Taalam Acey
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Taalam Acey (born September 16, 1970) is an internationally known, American Spoken Word artist. Acey holds an MBA from Rutgers University. Prior to becoming a full time performance poet, he was a full time lecturer in senior level accounting at Rutgers University and a principal partner in a small business consulting firm.
Acey began his art of Spoken Word Poetry in 1997 after visiting a poetry reading at local night club on the invitation of a friend. In 1999, Acey left Rutgers University to become a full time traveling poet. Tens of thousands of people own his work and hundreds of thousands have watched him live or via television and the internet. He performs regularly in more than 50 cities in the United States and abroad.
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[edit] Early years
Born in Newark, New Jersey to teenaged parents, he spent his childhood immersed in the African centered political analysis.[1] At the time of his birth, his teenage parents were field soldiers in Amiri Baraka ’s Community for a Unified Newark (CUAN). That same year, CUAN helped Kenneth Gibson become the first black mayor of Newark.
His elementary school years were spent at Chad School, a private school of all black staff and administrators with high academic expectations of its students. His father had been instrumental in organizing the school. Each homeroom was named after an African country. The curriculum was geared to provide a positive sense of self, dispel negative stereotypes about African Americans, and teach the under-represented contributions of blacks in society.
[edit] Career highlights
Acey was one of four poets from around the US selected by Essence Magazine to feature at the 2001 Essence Music Festival in New Orleans. Previous to that he was chosen to open up for activist Dick Gregory for a live PBS broadcast from the University of Texas at Austin. He was also one of five poets from around the US selected to feature in the New Jersey Performing Arts Center's ground breaking "Theater of the Spoken Word."
His poetry has been featured in several publications including Essence Magazine. Acey has also lectured on performance poetry for the University of California at Berkeley's Center for Urban Education. His first video "When the Smoke Clearz" was shown in film festivals in Los Angeles, New York, Amsterdam and Rotterdam and was one of only 22 films nominated for a 2002 Sundance Film Festival On-line Award.
Taalam was the 2000 Grand Slam Champion of London's Paddington International Poetry Festival. He was also the 2000-2001 NJ Slam master and the Washington DC Black Words Grand Slam Champion. He's won slams in both the Nuyorican and the Green Mill Cafe in Chicago (both considered to be the int'l meccas of slam poetry). Acey was also a member of the 1999 New York City slam team representing the world famous Nuyorican Cafe. BBC Radio One (London) also featured Taalam in their documentary on slam poetry.
Bleeding edge spoken word has brought this Newark, NJ native everywhere from Los Angeles to Amsterdam. He has toured extensively throughout the continental United States, Mexico, Canada, Germany, UK, Jamaica, and Holland.
Along with 12 Spoken Word CDs, Taalam Acey has published an award winning memoir, a novel, a comprehensive compilation of his poetry and most recently- Excellent Exposure. Acey describes his latest effort as, "A defiantly open compendium of essays and poems derived from over a decade of success as a full time world traveling poet. This self expository collection weaves critical thought, blunt introspection and empirical enlightenment."
[edit] Published works
[edit] Literary
Excellent Exposure, essays and poems, Word Supremacy Press, 2009
Troubled Soul Refinery, poetry compilation, Word Supremacy Press, 2007
What You Deserve, a novel, Word Supremacy Press, 2006
Eyes Free: The Memoir, Word Supremacy Press, 2003
[edit] Recorded Performances/CD
California Suite (2008)
Self Construct (2007)
The Market 4 Change (2007)
Underground Heavy (2006)
Pieces of Change Disc 2 (2005)
Pieces of Change Disc 1 (2005)
Belief System (2003)
Blues Resurgence (2002)
Code Blues (2001)
Morally Bankrupt Final: Mood Demystify (2000)
Morally Bankrupt Two: Pain Remover (2000)
Morally Bankrupt One: The Wickedest Man in Babylon (1999)
[edit] Film credits
When The Smoke Clears (2001) (himself) 2002 Sundance Online Film Festival Audience Award Nominee
True Lies (2006) (himself) 2006 Sundance Film Festival Special Jury Prize Winner
What Black Men Think (2007)(himself) 2007 Best Black Documentary African American Film Critics Association
[edit] Television credits
BET The 5ive (2007) -3 episodes Teen Summit (2002) -1 episode
TVOne True Lies: Intro American Blackout (2007)
[edit] External links
Taalam Acey's Official Website......[1]
Taalam Acey MySpace Page......[2]
Follow Taalam on Twitter........[3]
Taalam Acey's Facebook Page........[4]
Taalam Acey's on Reverb Nation.......[5]
[edit] References
- ^ Eyes Free: The Memoir
