This generation—which has grown up under the influence of hip-hop, rap, cell phones and the Internet—is re-energizing the Spoken Word movement. Beats, music and acting are also part of their performance. Socially charged lyrics about the street, rape, individuality, appearance, peer pressure, drugs and other youth problems strengthen this movement. "My purpose is to, if not create social change, get people to start thinking about it," Van Ert said. "[I want to] create ideas in people's heads—food for thought. Get people to think about what they have done and what they could do better and maybe try to make a difference themselves in one way or another." Van Ert, along with most young people involved with Spoken Word and hip-hop worldwide, are trying to make a difference and change the way the world thinks about them—and Wisconsin has already started to take part in this revolution by hosting the first program in the nation to bring the urban arts and education together.

Matthew Wisniewski/Curb
First Wave participants perform at UW-Madison.

Kelsey Van Ert
Today I’m not only winning the battle
I’m winning the war
The revolution is here
And it's coming in the form of shears
In other words clippers, scissors and blades
Attacking each curl
Each strand
Each wave

Ever since she can remember, Van Ert has been a writer. “I always tried to write, even when I couldn’t spell," she said. "I’d be like, ‘Mom, how do you spell Mississippi? How do you write the letter M?’” Her love for writing and arts led to summer school back in her home state, Minnesota, where she would write poems, plays and perform in front of an audience. "I started out being really shy and really quiet. It was nerve-wracking,” Van Ert said. “Ever since then, I just kept going with it and kept developing and growing. I always wanted little parts, now I like huge ones."

Like many youths in the nation, Van Ert said she wants to make a difference. Her lines express a strong commitment to the improvement of society. "I'm not much of a drinker, at all,” Van Ert said, talking about her piece about alcohol, A Toxic Riddle. "I just see how alcohol can affect the community. It's a drug, but it's legal at the same time.” Van Ert’s relationship with alcohol has not been easy. Her family has struggled with alcoholism and coming to UW-Madison, where binge drinking among college students is the rule, stirred up her feelings toward drinking. “I was thinking all [these] twisted things about alcohol,” Van Ert said. “How it's bad, but it's OK in certain circumstances; and how it can really affect and change a person. I just wanted to expose that."

Van Ert has no intention of putting down people who drink occasionally. "I wanted people to be responsible when they do drink instead of being irresponsible and putting yourself into certain situations,” Van Ert said, “I wanted to get the point out that all this can happen if you are not careful; but I don't want to bash somebody for having a drink or two."

The future of Spoken Word is uncertain, but Ney wants to be sure he is involved in it. “I want to change the culture of the hip-hop industry to be more positive,” Ney said, “and have an agenda that has the purpose of social change and positive change through these kids.” Ney’s next project will bring college students from all over the world to a multicultural arts center in Madison that will develop their skills to make them the most influential force in the world. The world awaits, sitting in a dark, global theater, eyes trained on the stage. Spoken Word, with its endless possibilities, may be just the thing we are waiting for.