The Pr!ck: Ranting in defence of the black community

Self-styled “curmudgeon,” Reed Jones is “voice of the common people” on video site and blog

Reed Jones replies to critics. Photo: Michael Kimber

Reed Jones plays many roles in Halifax's black community.

As Reed Jones, the 28-year-old father of three ran for the African Nova Scotian seat on the Halifax school board. As iZrEAL, the spoken word artist, he was Canada's representative to the World Poetry Cup in France. There he brought his words on the tragedy that befell Africville to the international poetry community. He also started a rap battle league where teens could solve their problems with words rather than violence, and became music director at Dalhousie campus radio station, CKDU.

He is also 'The Pr!ck', a.k.a Randel Gusto, an outspoken blogger on Facebook prone to using many expletives.

"Randel just says things that iZrEAL wouldn't be able to say," explains Jones. "iZrEAL is more of a knowledgeable public persona -- more of the accessible person -- even though iZrEAL is difficult to access. Randel is an X-rated person, it's iZrEAL on crack," explains Jones.

The Pr!ck live show

On Wednesday, Jan. 14, he launched a live online version on haligonia.ca, a streaming video site based in Halifax.

Steven Morrison, who has recently helped launch haligonia.ca, is curious to see how the project progresses.

"Reed is such a great performer and we wanted to see how his blog worked live. We think he is going to reach younger folks, the Facebook generation. His show is an interesting way of getting ideas flowing," says Morrison.

Topics ranged from Gusto's proposed 'Obama Watch', where Gusto would ridicule anyone who opposed Obama, to a woman selling her virginity to the highest bidder, to his guest Whitebred graphically describing how his wife's water broke while he was "popping her."

The video show was shot at The Frigate, a mock ship in the downtown bar Pogue Fado, which happens to have portholes looking out on an imaginary ocean. During the blog, iZrEAL commented that looking out the window scared him because it reminded him of when his ancestors were on slave ships. He also made fun of his British cameraman and his guest Whitebred, who he introduced as a psychopath and defended.

While running for school board he took down the Pr!ck videos, feeling they would be too controversial for his Reed persona.

"There was a bunch of blogs where I was talking extra wild shit. It was best for that persona not to be out there while Reed was running for school board," says Jones. "Even though some of that contributed to me running, that indignation made me want to run."

Whitebred, a.k.a. Charles Summers, spoken word artist and former farmer, was the first guest on the debut live episode of the Pr!ck.

"He was looking for Whitebred, not Charles Summers. He wanted the crazy redneck who will say anything," says Summers. "You can't say most of that shit unless you are in character. He is the Pr!ck. He is the nagging, ‘smarten up, jackass' voice our generation needs."

The Pr!ck says he wants to speak for the common people whose voices are not getting heard. He has little interest in asking advice from so called experts.

"To me those leaders and specialists don't have anything to say, they don't know what to say. I want to hear what the common people have to say. Those people are removed from the problems, they don't have anything to contribute. It's what they contribute already that gives me my subject matter."

Obama Watch

A notable exception to Jones's skepticism about authority figures is Barack Obama.

Jones' support of Obama prompted his ill-considered 'Obama Watch', where he promised to defend Obama no matter what. While he is still fully behind Obama, "even if he turns out to be the worst asshole in the world," he has reconsidered.

"There are world leaders and there are black leaders," says Jones. "Obama is a world leader and he is black. They are leading the country who has screwed our people for centuries, who has screwed the world for centuries. Will he be the leader of America or will he be a black leader? Is he for the people or is he for corporate America?"

"As Malcolm (X) said we are being hoodwinked. We are being bamboozled. He is selling hope, that things have changed. Ain't nothing changed. He still answers to the corporate dollar. I'll call out bullshit if there is some bullshit. Because I love him so much, I want to back him. I am at the point now where I gotta be critical cuz."

"I am not a teacher"

While the first live show featured local spoken word poet Whitebred as guest, the show is not meant to be a dialogue between two opposing views, rather it is a forum for Jones to rant.

"I am a guy who gets angry at shit, I am a curmudgeon. It's a curmudgeon show," says Jones. "Generally people like the Pr!ck or they don't like the Pr!ck. Some people feel I should curse less. I have been told I should research the things I am talking about, but that's not my blog. That's my poetry. My blog is to quickly process the information and be an asshole if it strikes me that way."

"The Pr!ck is a character that is seen as kind of cranky because he's finding things to make fun of or have issue with," says Amanda Carvery, his campaign manager and long time friend.

"iZrEAL is the poetry side of Reed. It's him performing with more artistic presentations and usually his work is something to get you fired up. All sides of Reed have a few things in common: they're always looking for ways to improve the African Nova Scotian's situation, always speak the truth, always very educated and never afraid to share his views."

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