"Small Pebbles Make Big Ripples" - Vocals & Verses: A space that is cultivating young talent
Benjamin Bennett come onto the podcast to talk about V&V. We delve into why he started V&V, what has kept him going throughout the 11 years it has existed. We also touch on his poetry and how it has evolved with his growth
It was fun to talk to Ben, you could hear how much he loved vocals & verses and was proud of what he has created. I found it inspiring that he started this straight out of uni. I think we all come up with ideas that we think would be good but rarely execute it. The fact he has done this for the last 11 years and is still going strong is a testament to his character.
As mentioned, he is a poet and the inspiration behind V&V was wanting to an event that married the style of def jam poetry and jazz clubs. This sounds like an absolute vibe if you ask me. I thought it was great that he was the change he wanted to see. Here is a video of what V&V is like on a night. I chose this video because I loved the movie (Queen & Slim) the song was played in.
I also enjoyed hearing about how his first event went. It was not an instant success and bouncing back from that was good to hear. As mentioned, who knows what would have happened if he quit then. I mean I know one thing; it wouldn’t exist like it does now, but I am stating the obvious there. I think that sometimes when I get low numbers at talks, I hold, it can be discouraging. I put a lot of effort and sometimes it doesn’t pay off. However, many different people in my life have told me to focus on quality instead. So, I make sure that what I produce at talks is quality.
For those wanting to know what def jam poetry looks like….
As mentioned above, there have been some amazing artist that has come through V&V doors. Artists such as George the Poet, JP cooper, Jacob Banks. I don’t know if he ever gets starstruck by them, but I guess you might not if you met them before the fame. I think it is so valuable that you have spaces like V&V which help young artists build their confidence and help catapult their careers. I wonder who will be the next young talent that walks onto a V&V stage.
I hope you guys enjoyed this episode, I enjoyed recording it and talking to Ben. Thank you for reading it and we’ll talk soon.
