J. Ivy Stay In Your Lane

John Legend So High Ft J. Ivy

J. Ivy "Moon Cry" (Live In Chicago)

We all know that DJ’s have a love for “diggin’ in the crates,” it’s only right that this poet, this scribe, this storyteller, this artist, this writer, this imaginative force decided to go "Diggin’ In The Papes."  Over the years versatility has been one of the strongest suits of Hip Hop’s Favorite Poet, J. Ivy. You will remember him as the powerful lyrical poet who held his own on the song “Never Let Me Down” from "The College Dropout" along side of Kanye West & Jay-Z.  He is also the man who gave John Stephens the moniker John Legend.  As a prolific writer and performer he has a knack for finding unique ways of delivering his artistry, whether it be a dramatic heartfelt reading on stage, doing voice-over work for the likes of NBC’s Sunday Night Football, MC’ing Deepak Chopra’s Annual Conference or collaborating with artists like John Legend and Doug E. Fresh. Being the creative that he is, the power of J. Ivy’s words has been strongly felt whether delivered as an acapella piece or over a Soulful, Alternative, or Hip-Hop bed of music.

As this performance poet and author gears up for his January 27, 2015 book release titled "Dear Father: Breaking the Cycle of Pain," which is being published by Beyond Words, an Imprint of Atria Books/Simon and Schuster, he has taken the time to put a little something on your ears and spirit.  In the words of J. Ivy: “I figured why not give you a taste of what I experience when I shuffle thru the vault.”  From Crooked I to Disclosure to Mikey Rocks to Chill Moody to Carl Thomas to Slum Village to a remake of a Jimi Hendrix classic J. Ivy shares "Diggin’ In The Papes - Volume 1" of this music collective. Here is a free download for music and poetry lovers. 

WRITE IT DOWN

CHOSEN By Novakane ft. J. Ivy (The Most Interesting Man In The World)

RAAAWK By Vice Verse ft. Mikey Rocks of The Cool Kids & J. Ivy - Prod by Tall Black Guy

STAR STRUCK By Naledge ft. J. Ivy Prod by Sa-Ra (Chicago Picasso)

THEY DON'T KNOW By Mick Boogie x Slum Village ft. Vice & J. Ivy (The Dirty Slums)

FAMILY BUSINESS By Versatile ft. Remedi & J. Ivy

U By Cam Be & Josh Free ft. D. Train & J. Ivy (Be Free)

MILLION DOLLAR STORY By Crooked I ft. Tena Jones & J. Ivy

INTRODUCAO [THE COOLEST] By Rugz D. Bewler ft. J. Ivy (Bene´)

LITTLE BROTHER By J. Ivy ft. The Last Poets, Yaw, & Khari Lemuel (Here I Am)

P.L.E.A.S.E. By Jay Adams ft. J. Ivy

WATCH THE POEM By J. Ivy

FOR COLORED GIRLS By J. Ivy - Prod By Ski Beatz

WINGS By J. Ivy ft. John Hill & Winston Chang

BEYOND THE CLOUDS By Blitz the Ambassador ft. J. Ivy (Stereotype)

DOUBT By Chill Moody ft. J. Ivy (Hank McCoy Remix)

"Down at the Loose Skillet" was the first album released by J. Ivy in 2001. It features vocals by Tarrey Torae and J.V. and production by Ahmande Grimes, George Claiborne, and Abstract Mindstate. The album was recorded in Chicago, IL and Nashville, TN.

02 Down At The Loose Skillet

J. Ivy second studio album released in 2010. Features include The Last Poets, Tarrey Torae, Blitz the Ambassador, Nez and Rio, Jesse Boykins III, Jessica Care Moore, Amanda Seales, Marshall Knights, Mikkey Halsted, Twone Gabz, Supreme, Dope Sunny, Chris Rob, Yaw, and Khari Lemuel.

09 Did He

J. Ivy's latest album Catching Dreams highlights compositions consisting of Spoken Word Poetry & Music. Contributors to the album include Catching Dreams: Tarrey Torae, JT Rich, Marshall Knights, Brady Watt, Doug Fitch, Munyakazi Deo, Eric 1key, Maurice Brown, Ben Williams, Leonardo Nunezx, Eddie Krauger, Brandon Collins, Rell, Edith Yokley, Ahmande Grimes, Michalie Jamison, Jeff Lane, Jeff Piper, Mike Gallagher, Andrei Chaine, James Sanders, Burney Brown, Mike Williams, Swiss Chris, Yaw, Chris Rob. The album was created in the following cities: #Chicago, IL, #Atlanta, GA, #Nashville, TN, #Harlem, NY, #Kigali, #Rwanda, #Brooklyn, #NY, #London, #UK, #Manhattan, NY, #LosAngeles, CA, #RichtonPark, IL and #OrlandPark, IL. Mix Engineer: Greg Magers Assistant Engineer: Graham Burris, Master Engineer: Joey Fernandez. Photo & Design: Salim Green #poet #poetry #spokenword #poetryalbum

07. J. Ivy Brooklyn Rain ft. Ben Williams & Maurice Brown

06. J. Ivy Ride Out ft. Maurice Brown

05. J. Ivy Finding Home in Rwanda ft. Munyakazi Deo & 1key

04. J. Ivy We Forget

03. J. Ivy Fall, Don't Trip ft. Brady Watt

02. J. Ivy I Can't Go

01. J. Ivy The World Needs More Poets

10. J. Ivy Heaven On Earth ft. Rell & Edith Yokley

Native Chicagoan J. Ivy is a Peabody, Clio, and Image Award Winning Performance Poet, Artist, Musician, Author, Voice-Over Talent, Motivational Speaker, and Actor. His own-authored motto is, “Dreams Don't Come True, They Are True.” That mindset and his patented breath taking performances have led him to appearances on HBO’s Russell Simmons’ Def Poetry (3 Seasons), NBC’s Sunday Night Football (2 Seasons), ESPN’s National Spelling Bee, B.E.T.’s Ali: The People’s Champ, and more, to musical creations with The RZA, Estelle, Slum Village, BJ the Chicago Kid, Bun B, Ski Beatz, Sean C & LV, Miri Ben-Ari, and John Legend. He has shared stages with everyone from Prince to Steve Harvey to Doug E. Fresh to Sia to Dave Chappelle to Jim Carrey to many more. 

J. Ivy is widely known for being the Poet who masterfully delivered one of the most poignant verses in the history of Hip-Hop on Kanye West’s Grammy Winning Album The College Dropout. For more than a decade, the conviction, creativity, and passion that J. Ivy performed with on the classic song “Never Let Me Down,” which also features Hip-Hop Icon Jay-Z, has been held up as one of the greatest verses in the history of Hip-Hop by music lovers all over the world.  

J. Ivy, the man who gave Oscar & Grammy Award-Winning singer-songwriter John Stephens the name John Legend, has MC’d and performed poetry for conferences hosted by Deepak Chopra. In 2015 he penned poetry that he performed for NBA Hall of Famer Michael Jordan during All-Star Weekend in New York. And as a follow up to his latest works "Dear Father: Breaking the Cycle of Pain," a book which was published January 2015 by Beyond Words Publishing, an imprint of Atria Books & Simon and Schuster, J. Ivy is set to release the Dear Father Audio Book and album (“My Daddy’s Records: Songs from Dear Father”) Spring 2016.

J. Ivy

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