Today we’d like to introduce you to Poppy Teez.
Hi Poppy, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I first noticed how gifted I was at age seven. From writing songs, stories to drawing portraits of people, even being able to cook a full breakfast spread. I fell in love with art early. My parents preached that art wasn’t sustainable, so they heavily pushed me into books. Which heightened my creativity because I found new uses and tools for my writing.
I won some scholastic awards for poems and short stories and was convinced I’d be an author one day. But life had a different story for me, everyone around me was riddled with drug addiction, friends, family, etc. This was the beginning of the fentanyl boom and unfortunately, I was a secondhand victim to it. So what did I do? I wrote about it, taking a dramatic effect to the real problems in my life. I wrote that one of my closest friends would die from an overdose. Two weeks later …… she was found dead from a drug overdose in the most inhumane way possible… To anyone else, it might’ve been a huge coincidence, but I felt like my words were more powerful than I knew at the moment, and I was responsible. I stopped writing. I stopped writing for years. I soon after tried to take my life. I was afraid of the power my words could have. I started back writing after I fell in love, corny I know, but my life was filled with new purpose, and I had someone in my corner telling me I had a true gift. What good is a gift if it’s not given to someone else? My first official poem, “Real” is what got me to where I am today. I randomly performed at an open mic I went to support a friend, people were crying … the cooks came out the kitchen to listen.. it was an emotional moment and one of the most impactful of my career. from there, everyone wanted to hear the poem “That makes people cry”. I went viral off that poem, and I’ve been creating and performing since and now I’m An Award Winning Spoken Word Artist and lyricist. Headlining my very own tour this year, with countless slam wins and famous credits.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
For the most part, it’s been easygoing. Once I took off, it felt like I’ve been in motion ever since. The hardest part is not being recognized amongst peers because I market myself as a musical artist and not just a poet. I feel like poetry isn’t lucrative because of how it’s portrayed. My art is not the typical poetry you hear. It’s made to be entertaining and relatable to everyone not just a certain demographic. So because of that, I tend to move alone. Some may say I’m “ruining the art form” but I say I’m changing the game.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I am an “Everything” creative. I create everything. I curate fashion and community events, I write, I paint, I’m a sustainable fashion designer, performer, unofficial chef. You name it, I probably could do it. Of course, my claim to fame is Poetry and Spoken Word. I’ve been credited with coining the phrase “Floetry”, but really it’s an older art form that I’ve resurrected, which is spoken word over contemporary style music. Usually free verse, and does not follow a beat or specific cadence (like rap), but can be accompanied with other styles of music. I am most proud of this year in a whole. 2023 has been wonderful. I went from a 3x award-nominated poet to award-winning, the bookings are up, the streams are up, I’m headlining my first tour, 2023 has been most proud moment of my entire career. I can’t wait to see what’s next.
Alright, so to wrap up, is there anything else you’d like to share with us?
Find me in a city near you in 2023!
Pricing:
- Event hosting/performance: Prices Vary
- Sustainable clothing: Starts at $60.00
- Streaming and support: free!
Contact Info:
- Website: Linktr.we/PoppyTeez
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/poppy.teez?igshid=OGQ5ZDc2ODk2ZA==
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/terrinecole.youu?mibextid=LQQJ4d
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/poppyteez/status/1477325228359442433?s=46&t=REsmiwtJj7UnVM4i-vMfQA
- Youtube: https://youtube.com/@PoppyTeez
Image Credits
Trendsettanini
