Another great spotlight for you guys! As always, if you are or represent an upcoming artist, designer, model, etc., please visit our Features/Submissions page for more information on how to be featured on the blog!
Today on The Spotlight, we have brillianty talented and breathtaking poet Jonte “Luki” Barrett! Hailing from Washington, D.C. (“It’s DC or nothing!” sje confidently said), Jonte started creating poetry back in 2007, and has recently started performing as Luki (pronounced “lucky”). In fact, she recently performed at the Moonz Conference 2016, an annual conference for fans of Wale to connect, support and build with each other!
When I asked her about her inspirations, Luki gave honor to the people in her life. “My grandmother [and] the dope people I do poetry with that are more than a squad but a family, have all inspired me to be a better poet and more importantly a better woman,” the poet admitted. Some of her favorite poets include Langston Hughes, Maya Angelou, and Nikki Giovanni, but there are three other poets that she said inspired her artistry as well motivated her to grow into a better person:
Orville the Poet: “who has shown me that no matter the struggles that life throws your way, you have a purpose to live for. Things will get shaky along the way but God will never leave you alone,” Luki said.
ThePoeticRockstar is “the epitome of the perfect balance of strength and vulnerability,” she claimed.
Epiphany is “such a great mom and dope poet that proves that there is always room to grow and learn and that finding a safe space to create is essential to this growth and learning,” the poet added.
Describing her poetic style as “reflective,” Luki believes that it’s through poetry that she’s able to tell her story, and hopefully inspire or help someone else in the process. She also uses her craft to display her beauty because she wants to show other women that, no matter your struggle there is beauty in it!
Besides poetry, Luki also loves to sing and dance, However, her favorite talent is her ability to teach! “Kids are my first love and then poetry and soon I’ll be able to combine the two,” the poet revealed.
As for some of her plans for the rest of 2016, Luki plans to create a special poetry project together, but, most importantly, wants to continue to uplift as many black women as possible. “There are so many queens that don’t know they are queens yet!” she stated. We are definitely rooting for her and will keep all fans notified of more Luki poetry and news!
Check out one of her recent performances below!
3 Albums and/or Artists Currently In Luki’s Rotation:
“Anything Wale is definitely always in rotation. Need to set out some time to listen to his new mixtape Summer On Sunset. I love oldies like Smokey Robinson, The Temptations, Marvin Gaye, Ray Charles but I also listen to Drake, Future and rappers of today. Not a fan of the direction music is going (except for Le…he’s my fave) but I’m hopeful we will have more Jill Scott, Lauren Hill and Erykah Badu in our future.”
Another great feature for you guys today! As always, if you are or represent an upcoming artist, designer, writer, etc., please visit our Features/Submissions page for more info!
Today, we have writer Dee “Mz DeeVa” Shields! Raised in the live music capital of the world, Austin, Texas, Dee was born into a family of musicians and writers. “I took on more of the skill of writing, alongside a deep love and appreciation of music from many genres,” the writer stated. Dee graduated in 2000 from Austin Business College with a degree in Administrative Specialization, but went on to study Social Work and Psychology at Central Texas College and the University of Mary-Hardin Baylor. She is also set to receive her Bachelor’s degree in Psychology from the University of Phoenix this spring, and will continue on to receive her masters and eventually doctorate in the field.
In the midst of her studies, Dee went on to develop and grow with her writing over the years.
Inspired by Pastor Joel Osteen , Iyanla Vanzant, and Terry McMillan, and using her own knowledge and experiences, she has been able to write several self-published books to help others. Her first project was her own memoir, Great Sex Is Not Love, which was released in 2011. “I wanted my future readers to know my personal life story before any other project,” Dee said of her memoir.
Dee has gone on to write several self-help books surrounding love, heartbreak, forgiveness, and other topics for readers. “I see so many suffer behind broken hearts and struggle at finding a sense of normalcy when their world is turned upside down by heartbreak, that I knew I could relate and had some strategies that worked for me that the world of the broken hearted needed to hear,” the author said of her desire to help others with her words.
Her most recent book, Reasons He Dates Plus-Size, was released in August 2015, and is the start of a new series for Dee. “With the ‘Reasons’ series I plan to touch a variety of dating topics,” she said. Inspired from a topic on her Battle of the Sexes web radio show, the author dives into why men from all walks of life gravitate towards plus-size women. “I know now, after experiencing some years in a plus body, the type of games certain types play,” Dee said. “I wanted to highlight it in a published project that could be shared to prevent another lady from the games that are played out there.” Currently, Dee is working on the next book in the “Reasons” series—Reasons She is Obsessive Over a Man.
In terms of what sets her apart from other writers, Dee believes that her combined education and experiences make her stand out. “My personal experiences, along with my psychology studies, give me a positive edge to relate to my readers and what they, or a friend, may be going through at the time,” she said. In the future, Dee hopes to expand to hosting seminars, men and women’s empowerment retreats and other speaking engagements where she can get more of her advice out to the masses!
You can check out Dee’s various works on Amazon! Also, be sure to connect with her on Twitter!
Another spotlight to start the week! As always, if you are or represent an upcoming artist, producer, designer, etc., and are interested in a feature on The Spotlight, please visit our Features/Submissions page for more information.
Today, we have poetry/songwriting duo XpressionsEnt! Nicole and Rae have both been writing for years, but, in the past few years have been steadily pursuing their dreams of writing and working together as a group.
Raised a self proclaimed “army brat,” Nicole discovered her love for words at an early age. After buying her first CD, Tim McGraw’s Not a Moment Too Soon, at the age of 8, she was truly captivated by the way the music made her feel. “I knew I wanted to make people [feel] that way at a very early age,” she said. Nicole began writing when she was about 12 years old, just occasional short poems that were a way to express herself. “I just knew that it was a way to release the things I was afraid to speak,” she admitted. Nicole admitted that settling down with her family in the city of Nashville had a great impact on her and her writing. “There is something about the Nashville grind and beauty that makes you want to get out and learn more, experience more, and grow more,” the writer said. She has also more recently been inspired by poet and novelist Charles Bukowski.
Rae herself has been writing for the last 14 years or so. “I knew early on that I had a gift when it came to writing,” she said. Originally from Los Angeles, the writer believes that the city had a huge impact on her. “The hustle, the will that’s required to survive [there] just helped shaped me and make me that more diverse of a writer,” Rae said. She acknowledged having her share of highs and lows in life, including being diagnosed with diabetes at 16. “No one has a perfect life,” Rae stated. “Adversity makes your life more relatable. Our words [have] real, raw emotion.” She began taking her craft more seriously about three years ago. “Life changed directions and it forced me to look at things differently,” Rae disclosed. “Once I did, my choice was clear. I have to write.” Rae is admitted obsessed with the talented writers and spoken word artists from creative arts company The Strivers Row, especially Alysia Harris, as well as the late, great Maya Angelou.
Nicole and Rae previously connected through mutual friends in high school, and quickly realized their shared love and passion for writing, poetry, and music. “Til this day, I remember us writing poems for each other whenever our crushes were acting crazy,” Rae laughed. “We became writing partners before we knew exactly where this journey would take us because we simply trusted each other’s ambition and talent,” Nicole added. Thus, XpressionsEnt was born!
XpressionsEnt regularly posts unique poems and quotes on Instagram, Facebook, and Tumblr. “We really try to make sure that we are offering readers something different,” Rae said. “Whether it’s in our approach or format, we try to give them more than the norm because that can get boring.” Nicole added, “We take risks with our writing to see how our audience reacts. We put our hearts on the line every time so that other people can relate.”
Currently, the duo is working on a body of work showcasing their songwriting skills, as well as a few books set to be released next year. Nicole and Rae hope to expand more into music and songwriting in the future, but don’t rule out other writing opportunities. “We are definitely trying to branch off into a little of everything,” Nicole said. “Once we get our foot in the door, nothing is going to be off limits.” Rae agreed, stating that she sees XpressionsEnt being a force to be reckoned with everywhere. “Words are so powerful. They can heal,” she said. “As long as I’m able, I want us to provide that for others in any way that we can.” Be on the lookout for this dedicated group in the future!
Happy Friday yall! We have another great spotlight for you! As always, if you are or represent an upcoming artist, designer, producer, etc, and are interested in being featured on the blog, visit our Features/Submissions page for more information.
Today, we have blogger Sonia Grace! Originally from Alabama, Sonia got her start in blogging back in November 2013, as a hobby while she went back to school to study nursing. She realized it was something that she wanted to seriously pursue when she began doing celebrity interviews, starting back in 2014 with her first interview with actress Drew Sidora. “I was super nervous because I didn’t want to ask her the wrong questions to offend her,” Sonia admitted. “But after that I did tons of other celeb interviews, and then I realized my calling was in broadcast journalism. This was my first time I was happy with a job I was doing.”
Inspired by other bloggers like Necole Bitchie, Karen Civil, and Claire Sulmers, Sonia recently launched her new site, The Voux, which offers a variety of topics for readers including beauty, celebrity news, fashion and fitness. “First I wanted the title “vous,” meaning you in french, but that name was taken, so I decided to put the x on the end,” the blogger said of the title of the site. Sonia said that The Voux is a website for the people, dealing with real issues, offering sections as well about life and love. “I even have [an] “Ask The Experts” section where you can [ask] relationship experts questions and they answer in [a] brutally honest manner,” she stated. “No sugarcoating answers like [other] websites will give you.The mission for my site is for the people (you) to give the readers what they want.” The Voux also has a “Beauty Pick of the Week” section, which showcases regular people as well as celebrities.
In addition to working on The Voux, Sonia is set to begin hosting her own radio show next month on Blog Talk Radioon the Royal Thieves Station. She will also be launching a fashion blog and boutique with her best friend later in the year.
Sonia’s advice to upcoming bloggers? “Stay consistent [and] build relationships,” she said. “Always have great people on your team if you trying to make your brand bigger, [and] do your research.” In terms of her own future, Sonia would like to see her site be one of the top websites of them all. She would also love to see celebs wearing her upcoming designs from her boutique, as well as styling celebs herself. “I would love to see those take off in the next year, and just for me to continue to be successful in my life and career in the entertainment industry,” the blogger said.
You can check out Sonia’s work on The Voux! You can also also follow her on Twitter and Instagram!
Keeping these spotlights coming! As always, if you are or represent an upcoming artist, designer, producer, etc., and are interested in a feature on The Spotlight, please read our Features/Submissions page for more details!
Today, I’m happy to feature one of my fellow Moonz (aka strong supporters of Wale and each other!), poet Christian Richardson! Christian started writing poetry in his senior year of high school back in 2007, with his first poem being a love poem to a girl he was “foolishly in love with,” he joked. “We were not communicating at the time, so I wrote her a letter instead.” Poetry soon became a way for him to truly open up about his feelings and emotions about his life circumstances.
The poet honestly stated that his upbringing made him resentful and angry, and he internalized a lot of his emotions. However, writing gave him an outlet. “I didn’t really know how to express myself any other way,” Christian admitted. “I couldn’t articulate my emotions clearly and lucid so I indulged myself a lot more in to writing my emotions down instead of talking about them.” I personally know that feeling so well! Regardless of what you write about, many writers, or at least the ones I know, often struggle to express themselves verbally, and can sometimes hold their emotions in. However, writing is always a freeing release. I know that for myself. Christian personally uses those emotions in his performances.
Christian knew that poetry was something that he wanted to seriously pursue once he graduated from college. In school, he continued to write constantly, but was focused more on graduating as well as fraternity life, which kept him away from pursuing a career as a poet full time. Though even now he has a 9 to 5, he spends the rest of his time writing and practicing for performances, with the goal of eventually becoming a full-time traveling poet and motivational speaker.
Inspired by friends in the poetry scene Greg Long (aka Tripp Fontane) and Amber Steele (aka Poetic Am), Christian uses his gift for writing and spoken word in a powerful way! Two outstanding pieces he shared with me are “Venting” and “Black Man, White Cop,” which you can view below!
“Venting” showcases Christian speaking about his own personal issues as well as his issues with society. “I talked a lot about insecurities, my dissatisfaction with the amount of debt people accumulate after college and how sometimes we buy in to that ‘American fantasy,’ (I can’t even call it American dream) that things are all gravy if we get a degree,” he said. He says in first line, “I find comfort in low fat yogurts, and 50 calorie pita chips” which he said was basically a stab at society’s constant push for perfection. “We are never skinny enough, or have enough muscle to be that ideal person people want and accept. And it definitely gets deeper throughout.”
In the second piece, “Black Man, White Cop,” Christian took on the role of current cases of police brutality and racism with black men including Trayvon Martin and Eric Garner. “Those particular cases and verdicts actually made me feel something,” he disclosed. “When I heard the verdict of Eric Garner case, I’ll never forget, I was in my car sitting in Chipotle parking lot and I just broke into tears. Like any of those cases that could have been me. And I really questioned my value to the world as a Black male today.”
In the future, Christian would like to travel around the world and perform his poetry. “I don’t even want to be rich for real, just enough to maintain and do what I love,” he said. “See the world, gain perspective, write and perform the rest of my life away. That’s all I really want for real.”
You can connect with this amazing and humble poet on Twitter and Instagram,” and see more of his work on YouTube!
A few weeks back, I got an email to check out some clips from a show on TV One called Verses and Flow, engineered by Lexus. I remember vaguely hearing about it and seeing a preview a while ago, but never really sat down and watched. Man, was I missing out! Hosted by actor and poet Omari Hardwick, the show features some of the best spoken word artists in the country, as they discuss real issues from love, self-esteem, current events, racial relations and more! It was very impressive to watch, and now I’ve made it a part of my Wednesday nights (the show comes on Wednesdays at 9 p.m. ET on TV One…check your local listings!).
I got the opportunity to chat with poet Prentice Powell, who has performed on every season of Verses and Flow, both individually and with his poetry collective Fiveology! To say that he is an amazing and talented poet is a complete understatement, and, for those who have seen and heard his work, you know why. For those who haven’t, you’ll see what I mean right now!
Check out more about Prentice below! Hailing from Oakland and Union City, California, Prentice first pursued his career in poetry after an impromptu performance at the Oakland Slam in 2003, where he was signed up without him knowing after he wrote his first poem after a break up. He was called back to speak again for the Slam Team, and wrote new poems every week to compete. He ended up placing 4th in the nation at the National Finals, only two months later! “From there, it was kind of something that I said, “I don’t think this happened for no reason,” he said. He continued to write, finding a true release in poetry, calling it “extremely therapeutic.” Over the years, he has won several awards with his thought-provoking work, including becoming the 2006 Oakland and S.F. Grand Slam champion, as well as the 2007 Spoken Word Artist of the Year at the Black Music Awards. He was also named the East Bay Express, Best Poet, in 2010.
Prentice stated that his journey in poetry has been inspired by several of his peers, including his own poetry collective, Fiveology. “[Shawn Williams, one of the group’s members] was there the first time I got on stage and did a poem. I was competing against him,” the poet recalled. He also counted poets Amir Sulaimain, Scorpio Blues, and Andrew Tyree as poets that he looks up to. “One thing that Andrew does that I think is really, really dope,” Prentice said, “is that he has this ability to hop out of his poem in the middle of his poem and be completely random, or relevant and just talk to the audience and hop right back into his poem, and never miss a beat. That was one of the first things I purposely started trying to do as an artist.”
As previously stated, Prentice has performed on every season of Verses and Flow, and considers it a great opportunity to be a part of. “I think it’s unlike anything that’s on television,” Prentice stated. “I think we complain about not having enough content, not having enough positive representation, or different representation. The beauty of Verses and Flow is that nothing is the same.” It’s very true! Real issues are discussed, and different cultures are represented on the show, and it’s great to watch! “Lexus was supportive enough and believed enough in the voices that we have to support it and put it on a national platform, and I think people are being exposed to something new,” Prentice added. “The biggest blessing is that every episode I get to sit down with my sons and daughter, and they get to watch their daddy on TV. So many other kids and people can be touched through this show. You kind of can’t help but support something like that.”
One of the very first full clips I saw of the show was one of Prentice’s from this season, a powerful performance of his thought-provoking piece, “The System.” It reflects “The System” that holds so many, especially the African-American culture, in its hands. One day, Prentice randomly thought that if “the System,” could talk, what would it say? The poet incorporated a monotone voice, as well as robotic dance movement to add to the piece. “I’m a huge dance fanatic. I learned at a really young age with my three best friends that if you can dance, the girls like you,” he joked about coming up with the movement. In fact, he often checks out dance videos to watch different choreography! Inspired by internationally known production team Yak Films, Prentice decided to use robotic movement to showcase his love of dance. “Right before I went on to film, I went in the bathroom and practiced for like 45 minutes, because I really wanted it to be good. And I just came out and kind of did what I felt like doing.” He wanted to do something different with the piece, even covering his eyes with his hat to show The System as a generic voice, instead of a person. Trust me when I say, he pulled it off! Check out Prentice’s performance of “The System” below!
Prentice is also one fifth of poetry collective Fiveology, who have performed on the show several times as well. He, along with members Javon Johnson, Rudy Francisco, Shawn William and Andrew Tyree, has definitely made a mark in the poetry realm and beyond! The group first linked up when they were all out in Vegas within a two month period at a venue in Vegas. Prentice jokingly suggest doing a show together on Twitter, but the men ended up seriously talking about performing together offline. “They came down to my house, and we wrote a couple of poems together,” the artist recalled. Their first show was actually a year ago performing first as the “Blackson Five” “That night, specifically in Oakland, was so powerful for all of us. We thought it was going to be just us doing poems but it became so much more than that.” he reflected. “After that, we kind of just continued to stay in contact, drive down to L.A., and practice. Less than a year later, we’re on tour with Jill Scott, [and] performing at the Essence Festival.” He also acknowledged Lexus and Verses and Flow for their support as well. “Lexus and Verses and Flow really provided a spark for us by putting us on the show, because they never really had anyone collectively on the show, and they really supported and pushed us.” the poet added. The group is incredibly talented, and speak with such authority and honesty, that its no surprise that they have been so successful in such a short period of time! Check out one of their performances on Verses and Flow below!
Prentice has been blessed to travel the world performing his poetry, and his craft has allowed him branch off into different directions, including education. He’s done poetry in classrooms for kids, and has also branched out into developing a creative writing curriculum, focusing on African-American youth. He currently works with autistic children with severe behavioral disorders. Prentice would eventually like to see his career hit Broadway. “We have a 90 minute show that we’re doing right now,” Prentice said, which could do very well in NY. “We have a residency at the Ebony Repertory Theatre in L.A. It’s called Inner Man/Outer Space [the show touches on their experiences as black men, individually and collectively]. But honestly, wherever God takes me. I can’t really imagine what God could have in store for me at this point, and in store for us. But I definitely won’t say no!” he laughed.
Prentice is honestly blown away by the success of his and Fiveology’s work, which he merely sees as something he does for himself. To be able to travel all over, beyond just poetry slams, coffee houses, and contests, and reach people is an incredible feeling! “I never saw what we just did this summer happening,” he admitted. “To be able to touch people the way that I have, we have as a collective, the way Verses and Flow has? There is no glass ceiling to what we do and that’s really what this summer taught me. And if people thought there was, it’s just been shattered.”
Happy Friday all! Hope everyone had a great Fourth of July, enjoyed good food, and watched plenty of fireworks! Starting this quiet morning with an artist spotlight, and I’m so excited to feature his story. To my upcoming artists, designers, producers, etc, out there, I would love to hear your story too! It’s my goal to feature at least one person a month, so feel free to email me for a feature!
Author Malik Saunders, pen name Blatant Guyon, has made a major impact telling his life story and speaking about a near-fatal accident that has greatly affected his life. Taking what seemed like a negative
Read more about Malik below!
Born in Sacramento, CA, Malik Though Malik grew passionate about the sport of boxing, even winning the novice Golden Gloves in San Francisco, and eventually had his first child, a baby girl, he got caught up in the street life and was eventually arrested. However, instead of a jail stint, the author was sent to a half way house in Oakland, which had a positive impact on his life. “There I was enlightened by some strong Black men that were teaching me how to be a man,” Malik said of his experience. There, he grew greatly and became the man that he needed to be in life.He also enrolled in college, graduating with a certificate in massage therapy.
Months later, Malik had a life-altering, near-death experience. While riding in the backseat of a car with friends one night, he was in a terrible accident when a truck quickly pulled out in front of them. The impact, at 65-70 miles an hour, almost killed him. “I heard a loud crack, and then I could no longer breath,” Malik said of the accident. He was transported to the hospital, where he went into a coma for a week.
After waking up, Malik spent two months in the hospital, and was told that he would never make a full recovery. “When I got out, I had to learn to walk again, talk, eat, and take care of myself,” he said. He had metal put into his lower back after his body snapped forward from the impact of the accident, as well as an illeostomy (a surgical opening to remove wastes). He’s also on what is called H.P.N. (home parenteral nutition) which gives him a mixture of fluid, electrolytes,vitamins ,and potassium to stay alive. “God is good and life is good,” Malik said. “I have good days and bad days and I’m in the hospital 4-5 times out of the years, but 10 years later I’m still here. This was a test. Now it is my testimony.”
Malik turned this tragic and difficult experience into a huge blessing. In the hospital, he took up writing about Memoirs from the 5th Floor: Fighting for My Life in December 2011. The book is Malik’s own reflection of the accident, as well as his recovery process, family relationships, and his relationship with God.
his experiences. “I had so much time of isolation, I began to write like the wind,” he said. His “scribbles and ripped up papers” he saved from his time in the hospital turned into a perfect masterpiece for him. Using his writings, he released his first book,
Malik is currently back in Sacramento, spending time with his family and children, Adrianna-Malika and Isaiah-Malik, as well as his grandson Adrian. The author is featured at venues across California doing readings and spoken word, as well as speaking to kids about cars, the dangers of texting and driving, as well as making better life choices. If I can stop one person from going through what I’ve been through, I did my job,” Malik said. “I believe I am here for a reason and that reason is to save a life.” He’s also finishing up his third book, Pain MediZen, a book of spoken word, and also is planning to take a chapter from Memoirs from the 5th Floor and turn into a one man show!
Readers will be inspired and motivated by Malik’s testimony! It’s absolutely amazing to see a man who has overcome obstacles, and decided to share with others in hopes that it will reach them in a special way. To learn more about him, you can connect with him on Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube. And be sure to pick up your copy of Memoirs From the 5th Floor here!
Simply B by Brittany Shawnté 