BR names new poetry team to compete at national competition

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By Jason Andreasen

On Monday nights in Baton Rouge, there is not a more consistently entertaining show than The Eclectic Truth at Chelsea’s. Every week, some of the area’s most talented wordsmiths perform poetry ranging in subject matter from the surreal to the deeply personal, from the political to the sexual. Now, a newly named group of six will take what Baton Rouge has been experiencing for years to Madison, Wis. to compete in the 2008 National Poetry Slam.

“For three weeks, we had open tryouts,” explained Chancelier “Xero” Skidmore, nationally ranked poet and longtime Baton Rouge Slam Team member. “Each week, we had three people qualify to be in the Grand Slam [a competition to determine the best poets]. We had nine poets and the top six comprise the team.”

Skidmore, along with fellow teammate, Donney “Brasco” Rose, oversees the open-mic nights at Chelsea’s and has been able to take in Baton Rouge’s increasingly popular poetry scene from a front row seat. He cites the talent of the team’s newcomers as proof that our city not only has talented writers, but writers who are as gifted with their performance as they are their pen.

Here is a rundown of the team that will represent Baton Rouge at the National Poetry Slam in August:

Chancelier “Xero” Skidmore: Ranked fourth in the nation during 2002's Individual Slam Poetry competition and once taped a performance for HBO’s Def Poetry Jam. His poetry is often personal, never stiff and always animated and startling. He also serves as percussionist for The Michael Foster Project and teaches poetry as part of the Big Buddy Program’s WordPlay Teen Writing Project.

Donney “Brasco” Rose: Between serving as the emcee for The Eclectic Truth and being a competitor on Baton Rouge’s National Poetry Slam Team for years, Rose is a seasoned veteran. His work runs the gamut as far as both subject matter and delivery. One minute his words can come at you like a swatch of silk, the next he can violently gesture at the mic as if it had just disrespected his family’s name. According to Skidmore, he has recently been focusing on his use of imagery and pushing himself writing-wise.

Tasha Weatherspoon: This woman is also a long-time veteran of the open-mic nights in Baton Rouge, even harkening back to the days when it was held at the now defunct Tequila’s Café on Chimes Street. She has literally moved audience members beyond goosebumps and on to tears with her eclectic deliveries and gut-wrenching themes. Without question, she is one of the most dynamic and thought-provoking poets in this city.

Antoine “GHOST” Mitchell: A new-comer to the National Team, but no stranger to Baton Rouge microphones, GHOST is a militant-minded poet and painter with Afro-centric themes often at the heart of his work. By no means does that make his work only accessible for Afro-centric minds. The impassioned and socially conscious lyricism that he works into his poetry every time he performs can be offensive, but is never empty. What’s wrong with being offended every now and again, especially if in doing so your eyes are opened to valid points?

Philana Omorotionmwan: Although she may be new to the team, she does not allow that to hinder her intense and gritty performance style. She often employs sarcasm in order to pose questions to the audience to which she already knows the answer to. As Skidmore puts it, “She’s all about saying that shit that nobody else has the balls to say.”

Branson Moncriffe: His style is somewhat different than your average slam poet, calling on a “compressed rhyme” delivery that hits you with an onslaught of words that will cause you to really fall into his storytelling. Skidmore explained that there is a musical quality to his words that complements both his stage presence and occasional humor. Moncriffe, also a Magnet school teacher, was named to the Slam Poetry Team this year, his first time trying out for the honor.

The best way to support these artists as they prepare to travel to Madison is to check them out when they perform at The Eclectic Truth. Not only will the paltry $5.00 admission fee help to fund their expensive trek, but the more bodies in the building, the more feedback they receive.

The Baton Rouge National Slam Poetry Team has been wildly successful at the annual competition, making it to the semi-finals numerous times in recent years. The blend of new talent and experience on this year’s roster promises to make it just as successful.

“It’s huge,” explained Skidmore. “You’ve got 60-70 teams at each competition and only six teams make it to the semi-finals. We’ve been able to get there consistently. What it says is that we have a strong writing community, a strong spoken word community.”

E-mail the author at JasonAndreasen@tigerweekly.com

Originally Published: Issue 606 - April 30, 2008

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