I knew I'd be reading the poem at the celebration and that the statue, which had been cleaned and refurbished, would be put back on the dome, and that gave me a larger sense of the event. Reading is a pleasurable experience for me. I'm very eclectic. And some German satire from the 20's and 30's. Rap is only one end of a whole spectrum of verbal play and virtuosity.
Rap is geared for aural pleasure.
I'm also talking about many-layered poems you may have to read several times. I have a high guilt quotient. A poem can go through as many as 50 or 60 drafts. I carry a notebook with me everywhere. But that's only the first step.