By: Source

Hello Surreal Sista! Thank you for allowing me to interview you. I am definitely a fan of your work and it’s truly an honor to be able to talk to you more in-depth about your success with our audience. I know your time is limited, so without delay, I will get right to my questions for you.

Source - The 2006 Individual World Poetry Slam Competition hosted in Charlotte, North Carolina was an amazing experience for you. Coming to this competition, did you have any inclination that you would be on the final stage?

Surreal Sista - I imagined what it must be like many times, meditated on it, wrote down that I would do it and then decided I would not stress out over it, which included not rehearsing my poetry in front of a mirror or going over the words “one last time” in my head and gave it to God; so, in that sense, “yes.” Part of me did have doubts, however, I knew I would be fine with however far I got because it is the journey that is important to me. In my mind, being there was an accomplishment in itself.

Source - When all was said and done, you were ranked 8th best poet in the world. How has life changed since achieving this honor?

Surreal Sista - “The best poets in the world” - some of which whose work is intimidating now know me as a top ranked poet and not the Marketing Director that might be a poet. I now have bragging rights. I believe in myself more and my confidence on stage has improved. I’m not saying I needed validation, but confirmation of what I already believed was true inside. I’ve begun to outgrow my cocoon and become a butterfly. Of course, interviews like this have occurred more frequently as well.

Source - I understand that you are touring now. Tell us about the A.F.R.I.C.A.N.S. Arts & Culture Network and how your connection with this organization came about?

Surreal Sista - A.F.R.I.C.A.N.S. Arts & Culture Network is a non-profit organization consisting of spoken word artists whose primary motivation is success, dependant-independence, tradition, and inspiration in the classrooms and community. They have monthly shows and showcase artists from across the nation in venues nationwide.

My connection with A.F.R.I.C.A.N.S. Arts & Culture Network and the A.F.R.O. Group came about through its Treasurer: “M.A.”- a nationally ranked poet and Montevallo Alabama’s Grand SLAM champion. We met at the Individual World Poetry SLAM in Charlotte this past February. We competed against each other in one of the preliminary rounds and started “building” immediately. At that time, I was the Marketing Director for WORD In Motion ? a St. Louis non-profit whose mission mirrors that of A.F.R.I.C.A.N.S. Arts & Culture Network. We compared career goals and our involvement in the business of spoken word poetry.

Source - What goals would you like to accomplish while touring?

Surreal Sista - I’d really like to make significant networking connections with those affiliated with Historically Black Colleges and Universities as a part of a performance and seminar-based touring project I’m spearheading through the sponsorship and talent base of both WORD In Motion and A.F.R.I.C.A.N.S. Arts & Culture Network. I also would like to increase exposure of my spoken words and distribute/sell my CD: “Now What?”

Source - I’ve met many individuals in our spoken word community who are arrogant about their talent and only showcase their lyrical gifts for monetary gains. Based on your track record, you have shown that financial rewards are just part of your quest. Why do you feel it is important to volunteer and give back to our spoken word community?

Surreal Sista - Those who need to be paid to inspire others to find the small still voice within have missed the entire point- and aren’t really inspired in the first place. The true reward is in karmic return. Knowing that my words guided at least one impressionable mind to find and capture a talent they may not have known they had, just like others before me changed the course of my life through experiencing them.

Source - You’ve had opportunities to teach students how to express themselves in the form of poetry. What was most rewarding about this experience? Do you have future plans of returning back to the classrooms?

Surreal Sista - I plan on Marketing and participating in Hip Hop Poetry Conferences- which consist of various workshops and discussion panels - within the historically black colleges and universities. I’m currently putting together a proposal that should be completed before the end of this semester. Hopefully, the A.F.R.O. Group artists and I will be in the schools in the coming spring or fall semester.

Source - What was most challenging about your position as Marketing Director for the 2004 National Poetry Slam hosted in St. Louis?

Surreal Sista - Working with a crew of three men and a very very very small handful of volunteers on a project that required around 100 volunteers; which meant doing just about everything from scratch, creating the official handbook entirely by myself with no back up proof readers, and constantly finding new ways to draw attention to the project. I surprised myself with how capable I was of accomplishing so much and how determined I was through it all ? I ate, breathed, dreamed and pissed this ? all day, every day for a year straight. But it was so worth the experience.

Source - What can your supporters expect to get when they insert your CD titled “Now What?” in their CD player.

Surreal Sista - A little bit of sumthin’ for errbody. It’s rich and sultry, it’s a pinch surreal and dreamy, it’s a hint of sing songy school girl- gutter and sweet in the same breath; it includes a live performance of my Black Panthers piece, and a guest track by the CD’s beat producer & 2006 St. Louis SLAM team mate: 7C’z who sounds a little like the artist Juvenile and a lot like, well, himself.

Source - You have been feature in newspapers, television programs and venues across the U.S.; why do you think you have been so successful in this industry?

Surreal Sista - I try to be as peaceful and inspiring as possible and it seems to directly affect others. From what I’ve been told my appeal is in being personally revealing while making a connection to worldwide socio-political issues. They say I tell it like it is, but school ya while doin’ it.

Source - Some poets enjoy performing with microphones while others prefer not to use them at all because they feel it limits their stage presence. What is your preference? Why?

Surreal Sista - I like both. The size of the room and the acoustics really make a difference on which one I choose. Certain poems require I have hands-free mic access. If I really want to surrender to the energy of the audience and belt out words I go mic-less as well, because I tend to rock slowly when I’m in the zone.

Source - Where would you like to see spoken words, the art form, in 5 years?

Surreal Sista - As a fully-recognized springboard for many other art forms- stage acting, stand-up comedy, rap, commercials, songwriting, television show hosting, and the silver screen. I’d like to see the underground business aspect of it work-shopped in schools and community centers. I realize this is already happening, but not with slam poetry as the foundation necessarily. I would like slam poetry to be a household name.

Source - What’s one thing you would like to discuss with our audience that we did not cover in this interview?

Surreal Sista - The catalyst for writing my slam poetry came about through the words of Zack De La Rocha, former front man of Rage Against The Machine, and Nas’s “It Was Written” album. Growing up in the era when Hip Hop and Rap were first established in mainstream society also helped tremendously. The conscious and complicated rhyme schemes of Public Enemy, KRS-1, Rakim, Digable Planets, and T.L.C. planted the seeds of my inspiration along the way.

Source - If you had a chance to pick one place in the world to go and showcase your poetry, where would you go? Why?

Surreal Sista - In Russell Simmons’ office in New York because he’s one of those doors I need to open to get to the other side- The Next Level.