ibé Kaba

A Maninka born in Kankan, the capital city of the ancient Mandin Empire but now part of Guinea, Ibé grew up between Koindu, Sierra Leone; Evanston, IL; and St. Cloud, MN. Although he has his mailing address in Eagan, MN, Ibé lives in what he calls "The Middle of the Atlantic", and from there he uses poetry to tell the story of Africans in America. Ibé is the founder of Atlanticrock.com, a website designed to showcase and teach the world about Africans in the Diaspora, especially in America. A member of the Minnesota Spoken Word Association, Ibé is a 2004 Minnesota Academy Award nominee for Best Spoken Word. Since he first got on stage in 2003 Ibé has been performing spoken word for audiences at many venues around the Twin Cities including Jazzmine's, Intermedia Arts, Barnes and Noble Bookstores, and the Communiversity monthly lecture series; Hamline University, William Mitchell School of Law, St. Cloud State University in St. Cloud, MN; and the Nuyorican Poet's Café in New York. A frequent guest on "African Roots Connection" radio program on KMOJ Fm 89.9 radio station in Minnesota, Ibé has also featured on such television shows as "Jammin Africa" on ABN America, and "Words, Camera, Action" on MTN cable access. Ibé is a writer, but in the tradition of ancient Mandin griots, uses spoken word to get his message across. He is currently working on his first book of poetry and prose, Bridge Across Atlantic, scheduled for release in Summer 2006. Ibé has a B.S. in Business Computer Information Systems from St. Cloud State University.

Michelle Barnes

I have been expressing my creative skills all my of my life, whether it’s acting, playwriting, directing, DJ’ing, writing poetry, painting, or drawing. Around the age of nine, I established a home at the Pillsbury House in south Minneapolis, and Juxtaposition Arts around the age of twelve. Although my focus has been on visual art and theatre, I have recently begun to expand my skill in spoken word. How eighteen years old and a senior at South High, I hope to study art at either Penn State, or Adelphi University in Garden City, New York. I believe that art, no matter what form, has an incredible ability to bring people together, and I love it because it allows people to express themselves. To embrace art…is to embrace life.

Peace

Chantz Erolin has been writing for 11 months and rapping for 8. He does work with ryot and a community rap class through Hope Non Profit.  Chantz credits his identity as Bleed Yellow to his two weekly housholds, EG Baily for starting him, Chaka Mkali for advancing him,  and south high and marcy open school for teaching him.
Chantz currently has been featured on one cay riss mixtape and is now creating another mixtape with Chris Engh and Cory Grindberg.

Nikko Sencer-Mura

Nikko Sencer-Mura, a seventh grader from Marcy Open School, belongs to a family who has been active in the arts and in the local Asian American community. He and Chantz have been taking writing workshops and rapping together. Nikko performed at the Acadia Coffeeshop acadia as part of RyotGot Mic last summer.