Def Poetry - AbsoluteAstronomy.com

Def Poetry, also known as Russell Simmons Presents Def Poetry or Def Poetry Jam, which was co-founded by Bruce George, Danny Simmons and Deborah Pointer, is an HBO television series produced by hip-hop music entrepreneur

Entrepreneur

An entrepreneur is an owner or manager of a business enterprise who makes money through risk and initiative.The term was originally a loanword from French and was first defined by the Irish-French economist Richard Cantillon. Entrepreneur in English is a term applied to a person who is willing to...

Russell Simmons

-External links:** * * * * * * from the US Holocaust Memorial Museum* *...

. The series presents performances by established spoken word poets, as well as up-and-coming ones. Well-known actors and musicians will often surprise the audience by showing up to recite their own original poems. The show is hosted by Mos Def

Mos Def

Dante Terrell Smith is an American actor and Emcee known by the stage names Mos Def and Yasiin Bey. He started his hip hop career in a group called Urban Thermo Dynamics, after which he appeared on albums by Da Bush Babees and De La Soul. With Talib Kweli, he formed the duo Black Star, which...

. Def Poetry is a spin-off

Spin-off (media)

In media, a spin-off is a radio program, television program, video game, or any narrative work, derived from one or more already existing works, that focuses, in particular, in more detail on one aspect of that original work...

of Def Comedy Jam
Def Comedy Jam
Def Comedy Jam is a HBO television series produced by Russell Simmons. The series had its original run from July 1, 1992 to January 1, 1997. The show returned on HBO's fall lineup in 2006. Def Comedy Jam helped to launch the careers of several African-American stand-up comedians...

. As he did on Def Comedy, Simmons appears at the end of every episode to thank the audience.

The series included historical legendary poets such as, The Last Poets, Nikki Giovanni, Amiri Baraka

Amiri Baraka

Amiri Baraka , formerly known as LeRoi Jones, is an American writer of poetry, drama, fiction, essays, and music criticism...

and Sonya Sanchez. It also featured poets, Saul Williams

Saul Williams

Saul Stacey Williams is an American poet, writer, actor and musician known for his blend of poetry and alternative hip hop and for his leading role in the 1998 independent film Slam.-Biography:...

, Grammy Award Winning J. Ivy

J. Ivy

J. Ivy is an American hip-hop poet who fuses spoken word poems with hip-hop music and syncopation styles. He is a three-time HBO Def Poet and has earned a Grammy Award for his performance on Kanye West’s debut album “College Dropout”. His full-length solo album, “Here I Am”, was released in late...

, Jessica Care-Moore and Lemon. Though technically not a poetry slam, Def Poetry has become heavily associated with the poetry slam movement, and utilizes many of poetry slam's best known poets, including National Poetry Slam champions such as Beau Sia

Beau Sia

-Biography:Sia was born in Ohio. He is of Chinese-Filipino descent. Raised in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, Sia discovered spoken word poetry on MTV as a teenager...

, Taylor Mali

Taylor Mali

Taylor Mali is an American slam poet, humorist, teacher, and voiceover artist.-Life:A 10th-generation native of New York City, Taylor Mali graduated from the Collegiate School, a private school for boys, in 1983. He received a B.A. in English from Bowdoin College in 1987 and an M.A. in...

, Big Poppa E

Big Poppa E

Big Poppa E is a performer of slam poetry. His live performances combine poetry, stand-up comedy, and dramatic monologue in high-energy rants about relationships, pop culture, and hot button issues of the day. He has appeared on three seasons of HBO's Def Poetry series and is a National Poetry Slam...

, Mayda del Valle, Mike Mcgee

Mighty Mike McGee

Michael Matthew McGee, more commonly known as Mighty Mike McGee , is an American slam poet.Born in Fort Campbell, Kentucky, McGee is the oldest of eight children from several marriages. He has spent most of his life in and around San Jose, California, where he started his career in spoken word,...

, Alix Olson

Alix Olson

Alix Olson is an American poet who works exclusively in spoken word. She graduated from Wesleyan University in 1997 and uses her work to address issues of capitalism, sexism, homophobia, heterosexism, transphobia, misogyny, and patriarchy...

and Rives

Rives (poet)

John G. Rives is a performance poet, storyteller, and author. He has appeared on multiple seasons of HBO's Def Poetry Jam and was a member of the Def Poetry international tour group. He has made multiple appearances at the TED Conference and has published several pop-up books for children...

, among others. Even poets who are critical of the poetry slam, such as John S. Hall

John S. Hall

John S. Hall is an American poet, author, singer and lawyer perhaps best known for his work with King Missile, an avant-garde band that he co-founded in 1986 and has since led in various disparate incarnations....

, have acknowledged slam's influence on the show. In a 2005 interview, Hall was quoted as saying,
In a 2005 interview, Bob Holman

Bob Holman

Bob Holman is a poet and poetry activist in the United States.- Career :After graduating from Columbia University in 1970, Bob Holman founded, with Sara Miles and Susie Timmons, the NYC Poetry Calendar, a free monthly publication with all the readings and poets "on the same page"...

, who founded the Nuyorican Poets Cafe

Nuyorican Poets Café

The Nuyorican Poets Café is a non-profit organization in Alphabet City, Manhattan. It is a bastion of the Nuyorican art movement in New York City, USA, and has become a forum for poetry, music, hip hop, video, visual arts, comedy and theatre.-History:...

's poetry slam and appeared on Season 4 of the show, applauded Def Poetry, noting,
However, Marc Smith, the founder of the Poetry Slam movement, is more critical of the program. Smith decries the intense commercialization of the poetry slam, and refers to Def Poetry as "an exploitive entertainment [program that] diminished the value and aesthetic of performance poetry."

In November 2002, a live stage production, Russell Simmons Def Poetry Jam opened on Broadway

Broadway theatre

Broadway theatre, commonly called simply Broadway, refers to theatrical performances presented in one of the 40 professional theatres with 500 or more seats located in the Theatre District centered along Broadway, and in Lincoln Center, in Manhattan in New York City...

. The show featured poets Beau Sia

Beau Sia

-Biography:Sia was born in Ohio. He is of Chinese-Filipino descent. Raised in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, Sia discovered spoken word poetry on MTV as a teenager...

, Suheir Hammad

Suheir Hammad

Suheir Hammad is a Palestinian-American poet, author and political activist. She was born in Amman, Jordan. Her parents were Palestinian refugees who immigrated along with their daughter to Brooklyn, New York City when she was five years old...

, Staceyann Chin

Staceyann Chin

Staceyann Chin is a spoken word poet, performing artist and LGBT rights political activist. Her work has been published in the New York Times, the Washington Post, and the Pittsburgh Daily, and has been featured on 60 Minutes...

, Lemon

Lemon (poet)

Lemon, born Andrew Andersen was born and raised in Brooklyn, New York City.Lemon is a critically acclaimed poet, spokenword artist, and actor. As a poet he has the most aired episodes on HBO's Def Poetry, eight times in six seasons, and was an original cast member of the TONY Award winning Russell...

, Mayda del Valle, Georgia Me, Black Ice

Black Ice (poet)

Black Ice is a poet from Russell Simmons's Def Poetry Jam. His poems, which frequently involve racial and social issues, combine hip-hop flow with rich vocabulary to create a unique style.- References :...

, Poetri and Steve Coleman. The show ran on Broadway until May 2003, and won a 2003 Tony Award

Tony Award

The Antoinette Perry Award for Excellence in Theatre, more commonly known as a Tony Award, recognizes achievement in live Broadway theatre. The awards are presented by the American Theatre Wing and The Broadway League at an annual ceremony in New York City. The awards are given for Broadway...

for Best Special Theatrical Event. The show subsequently toured both nationally and internationally.

Def Poetry premiered on HBO in 2002 and the latest season to air (Season 6) premiered in February 2007. As of summer 2008, there has been no word about the possibility of a Season 7. Starting in 2008, producers of Def Poetry (including Simmons, Stan Lathan

Stan Lathan

Stan Lathan is an American television director, film director, television producer and television director.-Career:Lathan’s career began with public television in Boston where he co-created and directed one of the first and longest running urban themed magazine shows, Say Brother...

, and Kamilah Forbes) developed and broadcast the HBO poetry show Brave New Voices
Brave New Voices
Brave New Voices is an English-language slam poetry championship that takes place each year in United States. It was founded in 1998 by Youth Speaks, a non-profit organisation from San Francisco promoting youth intellectual and artistic self development...

, which is stylistically similar to Def Poetry, with teenage poets competing and backstage scenes.

----

Episode 1

Steve Colman - I Wanna Hear a Poem;

Georgia Me - Full Figure Potential;

Benjamin Bratt

Benjamin Bratt

Benjamin Bratt is an American actor. He is most famous for his role as Rey Curtis on the TV series Law & Order; and his appearances in the movies Blood in Blood Out, Miss Congeniality, Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs, Traffic, and Piñero.-Early life:Bratt was born in San Francisco, California,...

- Lower East Side

Lymon - Shine;

Nikki Giovanni - Talk to Me Poem, I Think I’ve Got the Blues;

Black Ice - Bigger Than Mine?;

Suheir Hammad - First Writing Since

Episode 2

Taylor Mali - What Teachers Make;

Yellow Rage - Listen Asshole;

Jewel

Jewel (singer)

Jewel Kilcher , professionally known as Jewel, is an American singer-songwriter, guitarist, producer, actress and poet...

- Poem Song;

Flow Mentalz - They Call Me Drama;

Sonia Sanchez - Poem for Some Women;

Shihan - This Type Love;

Dawn Saylor - When I Was 14;

Kayo - Who Am I?

Episode 3

Cedric the Entertainer

Cedric Antonio Kyles , known professionally by his stage name Cedric the Entertainer, is an American actor, comedian and director...

- Untitled;

Sarah Jones - Your Revolution;

Beau Sia - Give Me a Chance;

Willie Perdomo - How Beautiful We Really Are;

Abyss - God Gave Me Grey Skies;

The Last Poets - Take Your Time;

INQ - When Hip-Hop Was Fun;

J. Ivy

J. Ivy

- I Need To Write

Episode 4

Mayda del Valle - Descendancy;

Poetri - Money;

Jessica Care Moore - Warriors Walk Alone;

Dave Chappelle

Dave Chappelle

David Khari Webber "Dave" Chappelle is an American comedian, screenwriter, television/film producer, actor, and artist. Chappelle began his film career in the film Robin Hood: Men in Tights in 1993 and continued to star in minor roles in the films The Nutty Professor, Con Air, and Blue Streak. His...

- The corner store;

Amiri Baraka - from Why is We Americans?;

Liza Jessie Peterson - Ice Cream Fiend;

Kevin Coval - Family Feud

Episode 1

Beau Sia - Asian Invasion;

Jason Carney - Southern Heritage;

Thea Monyee - Woman to Woman;

Sekou Sundiata - Come on and Bring on the Reparations;

Marty McConnell - Give Me One Good Reason to Die;

Twin Poets - Dreams are Illegal in the Ghetto;

Jamie Foxx

Jamie Foxx

Eric Marlon Bishop , professionally known as Jamie Foxx, is an American actor, singer-songwriter, stand-up comedian, and talk radio host. As an actor, his work in the film Ray earned him the Academy Award and BAFTA Award for Best Actor as well as the Golden Globe Award for Best Actor in a...

- Off the Hizzle for Shizzle

Episode 2

Danny Hoch - Corner Talk, September;

Patricia Smith - Skinhead;

Dante Basco - Nikki;

Maggie Estep - Emotional Idiot;

Black Ice - Truth Is;

Kent Foreman - Epiphany;

Roger Bonair-Agard - How the Ghetto Loves Us Back;

Erykah Badu

Erykah Badu

Erica Abi Wright , better known by her stage name Erykah Badu , is an American singer-songwriter, record producer, and actress. Her work includes elements from R&B, hip hop and jazz. She is best known for her role in the rise of the neo soul sub-genre, and for her eccentric, cerebral musical...

- Friends, fans, and artists must meet

Episode 3

Lemon - Where I’m From and A Toast;

Bassey Ikpi - Sometimes silence is the loudest kind of noise;

Taylor Mali - Totally like whatever, you know?;

Regie Cabico - What kind of guys are attracted to me;

Haki R. Madhubuti - Beat Network;

Rat Sack - I’m Losing You

Episode 4

Ishle Yi Park - All I have ever done is write you love poems;

Shihan - Say What?;

Suheir Hammad - Not Your Erotic, Not Your Exotic;

Big Poppa E

Big Poppa E

- Wussy Boy;

La Bruja - WTC;

Anthony Morales - Story Avenue Stuck;

Amalia Ortiz - Some Days;

Oscar Brown Jr. - I Apologize

Episode 5

Felipe Luciano - Jibaro, My Pretty Nigger;

muMs - Ploylessness;

Amanda Diva - Hot Shit;

Malik Yusef - I Spit;

Asha Bandele - Morning Was My Mentor;

Malcolm Jamal Warner - I Love My Woman

Episode 6

Sekou the Misfit - I’m a Rapper;

Steve Connell - Why Not Wine Coolers;

Georgia Me - NigGods;

Louis Reyes Rivera - Bullet Cry;

Jessica Care Moore - I’m a Hip Hop Cheerleader;

Keith Murray - Man Child

Episode 7

Denizen Kane - Lost and Found;

Staceyann Chin - If Only Out of Vanity;

Big Rube - Alphabet Acrobat;

Wood Harris - Night Song;

Goldie - No title;

Regie Gibson - For James Marshall Hendrix;

Joy Harjo - A Poem to Get Rid of Fear;

Linton Kwesi Johnson - If I Was a Top-notch Poet

Episode 1

Black Ice - Lone Soldier;

Rives - Sign Language;

Helena D. Lewis - Stank Breath;

Poem-cees - Power;

Mutabaruka - Dis Poem;

Daniel Beatty - Duality Duel;

Rupert Estanislao - Empress;

Jill Scott

Jill Scott

Jill Scott is an American soul and R&B singer-songwriter, poet, and actress. In 2007, Scott made her cinematic debut in the films Hounddog and in Tyler Perry's feature film, Why Did I Get Married? That year, her third studio album, The Real Thing: Words and Sounds Vol. 3, was released on...

- Nothing is for Nothing;

Suheir Hammad - We Spent the 4th of July in Bed

Episode 2

Mayda del Valle and Lemon - Tito Puente;

Flaco Navaja - Kids Don’t Play;

Gemineye - Poetic Bloodline;

Ursula Rucker - Get Ready;

Michael Ellison - Light Skin-did;

Ishle Park - Pussy;

Ras Baraka - American Poem;

Dana Gilmore - Wife...Woman...Friend;

Common - God is Freedom

Episode 3

Poetri - Krispy Kreme;

Emanuel Xavier - Tradici’ness;

Marc Bamuthi Joseph - For Pop;

Richard Montoya - Miami;

Vanessa Hidary - The Hebrew Mamita;

Danny Hoch - PSA;

Bassey Ikpi - Homeward;

Lemon - Gangsta MCs;

Steve Colman - Terrorist Threat

Episode 4

Black Ice & Stacy Ann Chin - Jammin;

Rock Baby - Titty Man;

Alix Olson - Women Before;

Mike 360 - Twilight Zone;

Cheryl “Salt” James - We Follow Your Lead;

Shappy - I Am That Nerd;

Jonzi D - 3000 Casualties of War;

Amalia Ortiz - Cat Calls;

Jimmy Santiago Baca - from Healing Earthquakes (“Twelve” )

Episode 5

Roger Bonair Agard - For Trent Lott;

Frenchie - Fucking Ain’t Conscious;

Geoff Trenchard - Of Copper Chipped Teeth;

Chinaka Hodge - Barely Audible;

Quincy Troupe - Forty One Seconds in June, in Salt Lake City, Utah (for Michael Jordan);

Dufflyn - Single Life;

Mums - Brooklyn Queen;

Kevin Coval - Jam Master J;

Beau Sia - Love

Episode 6

Shihan - Sick and Tired;

Jason Carney - Out Here;

Gina Loring - Somewhere There Is a Poem;

Kanye West - Self Conscious;

Jamie Kennedy - Grim Fairy Tale;

Bao Phi - You Bring Out the Vietnamese in Me;

Roscoe P. Coldchain - Trouble;

Mayda del Valle - Mami’s Makin’ Mambo;

Buju Banton - How Long

Episode 7

Maggie Estep - Happy;

Malak Salaam - Warrior’s Love;

Joel Chmara - Sweet Tooth Tollbooth School Year;

Flowmentalz - The Payphone;

Saul Williams - Coded Language;

Georgia Me - Hit Like a Man;

Deb Young - Children of a Lesser God;

Smokey Robinson - A Black American

Episode 1

Daniel Beaty - Knock, Knock;

Rives - Kite;

Nafessa Monroe - White;

Mark Gonzales - As with Most Men;

Zena Edwards - Laugh;

Oscar Brown Jr. - Children of Children;

Amalia Ortiz - Women of Juarez;

Black Ice - Or Die;

MC Lyte - I Was Born

Episode 2

Gemineye - What Are You Fighting For?;

Bonnie - My Man;

Javon Johnson - Elementary;

Suheir Hammad - What I Will;

Rachel and George McKibbons - Multi-tasking;

Vanessa Hidary - Fling Gone Awry;

Flowmentalz - Constipation;

Nikki Patin - Sweat;

Nikky Finney - Girlfriends Train;

Kanye West - 18 years

Episode 3

Bassey Ikpi - Diallo;

John S. Hall - America Kicks Ass;

Tish Benson - Fifth Word Email;

Kelly Tsai - Mao;

Tracy Morgan - Feeling Fucked Up;

Will Bell - So I Run;

Morris Stegosaurus - Big Man II;

Dawn Saylor - Take You To Brooklyn;

Michael Eric Dyson - Intellectual MCs;

KRS-One and Doug E. Fresh - 2nd Quarter

Episode 4

Poetri - Dating Myself;

Julian Curry - Nigger, Niggas, Niggaz;

Ishle Park - Open Letter to Soldier;

Taylor Mali - Like Lily Like Wilson;

Adelle Givens - That Shit Ain’t Funny;

Kevin Coval - My g - dself Loose;

Yolanda Kae Wilkinson - Circa Valentines Day;

Amir Sulaiman - Danger;

Floetry - Everybody Heard

Episode 5

Lemon - Love Poem;

Regie Cabico - You Bring Out the Writer in Me;

Rafael Casal - Abortion;

Kim Fields - How Come;

Reg E. Gaines - I Don’t Feel Like Writing;

Jon Goode - Barbara;

Dana Gilmore - Wife, Woman, Friend, Pt. 2;

Rita Dove - Black on a Saturday Night;

Talib Kweli - Lonely People

Episode 6

Flaco Navaja - Revolution;

Liza Jesse Peterson - Waitress;

Robert Karimi - Get Down with Your Catholic Muslim Self;

Triple Black - Love Poems;

Bonafide Rojas - In front of the Class;

Laura “Piece” Kelly - Central District;

BessKepp - Rotten Pomegranates;

Michael Franti - Rock the Nation;

Ruby Dee - Tupac

Episode 7

Georgia Me - Bitch Ass Nigga;

Jus Cus - Homeland Security;

J. Ivy

J. Ivy

- Dear Father;

Marlon Esquerra - Morning Papers;

Marvin Tate - My Life to the Present;

Martin Espada - Imagine the Angels of Bread;

Alix Olson - America on Sale;

Mos Def - Pornographic Content;

Ani DiFranco - Coming Up;

Mike Epps - I Love the Hood

Episode 8

Mayda del Valle - Hood Days;

Andy Buck - *69;

Faraji Salim - Star Spangled Banner;

Bob Holman - Rock & Roll Mythology;

Patrick Washington - Letter to the Editor;

Tara Betts

Tara Betts

Tara Betts is the author of the book Arc & Hue, her debut collection on the Willow Books imprint of Aquarius Press. In 2010, Essence Magazine named her as one of their "40 Favorite Poets"....

- Switch;

Paul Flores - Brown Dreams;

muMs - The Truth Parts I & II;

Buttaflysoul - Queer Eye;

Dead Prez - 4 the Hood

Episode 9

Beau Sia - I’m So Deep;

Aysiha Knight - Until;

Buddy Wakefield - Convenience Store;

Shihan - The Auction Network;

Miguel Algarin - Met Walking;

Kendra Urdang - To Every Man Who Never Called Himself a Feminist;

Speech - Night Time Demons;

Red Storm - My Debut;

Universes (poetic theatre ensemble)

Universes (poetic theatre ensemble)

UNIVERSES is a New York-based American ensemble company of multi-disciplined writers and performers who fuse poetry, theater, jazz, hip hop, politics, down home blues and Spanish boleros to create what has been described as moving, challenging and entertaining theatrical works...

(Steven,Mildred & Gamal)- Don’t Front;

Common - A Letter to the Law

Episode 10

Tommy Bottoms - Basic Economics;

Staceyann Chin

Staceyann Chin

- Three Frenzied Days;

Joe Hernandez-Kolski - Cool;

Marc Batmuthi Joseph - Move;

Denizen Kane - Love Song;

Ayua De Leon - Cellulite;

Musiq - Pieces of this Life;

Mos Def - My Life is Real;

Yusef Kumunyaka - The Sure Beat;

Beau Sia, Georgia Me, Suheir Hammad - First Taste

Episode 1

J. Ivy

— Never Let Me Down;

Dahlak Brathwaite — Just Another Routine Check;
Claudia Alick — Employed Poor;

Black Ice — Imagine;

Gideon Grody-Patinkin — Touching;

Avery Brooks — from Purlie Victorious (by Ossie Davis);

Lauryn Hill — Motives and Thoughts;

Rachel McKibbens — After School Special;

Dave Chappelle - Fuck Ashton Kutcher and How I Got the Lead On Jeopardy

Episode 2

Al Letson — The Ball the Rim and Him;

Dan Sully and Tim Strattford — Death From Below;

Georgia Me — For Your Protection;

John Legend — Again;

Caroline Harvey — Spoons;

Bounty Killer — Look Into My Eyes;

Bassey Ikpi — I Want to Kiss You;

Will “Da Real One” Bell — Diary of the Reformed;

Alicia Keys — P.O.W.

Episode 3

Reg. E. Gains and Savion Glover — Pawn Shop;

Tommy Chunn — Computer Wordplay;

Scorpio Blues — Second Guessing;

Gemineye — Penny For Your Thoughts;

Emmanuel Xavier — Nueva York;

Mayda del Valle — To All the Boys I've Loved Before;

Rev Run — Peter Piper;

Aulelei Love — Same Cell, A poem for Women in Prison;

Mike Booker — Hoodology;

Smokey Robinson — Gang Bangin’

Episode 4

The Poem-cees — Cheatin';
Geoff Trenchard — Ode to my Bathroom;
Marty McConnell — Instructions for a Body;
Nikki Giovanni — Nikki-Rosa;
Roger Bonair Agard — Calypso;
Joaquin Zihuatanejo

Joaquin Zihuatanejo

Joaquin Zihuatanejo is an award-winning American slam poet and teacher. In 2004, Zihuatanejo competed in the National Poetry Slam as part of the Dallas Poetry Slam team, which placed third. He alaso appeared on HBO's Def Poetry in 2005. In 2008, he won the Individual World Poetry Slam and was the...

— This is a Suit;
Ishle Park — Sa-I-Gu;
Willie Perdoma — Nigger-Reecan Blues;
Floetry x2 — Fantasize

Episode 5

Poetri — Driving;
Sharrif Simmons— Fuck What You Heard;
Mike Ellis — Mezeker Means to Remember;
Phylicia Rashad — On Status (by Vivian Ayers);
Ratsack — Free the Toes;
Abyss— She;
Kevin Coval — Nothing Fight;
Mollie Angelheart — Psychotic Bitch;
Flomentalz — Talkin' to God;
Thea Monyee and Gaknew — A Different World

Episode 6

Wyclef Jean — Immigrant;
Nayeli Adorador-Knudsen — Priceless;
Michael Cirelli — Love Song for Kelis;
M'Reld — Ready for Love;
Red Storm — Snake in the Grass;
Kelly Tsai — Aftershocks;
Paul Mabon — The Toothbrush;
Kevin Derrig — Andrew;
Mike McGhee — Like;
Narubi Selah — Uncle Benz;
Ise Lyfe — Popular Dirt

Episode 7

Kanye West — Bitter Sweet;
Ursula Rucker — What a Woman Must Do;
Rafael Casal — Barbie and Ken 101;
Terry Creech — Lost Bird;
Thadra Sheridan — Bad Boyfriend;
Beau Sia — Hip Hop;
Shihan — In Response;
Sonia Sanchez — Our Vision Is Our Voice;
Amir Sulaiman — She Said, I Prefer A Broken Neck...;
Lemon and Flaco — Boriquas

Episode 8

Preach — Cotton;
Steve Connell and Sekou The Misfit — America Calls;
Big Poppa E

Big Poppa E

— Poem For A Friend;
Amanda Diva — 40 Emcees;
Al B. Back

Albert Daniels

Albert Daniels , also known as Albe Back, often stylized ALBe. Back, is an actor, artist, producer, poet, and rapper.- Early life :...

— Super Negro;
Sista Queen — Try Being A Lady;
Jerry Quickley — 3-Part Bitter X-girlfriend #167249-B;
Oscar Brown, Jr., — This Beach;
Staceyann Chin — A City In Tragedy;
Brother J of X-Clan — Atlan;
Common — Be Known

Episode 9

Suheir Hammad — Mike Check;
Lemon — Poor People;
Tamara Blue — Thick Chicks;
Rives — Op-talk;
Otep — Dedicated to my enemy;
Heru Ptah — Why;
Sharon Olds — Self Portrait, Rear View;
Perre Shelton — Dandelion;
Consequence — Friend Zone;
Jason Carney — Our Soldiers;
Black Thought from The Roots — Untitled

Episode 10

Gina Loring — You Move Me;
Rock Baby — That Sweet That Funk;
Chinaka Hodge — Cousin;
Denizen Kane — Patriot Act;
Sekou Sundiata — Amman;
Kristiana Colon — From The Clay;
Jimmy Tran — Mediocre Penis;
Flaco Navaja — Dimple;
Eve Ensler — My Father's House;
Black Ice, Poetri and Shihan — We Are Men

Episode 1

DMX — The Industry;
Big Mike — Sexy;
Asia — The Waiting Hour;
Dan Vaughn & Dasha Kelly — Six Million;
Kelly Tsai — Grey Matter;
Red Storm — Black Barbie Doll;
Shanelle Gabriel — Why I Love You;
Idris Goodwin — What is They Feedin' Our Kids;
Jill Scott — Ain't a Ceiling

Episode 2

Dahlak Braithwaite — Peculiar Evolution;
Skim — Your Eyes;
Eamon Mahone & Paul Graham — Black Irish;
Tahani Salah — Hate;
George Watsky — V For Virgin;
Caleb Mak — Slave;
Shannon Leigh — Sudanese Children;
Pat's Justice — Innocent Criminal;
Lyfe Jennings — Rough Stuff;
Matisyahu — Late Night In The Field;
Talib Kweli — Hell

Episode 3

Sarah Kay

Sarah Kay (poet)

Sarah Kay is an American poet. Known for her spoken word poetry, Kay is the founder and co-director of Project V.O.I.C.E., a group dedicated to using spoken word as an inspirational tool.-Life:...

— Hands;
Riva & Sciryl — My Best Friend (Hip Hop);
Rafael Casal — First Week Of A Break-Up;
Meilani Clay

Meilani Clay

Meilani Clay is a conscious writer, educator and poetry slam champion from the San Francisco Bay Area, California. She emerged as part of Youth Speaks, a youth performance poetry and creative writing program founded in 1996, and served on SPOKES , a Youth Advisory Board and paid internship...

— Lost;
Shihan — Father's Day;
Shannon Matesky — My Space;
Carlos Andres Gomez — What's Genocide;
Carole King — Touchstone;
Natalie Stewart — Her Story;
Jamal Joseph — Ricky Do & The 4th Of July

Episode 4

Oveous Maximus — Salcedo's Breakdown;
Sonya Renee — Connections;
Anis Mojgani — For Those Who Can Still Ride an Airplane for the First Time;
Rives — Dirty Talk;
Mush — Next Wednesday;
Joe Hernandez-Kolski — No Disclaimers;
African-American Shakespear — Will You Be There;
David Banner — What About Us;
Sunni Patterson — We Made It

Episode 5

Big Poppa E

— Propers;
Bassey Ikpi — Apology To My Unborn;
Alvin Lau — What Tiger Said;
Saddi Kali — Goin' Platinum In 2 Days;
Liza Garza — My Everything;
Lamont Carey — I Can't Read;
Brian Dykstra — Pushing Bush;
Vanessa Hidary — Phd In Him;
Basikknowledge — Numbers;
George Clinton — Dope Dog

Episode 6

Black Ice - The Ugly Show;
Mayda Del Valle - The Gift;
Steve Colman - I Want To Eat Your Pu**y;
Georgia Me - The Promiseland;
Bea Sia - Back To The Now;
Stacyann Chin - Nails;
Poetri - Monsters In My Stomach;
Suheir Hammad - Daddy's Song;
Lemon - Experience;
Nelly Furtado - Nevis

External links

The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.