More than 300 people lined the walls of U Street’s Liv nightclub March 30 to see participants compete for $2,000 in Graffiti DC’s first-ever poetry slam contest.
The group, a brainchild of Benny Blaq and Benny Blaq Entertainment, consists of main “slammers” Drew Law, Ya Ya, Rasheed and Pages, with many more poets across the Washington, D.C., Maryland, and Virginia region.
Attendees young and old, sat everywhere they could—including the stage itself —to see the next generation of grios.
“There’s no other poetry event pulling this many people,” Law said, as he watched patrons line up at 7 p.m. for the 8 p.m. event.
The group’s promotion tactics are original and “in-your-face.” “We’ve almost been arrested sometimes,” Law said. “On a whim, we just go spit poems at Metro stops.”
Law broke down the definition of slamming with two simple words, “competitive poetry.”
One of the few older patrons, who was persuaded by her son who lives in Virginia to come, admitted that she thought there was going to be older people in attendance.
“I haven’t been to one in a long time. I think it’s catered to the younger people,” said Marilyn Corpening, a native of Washington State. But as the show progressed, Corpening began making a connection to the performers. “Now that was good,” she said. “I can relate to that.”
During the slam, poets going by stage names such as 13 of Nazareth, Joseph LMS Green, ItsRealLight, Gray the Poet, Epidemic, Kane Mayfield, Megan Rickman and Jinahie, spouted lines that, at times, grew gasps from the audience: “Daddy knew the art of war all too well,” “Same steps different legs,” “I’d die before I rhyme like Gucci,” “You were my continent and I was your Columbus.”
“I’m never writing again,” one girl shouted in praise of one of the poets.
?The 19-year-old Jinahie won the competition with poems focused on a confused, sick dad who was deployed to Iraq and finally came back. Jinanhie saturated her poem with different voices, swinging arms and distinct messages about Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.
“My poems are actually inspired by people,” the University of Maryland student said. “I’ve been doing poetry for three years.”
Benny Blaq said he was pleased with the turnout for the event. “The kids worked hard to get all these people in this building,” he said.
Other members of Graffiti DC had big plans for the group’s future, and looked to spread poetry slams outside the District.
“We want to bring that energy we have everywhere,” Law said. “We want haiku slams, youth slam, we would like to travel. We would like it to be around forever.”
The group is on twitter at @GraffitiDC.
