Soul U's Xplicit and Dj 76 Kid take a flick during its 1st year anniversary poetry event.
Some of the early crowd at the event.
Some Corey Black shirts were on sale that evening. 15. Only 15.
Some patrons coming to the show.
Xplicit brought out all the performers outside for a last minute talk and prayer.
Meanhwile, Dj 76 Kid was playin ambiance hip-hop for the crowd before the show started.
Xplicit welcoming everyone to the spot. he co-hosted with....
East St. Louis native poet Abbey The Truth (who also was the hype-dancer and part comic that evening)
Abbey told the crowd to get up and meet three people they didnt know...
...and they did.
...and they did.
Scheduled poet Corey Black (in hat) met err body. LOL Herre he's greets Chi-town poet Real Talk (left) and Sacramento native poet Rodzilla.
First were the newbie poets on the Open Mike Segment. First up was Brandy J who spoke about "lyrical Picassos" at an open mike in her piece
Poetic Bliss did an introduction to her poetic name.
Cyral on mike.
Poet Blu Rayne was "defining fire" with her piece.
Teddy Poetic did a house favorite, "No Such Thing."
Poet Reflection was joined back by Brandy J with the spoken word/sung "Speechless."
Poet Autumn did a poem with a time line about a love relationship.
Comedian Jason Nelson spat a few jokes. One in particular was on marriage saying he got divorced now he back on Facebook saying his relationship status is "complicated."
A back view of Nelson in action.
Poet and promoter Wordsmith did an autobiographical people about he and his mom.
After the break, the next round of poets was the scheduled poets. But before they were brought up, poet duo Xplict and Corey Black reunited that nite and did their famous alcohol poem that got the crowd to respond along.
After them,
Vet poet Floyd IMPAKT Boykin pubbed his upcoming CD, "Earthology" and did a piece about BET's brainwashing the community.
Some well wishers of Soulstages bought them a gift, a glass tip jar to replace their older one.
Xplicit humbly accepts the gift.
Next up was poet Lightnin who's theme song that nite played by 76 Kid was Hakeem tha Dream's "Thick Wit it" as she danced to it.
Lightnin spat knowledge for thick girlz in the crowd ("If you aint thick, then you aint shit." )
Lightnin told the poet sistas to stand to give them selves a hand.
Brother Ting was all in his own vibe doing his famous cuss word poems that got some shit within the cuss words you havent heard before.
During the break, the members of Soul U flank up with poet Seven Butterfly .
"Hey its the Rose Lady."
Poets/wellwishers Symmutry and Tenille Rose pose for the OUTCAM.
During the music break, featured Chi-town poets K-Love (sister) and real Talk (who spat earlier with a piece called ,"Intellivision: Turn Me On')
Next up were two highlights of the nite. First was East St. Louis poet/teacher Ms. Interpreation.
Interpretation lit the mike on fire with her firey performance about how she completes the black man, that he should be thankful for her and she can't believe they are inevitbaly one. (After ward. Corey Black lied the miek on the ground to symbolize she killed the mike.)
Also on fire was headlining poet K-Love who's gut wrenching "homonymphillic "delivery about black love had everyone on edge especially the line, "You are inside my eyelids/make me wanna go into a coma." ) . before she spat, she talked about how artists are constantly in deep thought and encourage artists to not let the enemy attack your insides .
Love had the crowd on every word she spoke and even had a few sistas in the crowd in tears with her brimstonish yet passionate delivery.
After Love's set, the crowd showed its appreciation.
Sacramento native poet and second headliner (and another highlight) Rodzilla's delivery was like a smooth pimp meets Langston Hughes talking every second without a breath. His first piece was a thrunderous non-stop rotation of different types of love.
Rodzill'as second piece talked about the definition of a man from the media's point of view and how hsi heroes Michael Jackson, Michael Jordaon and Bill Cobsy taught him how to self-hate his color, to be apolitical and a walking endorsement and strive to be a fictious father who taught him jazz and wear sweaters.
Corey Black dispalyed much stage antics and and nervous energy to the mike spitting haiku, and urbanology on love. He also told the crowd he doesn't rewind his lines, but moving forward to to the future.
Black also made sure that all the crowd members heard him by walking throughout the crowd.
And through the crowd...
...and through the crowd and sat back down in the rear of the club after he was finished.
East St. Louis singer J Dot and his guitarist sang their interpretation of Jay's "spit" music with one of his songs he sang, "Appreciate Life."
A back view of J Dot in action.
Also performing were El Thought, Robert Dillard and Logic.
