Spoken word artist Lyrical Faith, ready for her debut album, says she wants to inspire

At a period when many are facing hardships both at the local level and globally, Lyrical Faith, an award-winning spoken word artist and activist, says poetry as art can play an important part in empowering communities and serve as a revolutionary act of resistance.

“Spoken word is not only an educational tool that’s used to extend our voices, but it becomes this revolutionary act in and of itself by having the ability to stand up in front of people to share these thoughts that are edgy, that are political, that are vulnerable,” Faith said.

Growing up in the Bronx and Harlem, Faith, 32, whose real name is Imani Wallace, has carried her love of spoken word to major heights, becoming a three-time Women of the World Poetry Slam finalist and having performed across the globe. She is now a Ph.D. candidate in Social Justice Education at the University of Massachusetts and is hoping to release her debut spoken word album titled “Lyrical Analysis: The Evidence of Things Unseen” in September.

She is a co-founder of Harlem Bomb Shelter, the longest-running spoken word showcase in Harlem, and spends her time mentoring young artists.

“I like to say I fire lyrical shots in the air and watch and watch them land into souls to see how their minds unfold,” Faith said. ”I have the opportunity to use words to impact people and inspire people and relate to people and help them feel seen.”

Raised on Sedgwick Avenue in the Bronx, known worldwide as the birthplace of hip hop, Faith was always influenced by the stories of her neighborhood and rap music, having an appreciation for the lyricism of artists like Tupac Shakur and the Notorious B.I.G.

“It made me grow more into myself and more into my confidence,” Faith said about hip hop and rap music and culture.

Understanding how community and activism go together, Faith has always been involved in community service organizations, going back to after-school programs growing up. As a teenager, she got involved in groups like Urban Word NYC, which is responsible for the National Youth Poet Laureate award, and the Phoenix Sorority with Minisink Townhouse in Harlem.

She attended Syracuse University, further honing her skills, and says mentorship from figures like poet Cedric Bolton was crucial to her. She has now been doing spoken word professionally for a decade.

Like all artists, Faith deals with detractors and people questioning “what is your real job?” when they hear that she is a spoken word artist.

“It’s definitely pretty degrading how artists battle with all of this opposition and resistance to putting something beautiful into the world,” Faith said. However, it is her spirituality and faith, as well as being purpose-driven and having support, that have kept her grounded and motivated.

Faith has performed in South Africa, Mexico, Paris, Brazil, and more, as well as had her work shown in classrooms across the globe. She has also made appearances at world-famous venues including the Apollo Theater, on television with News12 The Bronx, and both the African American Day Parade and the Malcolm X and Dr. Betty Shabazz Center on several occasions. Recently, she was named the inaugural Poet-in-Residence at the UMass Amherst W.E.B. Du Bois Center and earlier this year, the inaugural Ignite Fellow and artist-in-residence at the Mosesian Center for the Arts in Watertown, Massachusetts.

This year, she has been preparing for her album and took part in a summer tour performing in countries including Portugal and Spain and cities including Los Angeles and Chicago. The album will be available on all streaming platforms, and the release date will be available on her social media.

“I know that what I’m doing is greater than me,” Faith said. “There are souls on the line, there are our lives that are being impacted, there are people that are feeling seen and heard and affirmed in spaces.”

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