Poetry In Motion

Shaneen Murray CNW Staff Writer

One of Chicago’s favorite wordsmith, J. Ivy is living out his dreams his way. On the Spoken Word Poetry scene, he is known for Hip-Hop Poetry but he’s more than a poet; J. Ivy is a renaissance man, a pioneer, and a trendsetter opening doors and creating platforms for spoken word artists to be heard on the biggest stages. Who knew a class assignment at Rich Central High School would propel him to be named Ebony Magazine’s Powerful 100, author, voiceover artist, award-winning poet, and 3x Grammy nominee?

Somewhere in LA, J. Ivy tries to find a quiet place to talk. His vibe is zen mixed with enthusiasm because he’s nominated for two Grammy awards this year, Best Gospel Album for his work as a producer on The Urban Hymnal for TSU’s Aristocrat of Bands and the newest category at this year’s Grammy Awards, Best Spoken Word Poetry Album. Not only is J. Ivy’s latest album, The Poet Who Sat By the Door, nominated, but J. Ivy is also responsible for influencing the Recording Academy’s decision to add the new category. In 2022, J. Ivy was nominated for Best Spoken Word Album and says he’s honored his name was even mentioned in the same category as greats Don Cheadle, LeVar Burton, Barack Obama, and Dave Chappelle but he realized the Grammy’s needed a category specific to poetry albums, not just audiobooks. With the support of over 100 poets, J. Ivy led a petition to add a Spoken Word Poetry Album category to this year’s Grammy Awards and won the vote, a historic move for both the Recording Academy and poets everywhere. “I feel honored and extremely proud… I have a seat at the table…it puts a voice in the room for the poetry community.” J. says that moment and his love for the 1973 film The Spook Who Sat By the Door was his inspiration for the album title. He refers to The Poet Who Sat By the Door as a “magical” compilation of Spoken Word Poetry and music featuring Chicago artists Tarrey Torae, Sir the Baptist, BJ the Chicago Kid, Deon Cole, and Maurice Brown plus other artists including John Legend, who got his stage name “Legend” from J. Ivy. Ivy’s span is global. When asked about the impact Chicago artists have on the music scene, he recalled his recent visit to Ghana for the Black Star Line Festival with Vic Mensa and Chance the Rapper. “There’s always been something special about Chicago artists, we’re just different. I’m proud to be a part of the Chicago legacy; to see how Chicago brought the United States back to the Motherland, it was incredible. On one hand, I was like wow! On the other, it wasn’t surprising because… that’s what we do.” One thing is for sure, J. Ivy is special and the love he has for his city and his craft is unmatched.

J. Ivy first wrote his name in the culture book in 2002 as the first Black Poet to represent Chicago on Russell Simmons Presents HBO Def Poetry. His powerful verse on “Never Let Me Down” from Kanye West’s Grammy-winning album, College Dropout, turned 20 this past December and the poem is just as inspiring today as it was then. If you haven’t heard J. Ivy’s albums, you’ve probably heard his voice narrating award-winning films like BET’s Muhammad Ali: The People’s Champ and intros for the National Spelling Bee, NFL’s Sunday Night Football, NBA, and US Open. Staying true to his Chicago Hip-Hop roots and his love for filmmaking, J. Ivy worked on the 2022 Netflix Hip-Hop classic, jeen-yuhs: A Kanye Trilogy as Lead Writer and Voice Director, teaming up with fellow Chica- go kid, director Coodie Simmons. I think it’s safe to say J. Ivy has put in the work to garner the recognition he’s getting today, although he says he couldn’t have gotten here alone. He credits God’s blessings, the support of his tribe, and his life-transforming poem “Dear Father,” dedicated to his Dad, James Ivy Richardson, Sr. whom he calls his guardian angel. He authored “Dear Father: Breaking the Cycle of Pain” and started the ‘Dear Father’ Movement to encourage people of all ages to explore the power of forgiveness by writing their own Dear Father Letter. “My relationship with my father is better now than it ever was, I know he’s guiding me, I know there’s an angel out here who knows my name.” J. Ivy’s motto is “Dreams Don’t Come True, They Are True,” but he admits “I keep asking myself what dream is this??” With a Peabody, a Clio, and an NAACP Image award already on the shelf, let’s hope J. Ivy’s wildest dream of bringing the coveted Grammy Award back to Chicago will come true this February. Congratulations @j_ivy you make us #ChicagoProud