Bomani sits down w/ Doemania & The SOULution

One of the best from hip-hop's underground found himself in Louisville for some odd reason. Bomani Armah, a self-described "poet with a hip-hop style" from Washington, D.C, who made national waves when his controversial video, "Read a Book" was aired on BET as an animated short film that satirized the stereotypes of rappers, performed at Tailgaters last week.

Maybe because Bomani's song was so much like the crunk rap he was lampooning, a lot of listeners who you'd think would embrace his message missed his point altogether and trashed the song. Including Rev. Jesse Jackson -- who said Bomani was "recycling degradation".

The song admonishes listeners to "read a muh'fuckin book", and also to raise their children, buy land, brush their teeth and wear deodorant. Sort of like Bill Cosby's speeches or Booker T. Washington's books as a rap song. Still, Bomani's what we're missing in hip-hop. He's not a clown or character or celebrity but a real life human being with a passion for music and community. Sadly, he would never make it in Lousyville. At Tailgaters the "snap your fingers" crowd was not feeling him!

There's a great piece on Bomani's background as a college dropout who left the University of Maryland to pursue a music career while working as an educator and artist. To read it go here.

Before he took the stage at Tailgaters Bomani spoke with fellow rebel journalist and documentary filmmaker John Doemain. Thankfully, Doemania allowed yours truly to get in on the interview and ask a few questions.

Bomani stops thru John's Doe Main