The Poetry Market Speaks Loud and Clear

The power of the word compels its listeners, and they chant in unison: “yes, rewind that.”
At the end of the performance the orator concludes and is applauded. He calms the stage and declares, “buy my CD - one for 10 and two for 20”.
Since Spoken Word spun off during the beat generation, Spoken Word poetry clubs have been sprouting and struggling to maintain an audience for almost two decades. Now its frequenters have found a way to capitalize on a rapidly emerging, but fickle market.
At most spoken word venues in South Florida you can find a fledgling poet hawking a recording of their best work following their performance.
“Support your boy,” says one poet to an audience member as she exits a poetry spot in the design district of Miami.
For most poets of Spoken Word and slam, the venues are a way to express themselves, for others, a means of making a living through the sale of their recorded voice.
“It’s a way for poets to make money doing what they love to do,” said Ingrid B, Co-host and founder of the Bohemia Room, a spoken word club. “Some of them pay their bills with these spots.”
HBO’s Def Poet, Asia, who frequents the Bohemia room, recently released his first major recording. According to him, releasing a CD is just one part of the self-expressive outlet of Spoken Word.
“One CD could change someone’s life,” said Asia.
Venues such as the Bohemia room, which has hosted the Miami masters slam team on numerous occasions, regularly hosts featured artists who implore the audience to “buy my CD”.
And for some established poets such as Asia, the self-advertisement works.
After the release of his second, but first official, spoken word CD, Asia sold 7500 copies while touring various college campuses throughout the Florida and the US.
With easier access to sound recording devices and Compact Disc duplicators, anyone can produce a poetry CD, or any kind of CD for that matter, and become an overnight recording artist.
Junior Smith, also known as Analogy, is working on his very first spoken word CD. With original music produced by his cousin in Anguilla backing his poetry, and professional graphic designs for the album cover done by another colleague, he is looking to turn nothing but a profit on his very first CD, touring the many Spoken Word clubs in Broward and Miami.
“You have to sell a product instead of give someone a product,” said Smith. “In order for your voice to be heard it has to be like an infection that needs to be spread.”
The proliferation of spoken word CD’s is comparable to the back trunk mix tap of the late 90’s and 2000’s. Any up-and-coming star wanting to get their voice heard would produce a CD and distribute it to whomever they could find.
Now, with spoken word, poets tour numerous venues and advertise themselves onstage after which they peddle whatever product they have to offer.
“Everyone has to have a Gimmick,” said Miami master Slam team member, Anomaly.
Captain of the Miami Masters slam team and two time HBO Def poetry artist Will “Da real one” Davis once set up shop whenever he could at poetry venues. As poetry enthusiasts exited joints he would melodically use his oratory prowess to lure buyers to his garage sale set up of past and present CD’s, promising one CD for 10 dollars and a deal of two for 20.
Will now owns his own poetry spot called the Literary Café and according to him some fledgling, spoken word, recording artists and clubs are demeaning the market for viable ones.
“They destroy the market when they perform and the public buys their product,” said Davis.
Spoken word artist are beginning to catch up to the contemporary R&B artists, producing CDs that sell on retail shelves across the nation and overseas. American spoken word artists have even gone on tour and developed a fan base in Europe, where the craft is developing.
For some independent, spoken word, recording artists, though, the day job will always be paramount after they close up shop at the poetry joint.
“Some people’s CD’s just suck,” said Asia.