Born on the anniversary of Malcolm X's birthday, The Last Poets is the name for several groups of poets and musicians who grew from the late 1960s civil rights movement.
Politically charged poetry, spoken over drums and an array of instruments, elevated the Black nationalist movement and Black subconsciousness.
The original group arose out of the prison experiences of Jalal Mansur Nuriddin, Omar Ben Hassan and Abiodun Oyewole. When released from prison, they returned to the ghettos of Harlem and began performing spoken word on street corners.
The Last Poets undoubtedly laid the groundwork for the emergence of hip-hop. They have been influential and inspiring to many artists.