Las Vegas young people exercise talents, inspire others through poetry slam events

Write your thoughts, express them at the microphone and receive applause from a choir of snaps.

The experience, called a poetry slam, is becoming popular among young people who want to express themselves with words.

Fans attending a recent event at Borders bookstore said they enjoy the slams because they provide a safe environment for their generation and give them something to anticipate. In contrast to all the negative news about youths, this is a place where they can come as they are and express themselves through poetry without being judged.

Borders' slams are held by C7 Entertainment, a Las Vegas company that provides a full spectrum of entertainment through music, film, event coordination and promotion. C7 owners Darryl Tootle and Chris Jones say their goal is to positively affect their generation and community.

Tootle says the purpose of the slam is to give artists a place to perform, to practice their craft in front of an audience and to get their message out.

Although the poetry slams provide entertainment for an audience, they ultimately cater to the artists more than anyone.

"On a Friday night, we have a window where it is 'cool' to try and better yourself," Tootle says. "There is no drama. Of the 20 to 30 artists and 300 in the audience, none of them are getting into any trouble and they are safe at the poetry slam. It's not much, but it is definitely progress toward our never-ending goal to give the youth of Las Vegas hope."

C7 Entertainment's owners say they take every event they host seriously and work hard to make sure they are doing something positive in the community.

They say they have tried to inspire young people and offer Las Vegas youths hope through the poetry slams.

The partners came up with the slams idea when they realized they knew a lot of talented lyricists around town, including rappers, singers and poets, with few places for them to be heard by their peers. So they decided to find a venue where they could make that happen.

Tootle and Jones get the word out about the slams through Facebook, but they also depend on word of mouth.

"The vibe is great," says Shadow Ridge High School student Dominique Hill.

"It's peaceful to me because you can be mad and just going through a lot, but by attending the slam and hearing the poets, you can almost understand that whatever you're going through, people have been through as well," says the 17-year-old who is a regular attendee and performer. "Overall, I would tell any and everyone to attend because it's an experience you won't find anywhere else."

All kinds of people attend the poetry slams, from rappers to singers to photographers to bloggers. Any creative talent is accepted at the events.

"The poetry slam is a great place to discover local talent, express your voice and interact with local teens," says Canyon Springs High School student Bricson Hicklen, 18, a slam devotee who goes every time he gets a chance.

Hicklen likes to attend the slams to hear local talent, but for Michael Gantt, they're a creative outlet and a chance to perform.

"Before I perform I have that 'game time' feeling where I'm anxious to perform because that's what I work for. I think the audience likes my work. They're usually satisfied with my performance," says Gantt, 19, a performer who is the only slam artist to be accompanied by a band. He and his team, Pure Vibe, also are referred to as the show of the night.

William Wilson, 27, a rapper and occasional slam poet who is known by his rap name Fame, says: "There's an appreciation for the expressions the poets use in the audience. The way every sentence, metaphor and word is perceived and dissected by the audience is nothing like what you receive at a hip-hop show. The atmosphere is crazy. Naturally, it's got that coffee shop feel, with a lot of 'intellects' in the building."

Canyon Springs student Jae Brown, 17, a performer, says she loves attending the slams.

"The atmosphere is just pure. There are so many talented people and creative minds in one room that are just inspiring and motivating to do more than you think you're capable of."

The slams also inspire young people to pursue their gifts and not sell themselves short, Tootle says.

"People come up to me after every poetry slam and say they want to do something next time and it makes me feel good that we inspire them to want to be great."