Reaching into his pocket he unfolds a worn-out piece of computer paper titled “Ari’s 31 Flavors” in black italics.  “Global Warming,” “Wild,” “Declaration of Independence” and “Sun Song.”  These, among others, are the rap names listed on the paper that allows Ari Lesser to express himself through what he likes to call “spoken-word art.”  He carries the list wherever he goes, with extras tucked away in a chemistry-and math-filled notebook, allowing people to pick a poem for their listening pleasure. 

          He is an artist who embodies the soul of a writer.  He appreciates the hard work and devotion it takes to put on paper more than just words.  Lesser writes creatively about the issues and topics that mean a lot to him, and he is not afraid of what others will think.  Some of his surprising and insightful lyrics prove his boldness. 

          In an instant, he transforms from soft and laid-back to concentrated and determined, delivering rap with amazing fluidity.  His eyes stay glued to his listener’s, and passion for what he does is written on his face as he raps his poem “Wild” as fast as a disclaimer for a drug commercial.  A poem about living life in nature where there are no worries – no worries about war, technology, religion or issues that divide people, just nature.  It is as if there is music accompanying his lyrics as the words flow out of his mouth to an imaginary beat. 

          Lesser is not to be confused with the rappers heard on the radio or with someone freestyle rapping on the street – he is a poet.  “It’s the difference between the guy who is at the amusement park who draws your picture really fast and a painter who just works on a piece for a month,” Lesser says as he compares the lyrics of a typical freestyle, where the rapper thinks of lyrics off the top of his or her head while rapping, to the lyrics he writes. 

          Within the dozens of poems he has memorized, every one is packed with clever rhymes and lines that entice the listener to ponder his message.  Each word is placed carefully and for a purpose.  “Even just in conversation I don’t like speaking when I don’t know what I’m talking about,” Lesser says.  “I think you shouldn’t waste your words carelessly.”  Thinking of clever words and phrases is not always easy for the poet.  At times, Lesser will go for months without writing anything.  Other times he will get multiple poems done in a week.

            The stage is set.  Four microphones stand meticulously placed on the field where Lesser and his beat-boxing friend are scheduled to perform.  The amplifiers and technical equipment are hidden under a canopy, shading them from the 90-degree heat.  A red and yellow giant inflatable obstacle course lines the left side of the stage and listeners are scattered on the grass, eagerly waiting for the show to start.  Lesser holds the microphone in one hand and strings the wire through the other.  His friend starts the beat and Lesser bobs from side to side, feeling the beat in preparation for a poem suitable for the current weather:

        The warm daylight is a welcome surprise, I rush out the door to get into the light.  The sun is so

        great that nothing can beat it, open my arms in an attempt to greet it.  When the sun comes out,  

        I forget my strife, and remember that it gave me the gift of life.

          People passing on the nearby sidewalk turn their heads.  More and more who are intrigued begin to slow down, and some enter the field to watch the show as Lesser begins a second poem.  The man-made beats, nature as a stage and creative lyrics add a raw and personal feeling to Lesser’s music. 

          A writer has to get his or her inspiration somewhere.  For Lesser, that inspiration sometimes comes from 2,500 miles away.  “I seem to get a lot of writing done when I’m back home,” Lesser says, referring to his hometown in Cleveland, Ohio.  “But actually, this last couple weeks I’ve gotten a bunch of new songs done here, so I was pretty stoked on that too.”  From this artist’s perspective, you can’t force inspiration; it just comes when it comes.

          His music and lyrics are so enticing that a start-up company called “Musical Media for Education” recently contacted Lesser about using his poetry for educational purposes.  The company wants to sell Lesser’s songs to teachers and textbooks to be used in high school classrooms.  “I really think that rhyme, especially, is a very powerful tool to help people remember things,” Lesser says.  Che, Susan B. Anthony, Malcom X and Thomas Jefferson are a few of the songs he is working on that explain the lives of famous and influential people in history. 

          Excited about this new opportunity, Lesser has already turned the whole Declaration of Independence into a rap song in a way that he claims is much easier to grasp. “It’s written in this funky old English that nobody understands anymore,” Lesser says about the original document.  “If you take your time you can get the meaning out of it, but it’s much easier if you just listen to my version.” 

          Lesser’s bright yellow University of Oregon shirt contrasts with his black, curly hair.  A smaller canopy is toyed with by two technicians and, after a distracting struggle, is eventually propped over the two performers’ heads during the second poem.  Lesser raps the last line and applause echoes from the hands of each onlooker.  He stands peering out onto the field.  Lesser discusses something with the beat-boxer and begins another song—this one “Vegetarian.”

          There is another side to Lesser that engages his love for what he does – performing.  From standing on stage right here in Eugene to outside the community, it would seem like Lesser does it all.  When he is not doing individual work, Lesser sometimes performs with his band called The 4 Trees.  The huge band consists of drummers, bass players, guitarists and various other types of musicians.  The catch?  The band does not practice together, and they never know what they are going to perform until the night of the show.  “It keeps it really fun for me because I don’t get bored of it,” he says, “ because it’s always different music behind what we are playing.”  Once the band starts playing, Lesser then decides which poem he is going to do based on what fits the music the best.

          Even though not all of his work is meant to be educational or meant for the classroom, it all has a specific purpose that defines who Lesser is: his beliefs, his views and his interests.  He enjoys writing for other people, but that is not the only reason he creates his poetry.  “I do this for other people but I also do it for myself, and I just wouldn’t feel good about myself if I was writing things that I don’t care about,” he exaplains.  All of “Ari’s 31 Flavors” included, every poem he writes is meaningful and serves a purpose in Lesser’s life.  Whether it is a poem about global warming or being a vegetarian, the artist will find a way to put it into his own beautiful words.