One of the most intriguing and influential characters in popular culture, William Shakespeare, died exactly 400 years ago this April. The unparalleled genius of the world’s greatest known playwright is still alive and well and will no doubt outlive us all as a source of inspiration for years to come.
A wonderful global initiative simply entitled ‘Shakespeare Lives’ aims to showcase his life and artistry as a visionary light-years ahead of his time, through a series of events, collaborations and festivities directly on stage, through film, exhibitions and in schools.
One of the first announcements of the initiative has come within the last day from none other than UK Hip Hop heavyweights SBTV; a cypher rendition (below) invoking Shakespeare’s heralded Twelfth Night, featuring some of Britain’s most talented wordsmiths directly referencing the original Shakespeare play.
Jamal Edwards, who recently was included in Forbes 30 Under 30 List, founded SBTV as a teenager which has since gone on to become perhaps the most popular youth content distributor in the UK.
The 25-year old shared his thoughts about Shakespeare, ‘I, like many other people, had a tough time with Shakespeare at school. I found reading the plays hard to understand and at the time didn’t see the relevance to my life. However, as I got older, I realised the influence of Shakespeare on our modern world, from the way we speak to the stories we enjoy, they all in some way, are influenced by Shakespeare. His influence on poetry is huge and I’m sure if he was alive today he would respect rappers as today’s modern poets, sharing their stories and views of the world, much like he did.’
Filmed at the world famous Globe Theatre in Southwark, London the showcase see’s well known lyricists Maverick Sabre, Mic Righteous, Eyez, Nolay, Nego True and the legendary Harry Love perform over an enchanting candlelit background.
Jamal goes on to state, ‘I’m very proud of Shakespeare Bars, it was a big task, but all the artists stepped up and delivered amazing verses that re-told Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night in a way which was engaging for our audience. The themes of love and the toll it can take on us all, was something the artists were able to explore in their own words. I hope it gives our generation a fresh perspective on Shakespeare and, more importantly, inspire teachers to be creative in how they teach Shakespeare to the new generation.’
Highlighting what Hip Hop owes to this gigantic figure, the initiative is proof as to why Shakespeare speaks so vividly to so many backgrounds, cultures and art forms.
