J. Ivy
Encyclopedia
J. Ivy is an American hip-hop poet
who fuses spoken word
poems with hip-hop music and syncopation
styles. He is a three-time HBO Def Poet
and has earned a Grammy Award
for his performance on Kanye West
’s debut album “College Dropout”. His full-length solo album, “Here I Am”, was released in late 2010 on his co-owned music label Ivyous Entertainment.
, IL to James Ivy Richardson, Sr. and P. Richardson. His father was a Disc Jockey and On-Air Personality, who went by the name Jim Richards. Jim Richards' highlights included hosting the morning hour show on Chicago’s popular radio station WVON
, and his mother was a registered nurse.
J. Ivy grew up on Chicago’s South side until the age of 14 before moving to the South suburbs, where he attended Rich Central High School
. J discovered his poetry talent when his English teacher asked him to perform a piece he had written for a routine assignment. J performed in front of the student body and received a standing ovation
. J. was heavily influenced by his mother, who supported his budding talent by encouraging him to continue writing and publish his burgeoning body of work. After his successful school performance, J took his poetry passion as a serious hobby and began regularly writing and performing well into his college
years.
, where he became known on campus as “The Poet” and delved deeper into the art form. After college, J. Ivy returned to Chicago and frequently performed on the local arts circuit there. As his popularity grew, he was eventually asked to come on HBO [[Def Poetry]] Jam. He received a standing ovation for his performance of “I Need to Write” was invited back for two encore appearances in later seasons.
Fellow Chicagoan, Kanye West, heard about J. Ivy from mutual friends while he was working on his debut album “The College Dropout” for Roc-A-Fella Records
. He contacted J. and offered him the opportunity to be on the song, “Never Let Me Down” which also featured Jay-Z
. The album, which featured a song with a poem by J. Ivy, earned a Grammy Award.
The exposure on Kanye’s album opened the door for J. to perform and collaborate with or open up for the RZA
, The Last Poets
, Jill Scott
, Common
, Carl Thomas, Sharon Stone
, and Mos Def
. His distinct hip-hop poetic style caught the attention of many who were not accustomed to hearing poetry incorporated into hip-hop music in this manner.
J. Ivy has performed with, toured with and/or opened for Tarrey Torae, John Legend
, Common, Kanye West, Erykah Badu
, Bob Dylan
, The Wallflowers
, Ghostface Killa, Scott Storch
, The Roots
, Consequence
, GLC
, Bo Diddley
, Miri Ben-Ari
, Doug E. Fresh
, Talib Kweli
, Mos Def
, Jill Scott
, Dave Chapelle, Method Man
, Ludacris
, Shawnna
, Femi Kuti
, Patti LaBelle
, El DeBarge
, Carl Thomas, The Last Poets, Gil Scott-Heron
, Nikki Giovanni
, Sonia Sanchez
, Lauryn Hill
, Roy Ayers
, Usher
, Trey Songz
, The Black Crowes
, Nas
, India Arie, Jaguar Wright
, Malik Yusef, Cedric the Entertainer
, Floetry
, Anthony Hamilton
, Lyfe Jennings
, Babyface and many others.
and LRG’s national print-ads as well as a spokesperson for Ford Urban.com
alongside Tarrey Torae, Rocsi
from BET
's "106 & Park
" and MTV’s VJ [[Sway Calloway]].
for the campaign’s commercial, which was showed in movie theatres nationwide. This campaign was directed by Bob Giraldi
, who directed Michael Jackson
's "Beat It
." J. Ivy's musical endorsements have also included extensive work with Allstate Insurance
’s Beyond February initiative. J. Ivy’s voice has also been heard on HBO Boxing
, Monday Night Football
, CBS Sports
, MTV
’s Who's Got Game, and in the 2009 and 2011 NFL seasons, he was featured on the introduction for the entire season of NBC
’s Sunday Night Football
alongside Faith Hill
.
system as well as panelist to speak to children. Additionally, J. Ivy has conducted a poetry workshop in Aruba
in 2010.
J. Ivy has also founded the Write To Live Academy to encourage young people to explore careers in the poetry, writing and arts. Every year the foundation provides scholarship
s to students.
, ABC's All-America Team Show
, ABC's FedEx Orange Bowl Championship Game, ABC's Monday Night Football, ABC's NBA Finals
, Russell Simmons
' Def Poetry Jam on HBO, HBO's Bob Costas Now
, HBO Boxing, MTV's Who's Got Game, MTV's Snoop Dogg
Special (2004), MTV's My Block
, VH-1's Best Year Ever (2005), BET's
Lyric Café, BET's Black Carpet Series, BET's Harlem Nights
, the independent film, Backstabbers (1999), and several other music video
s and documentary projects.
Poet
A poet is a person who writes poetry. A poet's work can be literal, meaning that his work is derived from a specific event, or metaphorical, meaning that his work can take on many meanings and forms. Poets have existed since antiquity, in nearly all languages, and have produced works that vary...
who fuses spoken word
Spoken word
Spoken word is a form of poetry that often uses alliterated prose or verse and occasionally uses metered verse to express social commentary. Traditionally it is in the first person, is from the poet’s point of view and is themed in current events....
poems with hip-hop music and syncopation
Syncopation
In music, syncopation includes a variety of rhythms which are in some way unexpected in that they deviate from the strict succession of regularly spaced strong and weak but also powerful beats in a meter . These include a stress on a normally unstressed beat or a rest where one would normally be...
styles. He is a three-time HBO Def Poet
Def Poetry
Def Poetry, also known as Russell Simmons Presents Def Poetry or Def Poetry Jam, which was co-founded by Bruce George, Danny Simmons and Deborah Pointer, is an HBO television series produced by hip-hop music entrepreneur Russell Simmons. The series presents performances by established spoken word...
and has earned a Grammy Award
Grammy Award
A Grammy Award — or Grammy — is an accolade by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences of the United States to recognize outstanding achievement in the music industry...
for his performance on Kanye West
Kanye West
Kanye Omari West is an American rapper, singer, and record producer. West first rose to fame as a producer for Roc-A-Fella Records, where he eventually achieved recognition for his work on Jay-Z's album The Blueprint, as well as hit singles for musical artists including Alicia Keys, Ludacris, and...
’s debut album “College Dropout”. His full-length solo album, “Here I Am”, was released in late 2010 on his co-owned music label Ivyous Entertainment.
Early life
J. Ivy was born March 3, 1976 as James Ivy Richardson II in ChicagoChicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
, IL to James Ivy Richardson, Sr. and P. Richardson. His father was a Disc Jockey and On-Air Personality, who went by the name Jim Richards. Jim Richards' highlights included hosting the morning hour show on Chicago’s popular radio station WVON
WVON
WVON is a radio station licensed to Berwyn, Illinois, serving the greater Chicago area, airing an African-American-oriented talk format. WVON is managed by Midway Broadcasting Corporation, via a local marketing agreement with frequency owner Clear Channel Communications. Civil rights leaders the...
, and his mother was a registered nurse.
J. Ivy grew up on Chicago’s South side until the age of 14 before moving to the South suburbs, where he attended Rich Central High School
Rich Central High School
Rich Central High School or RCHS, is a public four-year high school located in Olympia Fields, Illinois, a southern suburb of Chicago, Illinois, in the United States. The Rich Central Campus serves the cities of Olympia Fields, Matteson, Richton Park,...
. J discovered his poetry talent when his English teacher asked him to perform a piece he had written for a routine assignment. J performed in front of the student body and received a standing ovation
Standing ovation
A standing ovation is a form of applause where members of a seated audience stand up while applauding after extraordinary performances of particularly high acclaim...
. J. was heavily influenced by his mother, who supported his budding talent by encouraging him to continue writing and publish his burgeoning body of work. After his successful school performance, J took his poetry passion as a serious hobby and began regularly writing and performing well into his college
College
A college is an educational institution or a constituent part of an educational institution. Usage varies in English-speaking nations...
years.
Music career
J. Ivy attended Illinois State UniversityIllinois State University
Illinois State University , founded in 1857, is the oldest public university in Illinois; it is located in the town of Normal. ISU is considered a "national university" that grants a variety of doctoral degrees and strongly emphasizes research; it is also recognized as one of the top ten largest...
, where he became known on campus as “The Poet” and delved deeper into the art form. After college, J. Ivy returned to Chicago and frequently performed on the local arts circuit there. As his popularity grew, he was eventually asked to come on HBO [[Def Poetry]] Jam. He received a standing ovation for his performance of “I Need to Write” was invited back for two encore appearances in later seasons.
Fellow Chicagoan, Kanye West, heard about J. Ivy from mutual friends while he was working on his debut album “The College Dropout” for Roc-A-Fella Records
Roc-A-Fella Records
Roc-A-Fella Records is a record label founded by Shawn "Jay-Z" Carter, Damon "Dame" Dash, and Kareem "Biggs" Burke. Today it operates as a subsidiary of Universal Music Group, and is distributed by Island Def Jam Motown Music Group.-Formation and Early Years:...
. He contacted J. and offered him the opportunity to be on the song, “Never Let Me Down” which also featured Jay-Z
Jay-Z
Shawn Corey Carter , better known by his stage name Jay-Z, is an American rapper, record producer, entrepreneur, and occasional actor. He is one of the most financially successful hip hop artists and entrepreneurs in America, having a net worth of over $450 million as of 2010...
. The album, which featured a song with a poem by J. Ivy, earned a Grammy Award.
The exposure on Kanye’s album opened the door for J. to perform and collaborate with or open up for the RZA
RZA
Robert Fitzgerald Diggs, better known by his stage name RZA , is an American Grammy-winning music producer, multi-instrumentalist, author, emcee, and occasional actor, director, and screenwriter. A prominent figure in Hip Hop, RZA is the de facto leader of the Wu-Tang Clan. He has produced almost...
, The Last Poets
The Last Poets
The Last Poets is a group of poets and musicians who arose from the late 1960s African American civil rights movement's black nationalist thread...
, Jill Scott
Jill Scott
Jill Scott is an American soul and R&B singer-songwriter, poet, and actress. In 2007, Scott made her cinematic debut in the films Hounddog and in Tyler Perry's feature film, Why Did I Get Married? That year, her third studio album, The Real Thing: Words and Sounds Vol. 3, was released on...
, Common
Common (rapper)
Lonnie Rashid Lynn, Jr. , better known by his stage name Common , is an American hip-hop artist and actor....
, Carl Thomas, Sharon Stone
Sharon Stone
Sharon Vonne Stone is an American actress, film producer, and former fashion model. She achieved international recognition for her role in the erotic thriller Basic Instinct...
, and Mos Def
Mos Def
Dante Terrell Smith is an American actor and Emcee known by the stage names Mos Def and Yasiin Bey. He started his hip hop career in a group called Urban Thermo Dynamics, after which he appeared on albums by Da Bush Babees and De La Soul. With Talib Kweli, he formed the duo Black Star, which...
. His distinct hip-hop poetic style caught the attention of many who were not accustomed to hearing poetry incorporated into hip-hop music in this manner.
J. Ivy has performed with, toured with and/or opened for Tarrey Torae, John Legend
John Legend
John Roger Stephens , better known by his stage name John Legend, is an American singer, musician, and actor. He is the recipient of nine Grammy Awards, and in 2007, he received the special Starlight award from the Songwriters Hall of Fame.Prior to the release of his debut album, Stephens' career...
, Common, Kanye West, Erykah Badu
Erykah Badu
Erica Abi Wright , better known by her stage name Erykah Badu , is an American singer-songwriter, record producer, and actress. Her work includes elements from R&B, hip hop and jazz. She is best known for her role in the rise of the neo soul sub-genre, and for her eccentric, cerebral musical...
, Bob Dylan
Bob Dylan
Bob Dylan is an American singer-songwriter, musician, poet, film director and painter. He has been a major and profoundly influential figure in popular music and culture for five decades. Much of his most celebrated work dates from the 1960s when he was an informal chronicler and a seemingly...
, The Wallflowers
The Wallflowers
The Wallflowers is a rock band from Los Angeles, California, fronted by Jakob Dylan. Formed in 1989 and originally known as The Apples, the ensemble has gone through numerous personnel changes with Dylan the only constant....
, Ghostface Killa, Scott Storch
Scott Storch
Scott Storch is an American record producer. He produces a variety of music, particularly hip hop, reggaeton, and R&B. His label, Storch Music Company responsible for signing Brooke Hogan and Nox...
, The Roots
The Roots
The Roots is an American hip hop/neo soul band formed in 1987 by Tariq "Black Thought" Trotter and Ahmir "Questlove" Thompson in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are famed for beginning with a jazzy, eclectic approach to hip hop which still includes live instrumentals...
, Consequence
Consequence (rapper)
Dexter Mills , better known as Consequence, is an American rapper. He is the cousin of rapper Q-Tip of the hip hop group A Tribe Called Quest, and was formerly an affiliate of Kanye West's GOOD Music family. Consequence debuted in 1996 on A Tribe Called Quest's album Beats, Rhymes, and Life...
, GLC
GLC (rapper)
Leonard D. Harris is an American rapper from Chicago.-Early life:Leonard D. Harris found poetry and hip-hop at an early age and used both to cope with the passing of his parents. “As long as you’re talking about the negativity, you’re only attracting more negativity into your life. Stay positive. I...
, Bo Diddley
Bo Diddley
Ellas Otha Bates , known by his stage name Bo Diddley, was an American rhythm and blues vocalist, guitarist, songwriter , and inventor...
, Miri Ben-Ari
Miri Ben-Ari
Miri Ben-Ari is an Israeli violinist, who currently resides in the United States.Ben-Ari grew up playing classical music; she started training at age 5 and at age 12, she was presented with a violin by Isaac Stern. During her mandatory Israeli military service, she was chosen to play for the...
, Doug E. Fresh
Doug E. Fresh
Douglas E. Davis , better known by the stage name Doug E. Fresh, is an American rapper, record producer, and beat boxer, also known as the Human Beat Box...
, Talib Kweli
Talib Kweli
Talib Kweli Greene , better known as Talib Kweli, is an American hip-hop artist and poet from Brooklyn, New York. His first name in Arabic means "student" or "seeker" ; his in Swahili means "true"...
, Mos Def
Mos Def
Dante Terrell Smith is an American actor and Emcee known by the stage names Mos Def and Yasiin Bey. He started his hip hop career in a group called Urban Thermo Dynamics, after which he appeared on albums by Da Bush Babees and De La Soul. With Talib Kweli, he formed the duo Black Star, which...
, Jill Scott
Jill Scott
Jill Scott is an American soul and R&B singer-songwriter, poet, and actress. In 2007, Scott made her cinematic debut in the films Hounddog and in Tyler Perry's feature film, Why Did I Get Married? That year, her third studio album, The Real Thing: Words and Sounds Vol. 3, was released on...
, Dave Chapelle, Method Man
Method Man
Clifford Smith , better known by his stage name Method Man is an American hip hop artist, record producer, actor and member of the hip hop collective Wu-Tang Clan. He took his stage name from the 1979 film The Fearless Young Boxer, also known as Method Man. He is one half of the rap duo Method Man...
, Ludacris
Ludacris
Christopher Brian Bridges , better known by his stage name Ludacris, is an American rapper and actor. Along with his manager, Chaka Zulu, Ludacris is the co-founder of Disturbing tha Peace, an imprint distributed by Def Jam Recordings...
, Shawnna
Shawnna
Rashawnna Guy , better known by her stage name Shawnna is an American rapper. She was the first female artist signed to Def Jam through Ludacris' Disturbing tha Peace Records...
, Femi Kuti
Femi Kuti
Olufela Olufemi Anikulapo Kuti popularly known as Femi Kuti, is a Nigerian musician and the eldest son of afrobeat pioneer Fela Kuti....
, Patti LaBelle
Patti LaBelle
Patricia Louise Holte-Edwards , better known under the stage name, Patti LaBelle, is a Grammy Award winning American singer, author and actress who has spent over 50 years in the music industry...
, El DeBarge
El DeBarge
Eldra Patrick "El" DeBarge is an American R&B/pop falsetto singer and was the focal point and lead singer of the family group DeBarge throughout the early to mid-1980s....
, Carl Thomas, The Last Poets, Gil Scott-Heron
Gil Scott-Heron
Gilbert "Gil" Scott-Heron was an American soul and jazz poet, musician, and author known primarily for his work as a spoken word performer in the 1970s and '80s...
, Nikki Giovanni
Nikki Giovanni
Yolande Cornelia "Nikki" Giovanni is an American poet, writer, commentator, activist, and educator. Her primary focus is on the individual and the power one has to make a difference in oneself and in the lives of others. Giovanni’s poetry expresses strong racial pride, respect for family, and her...
, Sonia Sanchez
Sonia Sanchez
Sonia Sanchez is an African American poet most often associated with the Black Arts Movement. She has authored over a dozen books of poetry, as well as plays and children's books...
, Lauryn Hill
Lauryn Hill
Lauryn Noelle Hill is an American singer-songwriter, record producer, and actress.Early in her career, she established her reputation as a member of the Fugees. In 1998, she launched her solo career with the release of the commercially successful and critically acclaimed album, The Miseducation of...
, Roy Ayers
Roy Ayers
Roy Ayers is an American funk, soul, and jazz composer and vibraphone player. Ayers began his career as a post-bop jazz artist, releasing several albums with Atlantic Records, before his tenure at Polydor Records beginning in the 1970s, during which he helped pioneer jazz-funk .- Biography :Ayers...
, Usher
Usher (entertainer)
Usher Terry Raymond IV , who performs under the mononym Usher, is an American singer-songwriter, and actor. He is considered around the world to be the reigning King of R&B. Usher rose to fame in the late 1990s with the release of his second album My Way, which spawned his first Billboard Hot 100...
, Trey Songz
Trey Songz
Tremaine "Trey" Aldon Neverson , better known by his stage name Trey Songz, is an American singer-songwriter, rapper, record producer and actor. His debut album, I Gotta Make It, was released in 2005, while his second album, Trey Day, was released in 2007...
, The Black Crowes
The Black Crowes
The Black Crowes are an American rock band formed in 1989. Their discography includes nine studio albums, four live albums and several charting singles. The band was signed to Def American Recordings in 1989 by producer George Drakoulias and released their debut album, Shake Your Money Maker, the...
, Nas
Nas
Nasir bin Olu Dara Jones, who performs under the name Nas , formerly Nasty Nas, is an American rapper and actor. He is regarded as one of the most important figures in hip hop and one of the most skilled and influential rappers of all-time...
, India Arie, Jaguar Wright
Jaguar Wright
Jaguar Wright is a soul/R&B vocalist from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. She is part of the Okayplayer collective. She has performed along rap acts such as The Roots, Jay-Z, and Blackalicious.-Career:...
, Malik Yusef, Cedric the Entertainer
Cedric the Entertainer
Cedric Antonio Kyles , known professionally by his stage name Cedric the Entertainer, is an American actor, comedian and director...
, Floetry
Floetry
Floetry was a British R&B duo comprising Marsha Ambrosius and Natalie Stewart . The group recorded two studio albums, one live album, and sold over 800,000 records worldwide. Formed in 1999, Floetry started on the performance poetry stage.In 2002, the duo released their first album entitled, Floetic...
, Anthony Hamilton
Anthony Hamilton (musician)
Anthony Hamilton is an American R&B, and soul singer-songwriter, and record producer who rose to fame with his platinum-selling second studio album Comin' from Where I'm From , which featured the singles "Comin' from Where I'm From" and "Charlene."-Life and career:Hamilton was born in Charlotte,...
, Lyfe Jennings
Lyfe Jennings
Lyfe Jennings is a platinum-selling American R&B and soul singer-songwriter, record producer, and instrumentalist. He plays the guitar, bass, and piano which he integrates into his music...
, Babyface and many others.
Ad campaigns
In addition to his voice, J. has been a featured in numerous ads and served as a spokesperson for national corporate initiatives. He has been a model for both MeccaMecca
Mecca is a city in the Hijaz and the capital of Makkah province in Saudi Arabia. The city is located inland from Jeddah in a narrow valley at a height of above sea level...
and LRG’s national print-ads as well as a spokesperson for Ford Urban.com
Ford Motor Company
Ford Motor Company is an American multinational automaker based in Dearborn, Michigan, a suburb of Detroit. The automaker was founded by Henry Ford and incorporated on June 16, 1903. In addition to the Ford and Lincoln brands, Ford also owns a small stake in Mazda in Japan and Aston Martin in the UK...
alongside Tarrey Torae, Rocsi
Rocsi
Raquel Roxanne Diaz better known by her stage name Rocsi, is an American television personality of BET's 106 & Park and hosts her own daily nationally syndicated radio show .-Early life and career:...
from BET
Bet
Bet or BET may refer to:* A wager in gambling* Basic Economics Test * Bet , the second letter in many Semitic alphabets, including Aramaic, Hebrew, Phoenician and Syriac* Brunauer-Emmett-Teller isotherm. See BET_theory...
's "106 & Park
106 & Park
106 & Park is a Top Ten Hip-Hop and R&B music video show, set up in a countdown format, that airs weekdays at 6:00 PM on BET . Since its inception, it was the network's #1 rated show...
" and MTV’s VJ [[Sway Calloway]].
Voice overs
J. Ivy was the sole voice and face in Verizon’s History in the Making Campaign, which earned him a Gold Clio AwardClio Awards
The Clio Awards are annual awards bestowed to reward innovation and creative excellence in advertising, design and communication. The categories include work in nearly all types of media, and the judges are advertising professionals from around the world....
for the campaign’s commercial, which was showed in movie theatres nationwide. This campaign was directed by Bob Giraldi
Bob Giraldi
Bob Giraldi is an American film and television director best known for directing the music video for Michael Jackson's song "Beat It." His work has garnered many accolades, including several , , NY International Awards, Addy Awards, and hundreds of Clio Awards...
, who directed Michael Jackson
Michael Jackson
Michael Joseph Jackson was an American recording artist, entertainer, and businessman. Referred to as the King of Pop, or by his initials MJ, Jackson is recognized as the most successful entertainer of all time by Guinness World Records...
's "Beat It
Beat It
"Beat It" is a song written and performed by American recording artist Michael Jackson, and produced by Quincy Jones . It is the third single from the singer's sixth solo album, Thriller . Eddie Van Halen was hired to add the song's distinctive overdriven guitar solo, but was prevented by his...
." J. Ivy's musical endorsements have also included extensive work with Allstate Insurance
Allstate
The Allstate Corporation is the second-largest personal lines insurer in the United States and the largest that is publicly held. The company also has personal lines insurance operations in Canada. Allstate was founded in 1931 as part of Sears, Roebuck and Co., and was spun off in 1993...
’s Beyond February initiative. J. Ivy’s voice has also been heard on HBO Boxing
HBO Boxing
HBO World Championship Boxing is a sports television series, premiering in January 1973 that has shown a number of significant boxing events in the last three decades....
, Monday Night Football
Monday Night Football
Monday Night Football is a live broadcast of the National Football League on ESPN. From to it aired on ABC. Monday Night Football was, along with Hallmark Hall of Fame, and the Walt Disney anthology television series, one of the longest running prime time commercial network television series...
, CBS Sports
CBS Sports
CBS Sports is a division of CBS Broadcasting which airs sporting events on the American television network. Its headquarters are in the CBS Building on West 52nd Street in midtown Manhattan, New York City, with programs produced out of Studio 43 at the CBS Broadcast Center on West 57th Street.CBS...
, MTV
MTV
MTV, formerly an initialism of Music Television, is an American network based in New York City that launched on August 1, 1981. The original purpose of the channel was to play music videos guided by on-air hosts known as VJs....
’s Who's Got Game, and in the 2009 and 2011 NFL seasons, he was featured on the introduction for the entire season of NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
’s Sunday Night Football
Sunday Night Football
Sunday Night Football is a weekly American football game held throughout most of the season by the National Football League. Sunday night games have been played regularly since 1987 and have thus far aired on three different television outlets:...
alongside Faith Hill
Faith Hill
Faith Hill is an American country singer. She is known both for her commercial success and her marriage to fellow country star Tim McGraw. Hill has sold more than 40 million records worldwide and accumulated eight number-one singles and three number-one albums on the U.S...
.
Charity & community involvement
J. Ivy supports programs that bring arts into the school system. He is a regular performer in Chicago Public SchoolsChicago Public Schools
Chicago Public Schools, commonly abbreviated as CPS by local residents and politicians and officially classified as City of Chicago School District #299 for funding and districting reasons, is a large school district that manages over 600 public elementary and high schools in Chicago, Illinois...
system as well as panelist to speak to children. Additionally, J. Ivy has conducted a poetry workshop in Aruba
Aruba
Aruba is a 33 km-long island of the Lesser Antilles in the southern Caribbean Sea, located 27 km north of the coast of Venezuela and 130 km east of Guajira Peninsula...
in 2010.
J. Ivy has also founded the Write To Live Academy to encourage young people to explore careers in the poetry, writing and arts. Every year the foundation provides scholarship
Scholarship
A scholarship is an award of financial aid for a student to further education. Scholarships are awarded on various criteria usually reflecting the values and purposes of the donor or founder of the award.-Types:...
s to students.
Film & Television Appearances
J. Ivy has appeared on many programs and series, including: E.R., The Martha Stewart Show, ABC's BCS Selection ShowBowl Championship Series
The Bowl Championship Series is a selection system that creates five bowl match-ups involving ten of the top ranked teams in the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision , including an opportunity for the top two to compete in the BCS National Championship Game.The BCS relies on a combination of...
, ABC's All-America Team Show
College Football All-America Team
The College Football All-America Team is an honor given annually to the best American college football players at their respective positions. The original usage of the term All-America seems to have been to the 1889 College Football All-America Team selected by Casper Whitney and published in This...
, ABC's FedEx Orange Bowl Championship Game, ABC's Monday Night Football, ABC's NBA Finals
NBA Finals
The NBA Finals is the championship series of the National Basketball Association . The series was named the NBA World Championship Series until 1986....
, Russell Simmons
Russell Simmons
-External links:** * * * * * * from the US Holocaust Memorial Museum* *...
' Def Poetry Jam on HBO, HBO's Bob Costas Now
Costas Now
Costas Now was an American monthly sports television show hosted by Bob Costas on HBO.-History:In 2001, Costas was hired by HBO to host a 12-week talk and interview series called On the Record with Bob Costas. In 2005, the program was revamped to become Costas Now, with more of a focus on sports...
, HBO Boxing, MTV's Who's Got Game, MTV's Snoop Dogg
Black History Month
Black History Month is an observance of the history of the African diaspora in a number of countries outside of Africa. Since 1976, it is observed annually in the United States and Canada in February, while in the United Kingdom it is observed in October...
Special (2004), MTV's My Block
My Block
"My Block" was the lead single released from Scarface's seventh album, The Fix."My Block" made it to 46 on the Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs.-B-Side:#"Guess Who's Back" #"Guess Who's Back"...
, VH-1's Best Year Ever (2005), BET's
Black Entertainment Television
Black Entertainment Television is an American, Viacom-owned cable network based in Washington, D.C.. Currently viewed in more than 90 million homes worldwide, it is the most prominent television network targeting young Black-American audiences. The network was launched on January 25, 1980, by its...
Lyric Café, BET's Black Carpet Series, BET's Harlem Nights
Harlem Nights
Harlem Nights is a 1989 comedy-drama crime film starring Eddie Murphy and Richard Pryor. The film also featured Michael Lerner, Danny Aiello, Redd Foxx, Della Reese and Murphy's brother Charlie Murphy...
, the independent film, Backstabbers (1999), and several other music video
Music video
A music video or song video is a short film integrating a song and imagery, produced for promotional or artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a marketing device intended to promote the sale of music recordings...
s and documentary projects.
Links
- http://www.screamingwoman.com/
- http://www.rogerroberts.net/rogerroberts.net/pdfs/ISSUE_1_PG4_C.pdf