INTRODUCING lade BREEZ
Interviewer: E. L. Winston
Brandy “Lade Breez” Elam is an author, spoken word artist, motivational speaker, event host, mentor, and counselor coming out of the dirty south. Her skills are unparalleled and she is constantly upping her game for the people. 1. You recently added songwriter to your resume. Why was that such a natural progression for you? It was a very natural transition considering lyrically, all music is just poetry with a beat. 2. How did you get into spoken word? I had a need to write, but when that stopped being enough, I was introduced to DEF POETRY when I was still a child. I would journal to hide from things that brought me discomfort. When I became an adult, it became my outlet to speak out against social injustices and my rights as a masculine of center (MOC) person and Black woman. 3. What is your motivation as a creator? My motivation is being true to myself. I realized years ago when I tried to retire from my craft that it isn’t something you do, but that it is something that is part of who you are. It is who I am and the world is my muse. 4. You have been involved in a historic moment in your city. Tell
(ExpressMePoetry.com) or digital
us about it and how it felt to be involved? Whew! Which
copies on Amazon. When you order
one?! In November of 2021, I was honored to host the very
directly from my website, each copy
first Black hosting of a hip hop concert in the art halls of the
comes with a customized autograph.
River Center of Performing Arts. It was the very first time in the history of the Center that an event like that had been
7.
held there. In my philanthropic work, I try to always be fully
connect with you? You can find me on
present in standing up for the cause and in June of 2022, I
all social media sites at Lade Breez. I
was honored to participate in Columbus, Georgia’s award to
am also a quick find on Google under
COLGay Pride Committee of a Proclamation of the City
Express Me Poetry or Lade Breez.
deeming June as Pride Month. Both of these monumental
Readers can also book my motivational
occasions push me to do more.
speaking, poetry reading, hosting, or
5. How would you encourage someone just starting out with
Lastly, how and where can readers
reading/writing in schools.
spoken word? I would tell anyone who is thinking about doing spoken word to ‘just do it’. Don’t think about who will
I am so grateful for the time Lade
like it or who won’t. Do it for yourself and love yourself for
Breez took for this interview to happen.
doing it. There isn’t a wrong way to do it.
We must show support within our own
6. What else would you like to add that I may not have
community. Lade Breez stands as an
mentioned? I am a 3 time published author with one more
example of working in the community
book due to release later this year. You can find each
with mutually beneficial results. Keep
publication from “Journeys of a Long Walk” to “Point Me to
doing your thing!
Poetry” as well as “Journeys Traveled” on my website
