released the album Guilty Pleasures
Guilty Pleasures (George Watsky album)
Guilty Pleasures is a mashup album produced by Procrastination and featuring the music of American spoken word artist George Watsky. Guilty Pleasures was made available as a free download on Watsky's website on August 3, 2010.- Track listing :...
, which he made available as a free download on his website. Produced by Procrastination (San Francisco musician Tobias Butler), Guilty Pleasures contains mashups
Mashup (music)
A mashup or bootleg is a song or composition created by blending two or more pre-recorded songs, usually by overlaying the vocal track of one song seamlessly over the instrumental track of another...
between popular songs and those from his first album.
Watsky was profiled in The Boston Globe
The Boston Globe
The Boston Globe is an American daily newspaper based in Boston, Massachusetts. The Boston Globe has been owned by The New York Times Company since 1993...
in 2009. The Arts section reviewed his one-man show "Where the Magic Happens" favorably and called him a "poetry-slam star."
In Summer, 2011 Watsky announced his new mixtape titled "A New Kind of Sexy", which was released on Monday, August 1, 2011, at 4:00 AM Pacific Time. In the weeks leading up to the release, a track would be released each Monday. One of the tracks on the album was called "4AM Monday".
Taking it to the page and stereo, George’s debut poetry collection and CD, Undisputed Backtalk Champion, was published by First Word Press in 2006. Edited by novelist Adam Mansbach, the book is currently in its fourth printing. As an emcee, Watsky has performed on both coasts with his band Invisible Inc. The trio’s self titled album, a blend of jazz and hip hop, features R&B sensation Passion. George’s self-released debut, Watsky, reached as high as #7 on the iTunes Hip Hop albums chart.
An honorary graduate of the Centre for Sustainability Leadership in Melbourne, George has emerged as part of a vanguard of artists involved in the sustainability movement. The inaugural Speak Green winner for poetry on climate change, Watsky was twice invited by Robert Redford to perform in Sundance, Utah. He served as host of Green Mic in San Jose, California and of the culminating concert of Powershift 2007 in Washington DC, and performed at Rock the Debate in Oxford, Mississippi, prior to 2008′s first Presidental debate. His work has brought him to the opening plenary of Green Cities 2008 in Sydney, Australia, and Greenbuild Chicago, where he took the stage immediately before President Bill Clinton.
Touring while finishing his college education on a condensed schedule, George has performed at conferences and universities in more than half the states in the US, and two in Australia, appearing at some of the nation’s most notable venues, including the Apollo Theater, the Kennedy Center Concert Hall, the San Francisco Opera House and the Shrine Auditorium. He has shared billing with, among others, Beyonce, Stevie Wonder, Bonnie Raitt and Muhammad Ali.