Unchain Your Mind | What a Difference a Year Makes

Never, in a million years, could I have imagined that I would be where I am today. In less than TWO months, I will be hosting my very first Poetic Action Showcase feature four of the best Spoken Word Artists in the Nation!!

September 2012

My best friend, Lyric Kantrail, and I opened our first Poetic Action show in the Northern Province of South Korea. By January 2013, we had two locations (One in the Northern and the other in the Southern Province).  Both shows came to an end in September 2013 – six months after she and I had to leave the country. We weren’t discouraged though because we didn’t think that it was going to last for one month after we left LOL.

September 2014

I had been in Hawaii for about 1 1/2yrs and had not found an open-mic that I liked. I just needed a stage, but I didn’t have my best friend. She was my “team”. We have the same work ethic, drive, and hustle. I wanted to bring Poetic Action back but didn’t know where to start. I finally met the right person to be my partner AND my DJ {{WINNING!!}}.

January 2015

Lights! Camera! POETIC ACTION! The first Poetic Action in Oahu was a complete success! People were talking about it for days. I was on cloud nine.

July 2015

My bestie comes to visit me! We come up with this bright idea to make her a feature for the upcoming Poetic Action show. Greatest idea ever!

Every show from then on out, we had a feature artist and the audience loved it (August-Kevin Sandbloom

; September-Obbie West

; October-Masterpiece

; November-HBO Def Poet Shanelle Gabriel

& a surprise appearance by 7-time HBO Def Poet SHIHAN!)

Fast forward to January 2016…
IT’S THE ONE YEAR ANNIVERSARY OF POETIC ACTION IN OAHU!! We’ve got feature performances by:

- Grammy Listed International Spoken Word Artist QUEEN SHEBA
- World Renouned Poet and Speaker TALAAM ACEY
- Author, Activist, and National Poetry Slam Champion PAGES MATAM
- 2015 & 2015 North Texas Spoken Word Awards winner MASTERPIECE

This line up is absolutely BANANAS! Only way from here is UP! "The mind is stronger than my body. God is stronger than my mind."

Unchain Your Mind | You Don't Know My Name

It was 2004 and the night of my HS Senior Prom. My friends and I were sitting in a breakfast restaurant when I recognized a guy from my church sitting in a booth with two other guys. I we his unexpected compliment, I didn't know what to say. 

So his friend tells me, "Sing something then." 
"Right here?" I asked.
"Yes."
"I can't sing in this restaurant full of people! It'll be too loud and my friend are right over there. I'm too embarrassed." I shyly replied.
The guy looked disappointed and told me, "Remember this: You never know who you're standing in front of. When someone asks you to sing, SING. You could miss a lot of opportunities trying to avoid embarrassment."

That guy, and his friend, worked closely with Kirk Franklin...

10yrs later, I was still kicking myself and wondering, "What if...". I have known several people to go on to have extremely successful musical careers (particularly in the Gospel industry) and I am more than overjoyed for them. I recognize my gift of poetry and rejoice in others' musical success unashamed. Which brings me to main topic:

I've wanted to address this subject for a while now but was unsure of how to approach it for fear of losing people that I genuinely care deeply about. I chose to write this, because I don't think those feelings are reciprocated. This is not to hurt any feelings but hopefully it will help someone understand a little better.

Dear Celebrity Buddy (since we're clearly not friends):

You don't know my name. We used to be friends. I understand that we grow older and "life happens". You don't get to talk to people as much as you used to because you're busy trying to make your dreams come true and pay bills simultaneously. If you're lucky, your dreams are paying the bills. 

I'm proud to say that I know you, but afraid of being called a 'name dropper'. Your success does not equate to my preferential treatment and I've never expected, nor desired, that.  I just want to support you. When I sporadically text you to say, "I'm just checking on you", there is no hidden agenda. I don't want anything from you but a reply. We have always sporadically chatted, but it never changed the dynamics of our relationship until someone **ahem** changed. I don't want to 'come up' by holding on to your coattail. I don't want to talk to you every day. What I do want, is to support you without being viewed as a fan. To benevolently love you without being questioned. To communicate with you as a person and not an artist. Remember that I know YOU and not the concept of you that so many others idolize. Don't always dismiss the ones that were around before {{they}} knew your name...

I still love you, buddy...

Signed,
A loving supporter

You can't take everybody with you; but there are some that you should keep in your corner. Just because they don't always talk to you, doesn't mean that they don't talk {pray} for you.