The ground breaking poetry slam was held in the Anne Campbell Little Theater at Hobart Taylor on Thursday. There were five judges and the contestants’ scores ranged from one to five. The segment was limited to two and a half minutes and, if longer, the poet would get a penalty of five points. The three poets with the highest score would advance to the next round.
The contestants came from all over Texas seeking the grand prize of $200 and a feature at Jazzman’s Caf. As the poetry got under way, DJ Titus kept the crowd amped. The host for the evening was Nyne, a Charles Gilpin Player.
First to the mic was Queen Sheeba, followed by Elijah King, who had the crowd in agreement about the state of America, and how the United States handled Katrina. Next to the stage was Seth Walker, then Middle Class G, who spoke about a side of drugs in America we never see. Then there was Black Poet. He was one of the crowd’s favorites because he gave a friendly reminder of what it means to be black. After Black Poet was Will-he-Wreck, who spoke on promiscuity, and then there was Belashia Johnson, who reminded us to be black and proud. Next to the stage was Briana Cooper, who had something to say about good loving. After her was Lord Byron, then Tina B, and to close out the first round was Soulo, who had something for the ladies, but received a penalty for going over the time limit.
During intermission, Forte served the crowd with something smooth, but original. The features for the evening were Xrymtyz (Ivory Townsel) and Se7en. Both of the features were talented individuals who used their words to awe the crowd. Freshman Hasfa Najjemba said, “I liked the fact that they showcased and brought to light real life issues, but on the flip side it was in a very entertaining and amusing way.”
To start the second round, Lord Byron, Belashia Johnson, Black Poet, and Tina B performed. They all set the mic on fire, and had to perform even harder to bring home that cash prize. The decision was tough, but as the night drew to a close the winner for the evening was Tina B, with her short stature, but her words made her a giant. As the crowd was exiting, Forte, Nyne, OUTspoken provided the vocals and music, while Alana Taylor and Brian Chapman provided some tap dancing that would make Savion Glover envious. This was truly a night of talent that was showcased like no other.