He first started out alongside AfroBoy in the DJ unit “Afro-Gee” mainly playing Hip Hop & Funk at clubs & bars around South London. Then in 2002 for a scheduled Valentine’s show, they decided to incorporate a “Spoken Word” section into the event’s proceedings in an attempt to make the night “more romantic”. They both wrote poems for the evening, and upon Mr Gee’s debut performance he forgot the last line of his piece! The night was still hailed as a success, and the poetry bug was now firmly rooted in him.
Soon afterwards, a local entertainment night was being opened at Brixton Art Gallery called “Brix-Tongue” . Still reeling from the success from the previous Valentine’s night, Afro-Gee put their names down as performers. As luck would have it, the headline musical act didn’t show up, so Afro-Gee stepped in to close the show and received a favourable review in the local press. It was at this night that Mr Gee started to hone his talent as a Spoken Word artist. He soon emerged as a permanent fixture at each “Brix-Tongue” occasion and became well-known for delivering a brand-new poem for each & every month. His storytelling style became an audience favourite, and he was eventually invited to host the night which he does to this day.
In 2003, Mr Gee began to venture out & perform at other poetry venues around London. He quickly became well-known among London’s vibrant Spoken Word scene. His poems have an intricate rhyme structure which generally gives away his Hip Hop DJ background, and his African & Caribbean roots form the perspective from which he crafts his lyrics using words to paint pictures of modern life in London.
His usage of descriptive language in his poems have resulted in him being recruited into several schools & colleges in inner city London to conduct his “Creative Writing” workshops. Their fundamental purpose was to motivate students to appreciate the effect of the language that they use when completing their coursework. Mr Gee has also been called into classes to recite & explain the works of established poets in keeping with the national curriculum.
By 2004, Mr Gee took his style of performance poetry abroad. He performed at the Nuyorican Poets café in New York and delivered his pieces at Philadelphia’s famous “Black Lily” night (a regular haunt for the likes of The Roots, Floetry & Jill Scott). He also attended the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in Scotland. Such experiences broadened his horizons to see the international scope of Spoken Word poetry as an entertainment form in its own right. He also noted how there was very little knowledge abroad about the growing scene in London and the artists involved. He then became a guest presenter for the “London Diaspora” show for Cultural Co-operation on Resonance FM. Here he was brought in to interview underground poets about their work & their inspirations in order to give further exposure to Spoken Word and it’s relevance in modern society.
Mr Gee’s style of hosting at the “Brix-Tongue” has garnered him much acclaim, his quick-wit & flamboyant introductions have become a mainstay of the night. He has consequently been invited to host several other Spoken Word events. In 2005, his presenting style was recognised and he was brought in by the BBC to co-host the performance poetry show “Bespoken Word” on Radio 4. This SONY award-nominated show brought his poetical & hosting skills to a national audience, and received much critical acclaim.
Mr Gee has been a guest on the Eddie Nestor morning show on Radio London, he has been featured in the “Voice” & “New Nation” (the UK’s most popular black newspapers) as well as “The Guardian” & “Time Out”. At time of writing, he has just completed his debut CD entitled “Poetry In the Key of Gee”. It consists of 17 tracks covering a variety of themes, which were written, composed & produced by him. Coming from a man who describes himself as a “teller of London’s street fables”, it should make an interesting listen indeed!
Ann Yowline
