The Drop Squad
"DROP SQUAD is a Halifax poetry alliance that seeks to give voice to political and social poetry based in the historical, cultural, and daily lives of Black poets raised or living in Nova Scotia. The poets of the DROP SQUAD believe in moving poetry beyond the stage and into the community to educate, politicize and agitate audiences. Founded by iZrEAL, El Jones, Keisha Monique and Native Son, honest and hard-hitting, their poetry aims to bring to the stage the thoughts and voices of Black poets in all their diversity and range. While each poet has a distinct individual style, the poets share a vision of poetry that creates unlimitedly, that speaks uncompromisingly, and that performs uninhibitedly. The poets have spoken in venues from university classrooms, to high schools and junior highs, media events, theatre audiences, corporate events, academic conferences, community gatherings, political marches, clubs, poetry shows and national slam championships. Their poetry aims to reach audiences of all ages and backgrounds, by providing an immediate and genuine voice that connects with audiences while challenging them to think. Ranging from funny to serious, from lyrical to rhythmic, from historical events to the every day, their poetry shows Black voices and minds engaged with the world and seeking to communicate their individuality and strength.
Native Son
Marvin Trimm a.k.a. (Native Son) has been involved in literary and performance art for many years. He is a poet, writer, spoken word artist, motivational speaker, story teller, musician, fine artist and performance artist. Native Son has performed all over the world from the Caribbean, Canada, Europe and the United States.
In his early years, he mastered the art of acting and became one of the original members of Bermuda’s “We Are People Too” at age five. This was a popular and prestigious theatre group based in Bermuda in the late 70’s and early 80’s. He was also a member of Theatrical Associates of Bermuda (a semi professional Theatre Company), Jackson School of Dance, United Dance Productions, Detroit Renaissance Company.
In his early 20’s Native Son wrote, directed and produced a one man play called “ Life Signs On Planet Earth” a group of monologues depicting different real life characters.
A native of the small island of Bermuda, Native Son describes his poetic literary speech as spontaneously truthful. A self pro-claimed Empowerment Poet, he often writes about self development, self awareness and self improvement. Native Son combines history, social, political issues to enlighten and bring fresh new perspectives about the world we live in.
He is currently a member of the Bermuda Writers Association, The Inspirational Writers Association, Canadian Writers Federation, and the Underground Poet Society. The poet/writer has literary pieces of work in an Anthology featuring other Bermudian poets called Mirror of Our Souls: Selected Poems from Bermuda and Her People. Also he has numerous articles written about him in the “Commoner”, “Coast”, “The Royal Gazette” and has been commissioned by The Nova Scotia Art gallery to pen pieces.
Native Son has performed and been featured at venues such as Apache Cafe, Chew Stick, The Bohemia Room, Literary Cafe, The Stage,Lyric Cafe, Speak Series, 1st UnPS conference, Poetree Corner, Broken English Series and countless community work from prisons to universities, and conferences.
He is a regular at the Halifax “Word Iz Bond Speak Series”. Native Son has graced the stage and has met with Elite Def Poets and motivational speakers such as Les Brown, Dr. Cindy Trimm, Bruce George co-founder of Russell Simmons "Def Poetry Jam",Tommy Bottoms, Will Da Real One, Black Ice,Mahagony Brown,Marquis Mix "13th of Nasareth", Abyss, Georgia Me, L.I.F.E., Asia, Talaam Acey, HBO's (Brave New Voices) Ray Domingaz mentor for the Ft. Lauderdale youth poetry team, (Canadian Poets) Shauntay Grant, Reed "iZreal" Jones, El Jones, Keisha Monique, Boonaa, Leviathan,Tomy Bewick, Dwayne Morgan, Zaccheus Jackson and many others. He has been featured on radio shows such as Hott 107.5, CKDU, Blog Talk radio and has performed for the former Premier of Bermuda and the Mayor and Governor of Halifax.
In 2009, Native Son paid tribute to Martin Luther King Jr. with a spoken word piece called “The Legacy” in which he graced the stage with Gary Beals a gifted singer most notably known for his Canadian Idol Experience. Bernice King, the daughter of Martin Luther King, also heard the spoken word piece “The Legacy” and loved it.
As captain of the 2009 Halifax Slam Team, NativeSon will now compete in Vancouver at the Canadian Festival of Spoken Word which will be held in November.
Native Son currently resides in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada where he is actively pursuing a Bachelors of Medical Science in Applied Human Nutrition degree, specializing in sports nutrition.
He is working on his first book titled “When Heaven Cried “a collection of spoken word pieces, poetry and quotes. Native is also writing a new one man show and cd release called “The Native Son Experience”. Life is a great motivator and has influenced my every thought. It’s my passion! So I must write, so I must speak” says the poet.
El Jones
El Jones is a spoken word artist, poet and teacher. Her Grandfather Patrick Jones was a calypsonian and social revolutionary in Trinidad who was once jailed for sedition against the British Empire for writing and performing songs against colonialization. Carrying a family legacy, El uses spoken word poetry to speak openly and fearlessly about the social and political issues, which affect the daily lives of Black people. Beginning in more traditional poetry forms, El discovered spoken word as a way to make her voice heard in public venues.
Born in Cardiff, Wales, and raised in Winnipeg, El moved to Halifax to attend Dalhousie University, where she is completing her PhD in English literature. She is a teaching fellow in the Foundation Year Program at University of King’s College in Halifax.
As captain of the 2007 Halifax Slam team, El led Halifax to its first ever victory at the Canadian Festival of Spoken Word in front of the home crowd. She performed in the Fringe Hit “Billie’s Blues Revisited” in the 2007 Halifax Fringe Festival, and was selected to perform at the media launch for the festival. In 2008 she won the CBC poetry faceoff in Halifax, and her poem was broadcast nationally. El is a regular performer at the Speak Series hosted by Word IZ Bond in Halifax as well as headlining at the Broken English poetry series. She has been a featured performer at the Roots Lounge in Toronto and at the Vancouver Slam. In addition, she performs at diverse venues across Halifax from clubs to classrooms. El will be captaining the 2008 Halifax team at the National slam held in Calgary in November.
El’s poetry has been commissioned by The Coast newspaper (Halifax) as well as by poets and artists in Halifax. Her poetry was featured on UNTV.CA and on CKDU radio. She is currently working on a CD with fellow Halifax poet Reed “iZrEAL” Jones.
Reed "iZreal" Jones
Reed “iZrEAL” Jones is Toronto-born spoken word poet, playwright, producer, director who was raised in the community of Hammonds Plains, NS. Always a Hip Hop fan, he began honing his gift for emceeing in High School as a member of local hip hop crew Mad Craz.
After graduating, iZrEAL attended Dalhousie University where he began to make the transition from rapper to spoken word artist. After leaving Dalhousie he enrolled at The Nova Scotia Community College where he graduated from the Sceen Arts Program.
iZrEAL is a founding member of the Word iZ Bond Spoken Word Artist Collective, The Halifax Slam team, The Drop Squad Poetry Collective and is also a member of Spocan (Spoken Word Canada).
iZrEAL routinely hosts and performs at Word Iz Bond’s Speak! Series (Halifax) and has performed at events across the world including The World Cup of Poetry ‘08 (Bobigny, France) The Canadian Festival of Spoken Word (Ottawa, Toronto, Halifax) and The Toronto International Poetry Slam.
iZrEAL has also been commissioned to pen poems for several organizations including CBC, The United Way and The Nova Scotia Community College. He has also been published alongside the likes of George Elliot Clarke and Silvia Hamilton and has been featured on CBC radio (Nova Scotia and Ottawa), The Candy Palamater Show, CBC News One, CBC ZeD tv, Much Music and featured in The Daily News, The Chronicle Herald, The Coast and To Find Us: Words and Images of Halifax a compilation of work by Nova Scotian artists.
iZrEAL released his debut CD titled The Street Preacher in 2005 and is currently working on his sophomore album “The Street Preacher Vol 2.” and is overseeing production on several other spoken word projects including Unbroken Chains a spoken word based play and cds for El Jones and The Halifax Slam team.
iZrEAL also produces and hosts The Elements League, a bi-weekly battle rap circuit in halifax.
Keisha Monique
Originating from Malvern, Toronto Keisha-Monique (aka MP/KMT/Cosmos), activist, artist, and griot, writes and performs to honor her Ancestors, The Divine and to motivate and bring awareness to current issues both locally and globally, especially how it affects Black youth and the Black diaspora at large. Armed with a pad and a pen, she began writing at the age of nine as one of the ways of expressing herself. She continued throughout high school which led to the forming of her hip-hop/soul group T&K (Truth and Knowledge), and poetry being published in local media.
Her involvement with grassroots initiatives and programs continued with a focus on education and the judicial system. With a passion and focus for community mobilization, she has worked with various other artists, community members and organizations such as the ROSE program (geared towards assisting youth who have been incarcerated and expelled from school regain their high school credits) to advocate such issues as education, housing, poverty and most importantly, knowledge of self.
Recognizing that art has always been a means for all Indigenous People to educate, heal, teach and unite themselves, she took her love of music and poetry to channel this energy. As a musician (djembe drumming), she has opened for Canadian artists such as Saukrates, K-OS, Jully Black and international artist Alicia Keys. As a spoken word artist, she has performed at various community events such as Project Humanity’s Annual Clothing Drive, Knowledge Bookstore’s Annual Kwanzaa Celebration, and Free the Angola 3 Fundraising Concert.
Keisha-Monique has also been featured on CHRY, ‘When Sisters Speak Spoken Word Concert’ in January 2008, and in Jamaica at the Jamaican Diaspora Conference in June 2008 with delegates from around the world.
She can be seen in documentaries such as EMPz 4 life, which focuses on the daily struggles and triumphs of residents and community workers in Toronto. She has also been featured as one of Toronto’s young and upcoming spoken word artists on CityTV NEWS annual Black History Month Special, NOW newspaper, and Black Habits Articles. Her poetry is also featured in a film about Jamaica, its social-political conditions and both its residents and Diasporic community.
Along with hosting her own radio show on CKDU 88.1 in Halifax, Keisha Monique is pursuing a BSc in Economics, and is working on a play and first album entitled ‘Po Tolo NGH: Uhuru For The People, Ase To The People’. |
