MUSIC VIDEO: "Heart of Man"-UK Wordsmith Joshua Luke Smith

UK wordsmith Joshua Luke Smith has dropped a great, new track called "Heart of Man," as inspiration for the new year!

The track, featuring Joshua's powerful spoken word, calls for us to reflect on 2016 (the good and the bad), and travel through 2017 with a renewed spirit. "My hope is this song helps to slow us down, to help us step into this year fully here, present and hearts full and ready to love," Joshua said of the song.

Watch the video below!

In The Spotlight: Poet Jonte "Luki" Barrett

Another great spotlight for you guys! As always, if you are or represent an upcoming artist, designer, model, etc., please visit our Features/Submissions page for more information on how to be featured on the blog!

Today on The Spotlight, we have brillianty talented and breathtaking poet Jonte "Luki" Barrett!  Hailing from Washington, D.C. ("It's DC or nothing!" sje confidently said), Jonte started creating poetry back in 2007, and has recently started performing as Luki (pronounced "lucky"). In fact, she recently performed  at the Moonz Conference 2016, an annual conference for fans of Wale to connect, support and build with each other!

VIDEO: "You Ever?"- Poet Toiné Houston

Chicago poet Toiné Houston explores true love in her piece, "You Ever?"

The spoken word piece, set to music, is featured on Toiné's Love States EP. In a statement, the track was explained in full:

"Today’s world of dating is a melting pot of emotion and adjustment; in a city so full of young souls eager to fall in love, trials, turns and tribulations are sure to arise before finding one’s soulmate. In the new “You Ever?” visuals, Toiné Houston explores her city and her heart to find the connection she’s been yearning for. As a woman not interested in fabricating her reality, Toiné speaks true sentiment and emotion into this record, provoking our deepest feelings and memories of loves past.

The poet uses her words, set to music, to ask raw and honest questions about love, to invoke thoughts and emotions from listeners themselves.

Check out the visual below!

EVENT: Just Mike Presents the Love and Poetry Tour (Washington, D.C.)

On Friday, August 21, 2015, Just Mike (the poet) hosted the Washington, D.C. stop of The Love and Poetry Tour featuring Vision, Jamarr Hall, and other poets!

I really wasn't going to even write a post about the event, simply because I just wanted to just soak everything in and truly enjoy myself. I keep telling myself I need to actually enjoy more of life's moments, instead of wanting to capture them all for the blog or social media. However, the more clips I recorded on my phone (I couldn't help it!), the more I wanted to share with you guys!

I'm big on poetry, and big on using writing as self-expression in general. I watch spoken word a lot on YouTube and follow some amazing poets and writers online, Mike included. I've purchased a few of his books a while back, and HAD to see him in person on this tour! I'm glad I did. I was surrounded by amazing people with great vibes, all enjoying great words and music. I'll definitely be supporting the other poets, as well as checking out other open mic and poetry events.

Check out some video below!

NEW PROJECT: Balladry-Jah' Bless

My fellow Moonz are so talented and inspirational, I promise you! Check out this new project from poet Jah' Bless entitled Balladry!

Combining his love of music with his great poetry, Jah' Bless came up with a great project in Balladry, choosing the name because the project is spoken word set to music, with each piece having something moving to say. "My inspiration behind this project was purely based on the need to escape a fear I had," he said. "I wanted to do this project to challenge myself in a way I haven't before." The poet already had material prepared, but the recording process was new to him. However, he was able to get all the instrumentals together and figure out recording over them himself.

Check out a few tracks below!

In The Spotlight: Christian Richardson

Keeping these spotlights coming! As always, if you are or represent an upcoming artist, designer, producer, etc., and are interested in a feature on The Spotlight, please read our Features/Submissions page for more details!

Today, I’m happy to feature one of my fellow Moonz (aka strong supporters of Wale and each other!), poet Christian Richardson! Christian started writing poetry in his senior year of high school back in 2007, with his first poem being a love poem to a girl he was “foolishly in love with,” he joked. “We were not communicating at the time, so I wrote her a letter instead.” Poetry soon became a way for him to truly open up about his feelings and emotions about his life circumstances.

In The Spotlight: Prentice Powell

A few weeks back, I got an email to check out some clips from a show on TV One called Verses and Flow, engineered by Lexus. I remember vaguely hearing about it and seeing a preview a while ago, but never really sat down and watched. Man, was I missing out! Hosted by actor and poet Omari Hardwick, the show features some of the best spoken word artists in the country, as they discuss real issues from love, self-esteem, current events, racial relations and more! It was very impressive to watch, and now I've made it a part of my Wednesday nights (the show comes on Wednesdays at 9 p.m. ET on TV One...check your local listings!).

I got the opportunity to chat with poet Prentice Powell, who has performed on every season of Verses and Flow, both individually and with his poetry collective Fiveology! To say that he is an amazing and talented poet is a complete understatement, and, for those who have seen and heard his work, you know why. For those who haven't, you'll see what I mean right now!

Check out more about Prentice below!