Fashion Neurosis with Bella Freud Abiodun Oyewole
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Feb 4, 2026 Abiodun Oyewole, American poet and founding member of The Last Poets, shaped spoken-word and hip-hop. He talks about wearing African dress and rejecting suit culture. He traces The Last Poets’ name and roots, recalls prison, studying from behind bars, and backstage moments with Nina Simone. He also describes Sundays @ 110, nurturing new voices and his lifelong poetic practice.
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Clothing As Cultural Assertion
- Abiodun Oyewole prefers African-centric dress to assert cultural identity and reject Western suit-and-tie norms.
- He views the tie as a phallic symbol and chooses clothing to preserve African culture.
Name Born From South African Poem
- The name "The Last Poets" came from a South African poet's poem that predicted revolution.
- David Nelson adapted that poem's language into the group's defining name.
Raised By An Aunt Who Brought Light
- Abiodun describes being born in a home for unwed mothers and rescued emotionally by his aunt.
- His aunt became his loving caregiver and lit up his life when she arrived.
