Chicago has always been a melting pot for Spoken Word and poetry in the black community. From the Harlem Renaissance to the birth of Hip-Hop, poetry has always been major in Chicago’s culture. This past weekend was a mirror of how paramount poetry is to Chicago; two major poetry platforms making history in the hearts of Chicago.
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Frankie Fabre and Tee have teamed up to create the first ever Frankie’sTee Poetry Slam Competition where poets all over Chicago can compete for a chance to win $2,000 and move to the finals for a chance to compete and win a grand prize of $10,000. This competition was a total of five show stops, and the second show was hosted at Donda’s House which was at Kanye West’s mother’s house. Many poets rappers, and artist came in support including Chicago’s very own RhymeFest who participated as a judge of the competition.
There were a total of eight divine poets who battled it out for the $2,000 prize. The two rounds were steep as each poet left their hearts and stories on the stage. At the end of the competition, there was a tie between the insanely talented poets Ques Poet and Naira Bills, and Naira Bills won the $2,000 cash prize and is now moving to the finals for a chance to win $10,000.
To have a competition like this is great, but to have some of the locations be the legendary Donda’s House is truly historic. Kanye West has made his mark in poetry being one of the few Chicago artists to expand on poetry at different poetry platforms such as Def Poetry Jam. To now host a poetry competition in a place where art was made is a full circle moment in Chicago’s hip-hop culture.
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Frankie’sTee Poetry Slam was not the only platform making history. Write About Now, also known as WAN Poetry, has hosted their first ever Write About Now Showcase in Chicago, IL. This is the first time that Write About Now’s poetry platform has visited Chicago, and what was planned as a one day event turned into a 3-day weekend show that featured some of Chicago’s hottest poets.
Friday, October 25th was the kickoff to this monumental weekend, and the first destination was on the 66th floor of the Willis Tour. Night one included some of Chicago’s respected female poets such as Vai Shakoor, She.Unapologetic, and Robin Bobo. Their sets has the audience at the edge of their sets, and each poet shared different stories that kept the crowd engaged and waiting for more.
Night two matched that same energy, headlining some of the hottest male poets in Chicago such as Hoodraised, Jeronimo Speaks, and Eros. The second night was also hosted at the Willis Tower on the 66th floor. They also had an open mic portion where other poets in Chicago had a chance to perform poetry at this monumental platform.
The last night was hosted at Pearls & Roses Bar & Grill for their last show. Featured artists for that night was Lati-D, T’aura, and I Am A Writer. These three poets ended the night off with a bang as the expressed many stories that crafted into meaningful poetry. This weekend was made history for Chicago’s poetry community.
I am a creative writer from Chicago, IL, specializing in poetry, music, stories, and journalism. I love being a voice to advocate for the culture, my people, and those who cannot advocate for self.
All good energy over here. <3
