Def Poetry Jam brought urban poetry and the poetry slam movement to the national stage. Presented by Russell Simmons, Def Poetry Jam was a spoken word poetry television series hosted by Mos Def, which aired on HBO between 2002 and 2007. The series featured performances by established and up-and-coming spoken word poets. Performances also included special appearances by well-known actors and musicians, as well as occasional performances by Mos Def himself. Co-created by Bruce George, Danny Simmons, Deborah Pointer, Stan Lathan, and Russell Simmons, the show was a spin-off of the popular Def Comedy Jam which began airing on HBO in the ’90s. As with Def Comedy, Simmons appears at the end of every episode to thank the audience. Currently, the Def Poetry Jam touring roster includes a veritable who’s who of modern urban poets, including Ursula Rucker, Jessica Care Moore, muMs, Steve Colman, Vanessa Hidary, Bonafide Rojas and Toni Blackman. With limitless social and political commentary, DPJ eloquently touches upon all relevant issues of today, with echoes of powerful poets past.
With performances by Vanessa Hidary, Ursula Rucker, Jessica Care Moore, Mums, Steve Colman, Bonafide Rojas and Toni Blackman. Hosted by Asha Bandele
Featuring 4pm poetry workshop with Ursula Rucker and Derrik Cross