Slam poetry is defined as type of artistic contest where poets perform their spoken word poems in front of a wide array of audience and a panel of judges. It is the kind of poetry that puts together some of the most important elements in literature, such as writing, presentation, contest, and audience impact. Slam poems are primarily performed at poetry slam events, where the term “slam” was derived from the degree of the viewers’ power and ability to compliment or criticize the poem from the energetic presentation style of the poets.
There are a lot of slam poets in the literary world. Some of them do not only practice the art of poetry slam but also the art of poetry in general. There have been a lot of poetry books and anthologies that were produce since poetry started to blossom, such as Milk and Honey by Rupi Kaur, Raymond Quattlebaum in Reflections of Love, and more. Regardless of the wonders of the world of poetry, slam poets must only perform their original pieces to avoid copyright claims. If you want to delve into the art of poetry slam, here are 5 of the most notable slam poets that you should check out:
Andrea Gibson
Born in August 13, 1975 at Calais, Maine, Andrea Gibson is now one of the most prominent slam poets in the world. Gibson was also raised in her birthplace and in a Baptist household. Later on, she moved out of their home and lived together with her girlfriend for some period in New Orleans. But in 1999, she and her lover decided to live in Boulder, Colorado where she is staying until now. Her poems centers on gender roles, challenges that the LGBTQ community is facing, politics, and social amelioration. Andrea has won the Denver Grand Slam Champion four times and ranked 4th at the 2004 National Poetry Slam competition. She also placed 3rd for two consecutive years in the Individual World Poetry Slam (2006 & 2007) and was recognized as the first ever poet to achieve the 2008 Women of the World Poetry Slam award in Detroit. Moreover, among Gibson’s famous works are The Madness Vase, Take Me With You, Pole Dancing To Gospel Hymns, etc.
Saul Williams
A composer, singer, musician, writer, actor, rapper, and poet — these are the career paths that Saul Williams took. But before he became prominent in his career, he was the youngest of three kids that and was born on February 29, 1972 at Newburgh, New York. He, then, went to Newburgh Free Academy where he composed a song titled Black Stacey. Moreover, he attended Morehouse College and acquired his bachelor’s degree in acting and philosophy. Williams also studied in Tisch School of the Arts after getting into the New York University’s Graduate Acting Program and successfully got his master’s degree in acting. He started his poetry journey in 1995 as an open mic poet and the next year after his launch, he was awarded as the Grand Slam Champion of the Nuyorican Poets Café. He also competed in the National Poetry Slam in 1996 that took place in Portland, Oregand along with his other teammates. In fact, his slam poetry journey was filmed and was titled SlamNation.
Patricia Smith
Born in 1955 at Chicago, Illinois, Patricia Smith is a world renowned poet, playwright, author, teacher, and journalist. She has conquered the world of poetry for she practiced both poetry slam and spoken-word poetry. But before her career flourished, she was a student of Southern Illinois University and Northwestern University. Smith is wed to a prominent journalist and Edgar Award-winner author named Bruce DeSilva. Smith was known as the four-time champion of the National Poetry Slam and has also appeared on the documentary film titled SlamNation like Saul Williams. She received multiple poetry awards, including but not limited to 2014 Rebekah Johnson Bobbitt Award for Shoulda Been Jimi Savannah, Carl Sandburg Literary Award, National Poetry Series Award, Hurston-Wright Legacy Award, Rattle Poetry Prize, Robert L. Fish Memorial Award, and more.
Rudy Francisco
Rudy Francisco was born in San Diego, California on July 27, 1982 and has attended Alliant International University. As of the moment, he is one of the prominent and inspiring slam poets in the world. He has not only delved in poetry slam but also on spoken word poetry. He has won 12 poetry awards, including the 2007 San Diego Grand Slam Champion, 2008 Member of the Hollywood Poetry Slam Team, 2009 Individual World Poetry Slam 3rd Placer, 2010 San Francisco Grand Slam Champion, 2017 National Poetry Slam Champion, and more. Francisco has written and published a total of 4 books, which as Getting Stitches, No Gravity, Helium, and Scratch. Rudy has performed in a bunch of events, like 2018 Slam Poetry Competition, and has went to a tour with other spoken word/slam poets specifically Sabrina Benaim and Neil Hilborn.
Alex Writes 