Music
Press
Anticipation of performance can be an unnerving experience. However it's the experience that has the ability to launch your career to another level. "the Mistress of Mic Check" was on that bill. Host of her own online Cyber Show "In Between the Beatz". She spins the venomous voices that accent her show. Artist like Cody Chestnutt, Ndambi,Tantra, Tara Michel, Julie Dexter etc. Her loyal fans tune in daily. What some people may not know about this Queen is, she's a performing artist as well. She knows her way around the stage. Neo Soul , Hip-Hop, Reggae, Whatever. The sister is a MC who truly leads the band. She performed three songs for the evening. Essentials, "Water For Wine" and "50 "accompained by her father on bass the incomparable "Doc Stewart" and Ronin Ali playing trap Drums. Accompained by audio tracks. We were all feeling it as she belted out the leads. Taking everyone on a journey of strong lead vocals and rap. Poetica also is a published author and SESAC affiliate. This Libra is all business. Don't be fooled by her bright smile, she is no joke. You know that talent when you see it. It has a certain energy that refuses to be denied. Poetica's a rare jewel. Whatever she does is done to the max. Be sure to stay tuned. you'll want to keep her performance schedule close. ~ Cliff Peterson - Neomusiq.com
The Lights are dim and the crowd is ripe. Anticipating the start of Philadelphia's popular weekly poetry readings. Poetica has just graced the mic with her sultry, placid voice. Not only has poetica emceed this week's episode of "Poetic Lounging" but like all gracious hosts do she spelled a rhyme or two from her own personal collection. Known as Natalie Natema in everyday life, this promoter/performer has been reading poetry since 14. Natema has connected with the free flow art and mysterious effect of spoken word poetry. - Monica Dillion
Poetica, one of the shows organizers broke the intermission. She summoned two brothers who flanked her sides. They pumped up the beat box sound effects. I wish you could have seen and heard her ride the beat. Encore!Encore! was the word as she tried a modest exit. So the DJ Threw on this phat track. Mecca Star, Bahamadia and Poetica went Off on it. - Kennard Henderson
Poetica is a Hostess, Queen of Blues, renissance woman and asset to the artist community here in Philadelphia. She is definitly a vetern to the International expo. - Sterling H. Johnson
At 14, she was already a triple threat studying theater, music and visual arts at the local Creative and Performing Arts High School, but it was away from school grounds where she received an understanding of how art and entertainment fit within the lives of black people. As a spoken word linguist, she helped form the United Brown Poets, a group of teens that performed their own poetry pieces in various locations in Philly. “I’d always carry around a book of poetry I called self,” she recalls, adding that it was this selfless expression that enabled her to cope with her traumatic experiences as a child. In no time, the streets began to buzz of her talents so much that she was asked to open up for “The Roots” label signing party, with MCA, held at the Trocadero in Philadelphia. “Someone was running late and they asked me to stall for time, the crowd went silent when I began talking and free-styling then I started to remember a poem and they loved it. That was the hottest moment ever,” she says about the opportunity to perform in front of established artists with an audience of over 600 people.
“Everything I wanted to do, I came here and I did it,” she gleams. Nothing tops songstress Alicia Keyes requesting her to sing at her book signing party for the novel “Tears for Water.” Gracing the stage with rappers Common, Kanye West and Mos Def convinced her that she has arrived musically and that it is time to record on her own.
By Yasmine Weaver
- The Black Star News
Discography
GrooveAttack Records/ Landspeed/Supperappin
"By Design" Grand Agent
Track #14 Waughter Co wrote & Featured Vocals
By Poetica curtesy of Libralicious (SESAC)
Awol Revolutionary Artist Workshop Magazine & CD
Vol One Spring 2001 featuring Dead Prez, Spearhead & Poetica
Track # 3 Essentials
K-Mack "Lost and Turned Out" (12") 1998
Inna Vibes Sound
Urban Assault Compilation
"I Represent"
Quiet Revolution Records
Photos
Feeling a bit camera shy
Bio
A Renissance Woman who has done everything in addition to appearing in commercials on radio and television. A Music school teacher on Law and Order featuring Anthony Anderson, appearing as a Protestor in Interpreter & Tenant in Freedomland. Her on-line radio show "In Between Da Beats" aired 24/7 recieving hits arcoss the country London, Africa, DC and New York they would log in to hear that velvet voice on the former Neo soul site. The audience, admirer's of a emerging collection of indie now signed acts she became
associated with.
She has even been poetically profound on film, (both in front of and behind the camera) since relocating to New York she worked as personal assitant for Director Lamont Burell and with him began her career as a producer of shorts and music videos. They were introduced by Alicia Keyz during her private release of "Tears For Water" when Poetica Sang Her "Water For Wine" featured that evening with the likes of Kanye, Mos, Common, Talib and Alicia, all at the Harlem Grill in New York. While attending Philadelphia's Creative & Performing Arts High School she was a part of an artist collective started by grammy award winning group "The Roots" called "Foreign Objects". She was also a resident poet at Philadelphia's world famous October Gallery, along with the Likes of Rich Medina & Jill Scott.
Her stretch as a hostess of the underground scene from 95 thru 99 in Philadelphia, made her smile a staple of the underground. At Wilhelmina's Lounge her weekly thursday event would spawn drop in performances by special guests, Yet Weds. at South Street Blues is where she enjoyed the journey thru music accompained by drummer Eric Tribbet among many other renound musicans off tour. Those jam sessions aided in the development of Poetica's sound. Amongst the years of hosting, South Street Blues was a befitting finale, she turned down hosting the Black Lilly in Philly (There new found label success warrented funds for flow, they said no-doe, she said no-show, no hard feelings) and would perform when she could for the Lilly at the Wetlands in New York with artists like Kindred, Jaguar and Scratch.
Poetica has contributed her talents to emcees like Grand Agent writing & performing the best song to appear on his LP "By Design" entitled "Waughter" released on Groove Attack Records. She has also worked with the Famed Freedom Williams (C&C Music Factory) at his self titled label Fine Tunning the Presentation of Alkebulan Billboard Dance Chart Artist and writing for her as well. SHe has also sang Background and played percussion for Imo & One Africa Afro Beat Band.
Jill Scott Thanks her on the inside of her debut CD, Black Ice was the name of a poetry group who's members included, a Young Poetica prior to Def Poetry Jam although she supports her former partner who assumes the title for Russell Simmons. Poetica has been known for bridging the gap between hip-hop & Spokenword, given the title "Rythmic" in the Panoramic Poetry Anthology edited by L. Redcross about the spoken word artist movement in Philly 1994 at the October Gallery (Pieces Press). Apprentice to the late photo journalist Mposi Mshale Tolbert In 1999 she self-published a volume of Poetry, Short Story & Photography, all her own, and includes a profound photo of Maya Angelou taking by a young Poetica entitled Immaculate Creation.
A underground favorite "Essentials" written by Poetica & her father , a bass guitarist has recieved airplay on Philly's 103.9FM and WKDU's 91.7. The song nick named check 1,2,3 was also contributed to the Awol Revolutionary Artist workshop cd compilation featuring Dead Prez & Spear Head. Valued for her live performance on the underground scene in Philly, New York, Atlanta, Detroit & Boston, Rhoad Island's Brown University requested her presence along side Dead Prez for the ACLU "Right to Vote tour as well.
If you are in Brooklyn you may have seen her dynamic set at acclaimed live music venue The Chocolate Monkey. If you were at the October Gallery for the release of NUMBAONELYRICSIS mixtape you mite have a point of reference. If you were a part of the America's Next Top Model cast you may have seen her in stereo in Manhattan with her back up vocals at the Dublin cast parties. She is definitly leathal with her Contra Band at her Monthly Venue Sputnik in BK, Keeps it poppin with her Rubba Band and will blaze a set in Aca-ghetto. She calls her work audio-bio-poetics and has featured segments of SOund SPite, a one woman piece at the Eagles Dare Theater in Manhattan.
If you like Floetry you'll wish to be completely submerged in the poe-antics of Poetica.
(according to Poetica, poe-antics; The fusion of Funk, House, Jazz & Blues filtered through hip-hop wit a smile) well this all the way live from the 215 Mic Mistress remains undiscovered and uncompromized.
She is Poetic, Overstanding, Elected, Through Initiation, Conversation and Action watch see! coming through your speakers wheather so
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