RL tha Gifted 1

About RL tha Gifted 1

Born in Philadelphia but raised mostly in Bed Stuy, Brooklyn, RL began
writing at the age of 13. He was into crafts and creative
writing from an early age, crafting short stories and adding artwork to
all of his poems. During his youth RL was highly influenced
by his former pastor, the late Ernestine M. Shivers. Shivers always
encouraged him to use his gift to the fullest of abilities, and often
prayed for & anointed his hands, claiming his greatness.
In the fall of 2000, RL began his ascent into the spoken word arena
by building his gift through various local open mics.
His life changed the night he met Ebony Washington, the host of Thursday
spoken word at Kay's Kafe, in the Bronx. There RL met
and joined himself to a group named The Glass Onion Dynasty, an
assortment of mc's, poets, singers & artists. His biggest influence
was a soulful poet named Inez. RL greatly credits her for teaching him how
to properly write effective & life changing words to uplift
and move souls. His spiritual roots have always carried him, using his
faith in Christ to share what God gives him to say.
Within the group RL met Stream of Conscious & Kool Breeze, promoters &
poets who were deep in the NYC slam & open mic scene.
With the help & strong wisdom of both, RL began to make a name for himself
within the poetry community, most notably at spots such
as The Sugar Shack, Hottest Poets, Sankofa & The Nuyorican Poets Cafe. But
his biggest challenge progressed when RL began hosting
The Big Mouth Bout, a one on one slam featuring the top poets in the NYC
area. As the event grew, RL's name became significant because
of his quick wit and ability to handle rough and tumble crowds. Kool
Breeze then struck a major deal to host poetry at a local bar in
the heart of Jamaica, Queens. The Cheyenne Roadhouse became RL's weekly
stomping ground to build his talent as host and poet.
For 2 successful years RL and Kool Breeze became a household name in the




apex of poetry with their back and forth verbal joustings
as well as the growth of the BMB's which soon began spreading from the
Roadhouse to The Bowery Poetry Club & CBGB's. He had
found his niche, hosting.
RL came full circle in September of 2005 when he began to host his own
spoken word night. Calling it ''RL's Lyric Lounge'', RL worked
out of Iimani Cafe in Bed Stuy. His early features included Ngoma, Kasim Allah, Harlem 125 & ItsReaLight to name a few. His own Saturday night
following stayed faithful, even as he embarked on moving locations, to the
Food 4 Thought Cafe. There, along with assistance by Kool
Breeze & his best friend Tanya Arnold, RL kept the Lyric Lounge as a full
force in the spoken word community. And for 3 years, RL has
kept a personal promise to give back to what was given to him: an
opportunity to shine in the spotlight. Many poets proclaim RL as
the individual who gave them their 1st feature when nobody else would.
Mixing his strong, Christian beliefs with the love for the arts,
he has always believed everyone deserves their chance to be heard. Because
of his being influenced by Langston Hughes, his abstract
form of writing dares to paint a picture of life from different angles. He
was always taught by Kool Breeze to look at the ''bigger picture''. And in his poetry, RL gets you to do just that.

CD Releases:
2006 – Tha Bootleg Manifesto (available on (expired link))
2009 – The Abstract Messiah (available on itunes, amazon, napster, rhapsody & more)
2010 – Ambassador (available on (expired link))
2011 – Ambassador II Chronicles
2012 - Ambassador 3


Hosting appearances:
The Cheyenne Roadhouse, RL's Lyric Lounge, Moms Cafe,
Powerful Praise Africa Nite, Big Mouth Bout @ CBGB’s, Food 4 Though Cafe

Guest Hosting appearances: Baruch College, Nuyorican Cafe,
Kay's Kafe, Amy Ruth's, Brown Chocolate Cafe

Notable features: St. Francis College (Bklyn, NY), Lenoir Comm. College (Kinston, NC), Tues Verses (Richmond, Virginia), Medgar Evers Film & Culture Series, (Bklyn, NY)
Lyric Ave (Richmond, Va), Nuyorican Friday Night Slam, Juke Juice Joint Jaffe, Nubian Heritage Bookstores (Harlem & Brooklyn), Smokin Word Theater, Real Poetry @ Brownstone Bookstore (Bklyn, NY), Diversity Poets (Norfolk, Va)
No Intros @ Nuves Café (Queens, NY), Cornelia St. Café (New York, NY), Bread is Rising Poetry Society, (New York, NY)
Soul Cyphers (Trenton), Bowery Poetry Club (New York, NY), Urban Erotica(New York, NY), Albemarle Comm College, (Elizabeth City, NC), N4CSGA Conference (Durham, NC), The Wine Up (Charlotte, NC), Illusions Open Mic, (Kinston, NC), ), SoulSweet Sanctuary (Bronx, NY), Poetz Realm (Bridgeport, Ct), SalvationCafe Records Open Mic (Brooklyn, NY)