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Just like a lot of other poets, I started off writing love notes about my feelings because I was never good at expressing them in person. I would write to my significant other and give the note in an envelope or a notebook for her to read. Flash-forward to my senior year at Miramar High School<\/strong>, I was in lunch free styling and rapping to my friends. Our poetry team sponsor Mrs. Clarington<\/strong> discovered me and asked me to come out to an event called the Poetry & Leadership Conference (PLC)<\/strong><\/span> hosted by the Omari Hardwick bluapple Poetry Network<\/strong><\/a><\/span> of the Jason Taylor Foundation<\/strong>.<\/span><\/p>\n As an athlete at the school, I felt obligated to keep up my macho fa\u00e7ade and not join a poetry team, so I hid from Clarington for weeks.\u00a0 Finally, stopping by her office to say hello I overheard my friend, Alexander Crowley<\/strong>, rapping a piece to a group of students. I immediately felt my competitive nature kick in and shared a rap piece of my own. We ended up both becoming close friends and joining the club the \u201cMiramar Truth Spittahz.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n [image src=”http:\/\/jasontaylorfoundation.com\/2024\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/Secondary.Image_.Mic_.Check_.News_.Alexander.Crowley.1200×600.png” shape=”img-rounded”] \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0[image src=”http:\/\/jasontaylorfoundation.com\/2024\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/Secondary.Image_.Mic_.Check_.News_.Just_.John_.1200×600.png” shape=”img-rounded”]<\/p>\n The PLC opened up my eyes to how similar rap is to poetry and I instantly fell in love with the artistic expression. I noticed how combining words and cadence with delivery on stage engages an audience. I began to realize that poetry is deeper than just \u201croses are red and violets are blue.\u201d I\u2019ve been a part of bluapple ever since, winning the inaugural Louder Than a Bomb Florida (LTABFLA)<\/strong><\/a><\/span> team poetry competition in 2015.\u00a0 I now serve as both Program Assistant<\/strong>\u00a0and Teaching Artist<\/strong> for the organization.<\/span><\/p>\n Here, I\u2019ve been able to share my story and give a platform to creatives just like me to express themselves and develop their identity in the arts. I believe rap and poetry go hand in hand and here are three reasons why:<\/span><\/p>\n Coming from both worlds, I know how one can develop the other. Wale<\/strong> did this for me with the way his poetic pace flowed through my ear buds on a beat. Or J. Cole<\/strong>, who always leaves you with a story and a message to receive, filling you up like soul food after a verse.<\/span><\/p>\n [image src=”http:\/\/jasontaylorfoundation.com\/2024\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/Secondary.Image_.Mic_.Check_.News_.Writing.1200×600.png” shape=”img-rounded”] \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0[image src=”http:\/\/jasontaylorfoundation.com\/2024\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/Secondary.Image_.Mic_.Check_.News_.Music_.1200×600.png” shape=”img-rounded”]<\/p>\n For these reasons and so many more, we have created Mic Check<\/strong><\/a><\/span>, a workshop series catered to the emcee; the lyricist; the rapper. In this space, we generate an atmosphere where both the rapper and the poet can co-exist in the same place at the same time, glorifying the art in the same fashion. \u00a0The workshops feature music, writing techniques and stage ways to enhance stage performance.<\/span><\/p>\n\n