Greetings ATLiens!

Last week's crowd of over 70 was crazy! People showed up from the woodworks for the first non-rainy Tuesday in three weeks to see the amazing open mic talent on the Southside; Fayetteville to be exact. Everyone from HBO Def Poetry performers' John Goode and Tommy Bottoms to first time "virgin to the mic" participants got up and performed their lyrical asses off.

Vocalist and pianist Sarafina and others mixed the vibe up with their musical talent as Shadow aka DJ Right-Click, kept the vibes going with his smoothe Neo-Soul and Hip-Hop spins. Paul D, founder of Black on Black Rhyme Atlanta and member of popular rising rap group, THER.I.P.Y., along with co-host Isis kept the show exciting all night long with free raffle giveaways, witty hosting and the unique "Line of The Night".

With the drink specials and tasty food, glass-ceiling ambience, and great vibes, you are cordially invited to come enjoy the South's best Spoken Word with a fun filled-to-capacity show this Tuesday, July 3rd, at 9pm, make sure you're there early!

Shouts out to all the regular open mic'ers and audience members. Special shout outs to Last Forever (host of last Sundays at Apache), Stefan, Yohannen and family, Miggie9 and Early Morning Studios, Jangalang Entertainment and Onyxx Restaurant!

See you there,
Paul D
Host/Poet/Rapper/Teacher

This week's Feature Artist: HBO Def Poet - ABYSS


ABYSS

BIO
The gift of scribe has always been in Abyss's possession, but it wasnt until after the deaths of his mother, grandmother, and aunt, that his talents as a poet were revealed. His pain has birthed some of the most profound pieces ever spoken over an open mike. His struggles growing up in the hoods of Detroit have molded him into a man with an attitude as hard as concrete, but a compassion as delicate as a snow flake on the tip of a burning cigar. He offers his time and talents. His heart is with the youth of today. Abyss is a mentor in the youth penal system and in the public school system. And with five children of his own, he has a mandate on his life to give hope and inspiration to a generation that has been systematically set up for self-destruction. He was instrumental in starting the 1st Word Youth Poetry Slam. He is Co-founder of Project A.R.M. He is a part of the NACA Tour in various regions. He can be seen on HBOs Def Poetry Jams seasons 1 and 5. He sits on the board of the Atlanta Community Food Bank. With a resume like this, you'd imagine Abyss would be conceited and very unapproachable. Abyss has been in the company of the likes of Alicia Keys and Kanye West, yet he'll break bread with the homeless at the Atlanta Mission, if that is his assignment of the day. Come out Tuesday, July 3rd, to see this poet, visionary, leader, father, teacher, and inspiration, for yourself.

For more about ABYSS, please visit: www.myspace.com/abysslivepoets or abysslivepoets@yahoo.com

Black on Black Rhyme-ATL at the Onyxx Restaurant last week was another hot show with great vibes and a crowd of 62. The drink specials and fried tilapia/french fry special was crazy!

Make sure you to come out Tuesday, June 05, for this week's FREE feature: Javonte Considered the backbone of Rochester's thriving spoken word scene, Javonte is a poet and organizer of Black on Black Rhyme Rochester that has traveled the world building a buzz and reputation for spitting some of the hottest rhymes in the game!

JAVONTE

BIO
Javonte's dope flows and and powerful spirit delivery has allowed him to travel across the world performing his spoken word. He has toured Europe and most of America, lighting up the spoken word scene. The host of Black on Black Rhyme-Rochester, upstate New York's biggest and hottest poetry venue, Javonte couples business sense with pure talent to make him one of the biggest threats in the spoken word game today.

A critically-acclaimed poet with two CDs, Outspoken and Love Poems and Not So Love Poems, under his belt, and another on the way, Javonte will be sure to impress on Tuesday, June 5th, at Onyxx. Make sure you bring your friends, loved ones, and family, because the house will be packed and the show will be one for the ages!

Malik Salaam's destiny was written a long time before he made his debut on this planet. Words like destiny and legacy are more associated with commercials and sales gimmicks these days. Malik knows otherwise. Born, Malak Abdul Ibn-Shakur Abdus-Salaam, to Renford and Sylvia Silvera, Malik struggled to find his own voice outside of the legacy he inherited.

After Malik's father became estranged, Malik found himself mentally disconnected from his lineage and began an uphill battle to define his legacy as his own. While Malik Salaam's closest friends were making arrangements for prison bids, he was in basic training for The United States Navy, as well as, for the rest of his life. Strenuous hours on the flight deck and long voyages on the Pacific Ocean sparked the voices in his head that would eventually transform into the words that he would one day paint on page.

Malik discovered that words shaped thoughts- not only his- but he noticed the shift in conversation whenever one of his shipmates requested one of their favorite poems. Poems that combined the lessons of tradition with the light that his generation could bring a generation that had been written off long before they had even really got a chance to shine. Malik Salaam found himself caught in the current of trying to find his own voice. The structure that was his life began to disintegrate before his eyes.

He had been granted the vision to recognize the ability to make change and to create. And it wasn't long before Malik, composition book in one hand, was embarking on a never-ending quest to sculpt what would become a distinct and undeniable literary voice. It would be almost a decade before that voice would begin to properly resound.

After five years of touring on the country's college and open mic circuits and an artistically limiting experience on HBO Def Poetry, Malik has set his sights on exposing the beautiful struggle that is the Black Male Diaspora through theatre, print, and film. Malik is in touch with the experiences that are encountered on the road to manhood, and uses his fresh and timeless perspective as a catalyst for social change and cultural growth. Malik Salaam is dedicated to reshaping the cultural climate of his generations. And like such legends as Gordon Parks, who came before him, Malik has found art to be his weapon of choice...