T. Patrick Washington spoken word poetry flyers and photograph collection

Patrick Washington is a D.C. spoken-word poet. He has been performing spoken-word poetry in the Washington D.C. area since the mid-1990s. He is known as Black Picasso. Black Picasso along with Darrell Perry (Naturalaw) and Rhome Anderson (DJ Stylus) form the performance group Poem-Cees. Poem-Cees came out of Washington's hip-hop community that grew up in the mid-1990s much of it around the cultural and commerical revival of U Street. It was at this time that two communities coverged poets and spoken-word artists in many open mic opportunities in the city. Poem-Cees is often thought of as a bridge between the structure and mature subject matter of poetry and the groove and energy of hip-hop.

From Pome-Cees' Myspce page, from April 9, 2010: http://www.myspace.com/poemcees

Since 1998, POEM-CEES have combined rhyme, prose and community activism to emerge at the cutting edge of the vibrant Washington, DC Arts Movement. Naturalaw-dp & Black Picassos talents were forged in the crucible of the spoken word movement; as founding members of the now defunct Generation 2000 poetry collective, they toured and performed at colleges and universities as well as recorded songs for BET & Emerge magazines nationally distributed Strength of a Woman cd. Invitations to open for such acts as the Roots, the Fugees and the Last Poets led to the addition of DJ Stylus and the band, and thus the lean and mean POEM-CEES unit was formed. The year 2000 brought forth their debut album, I.O.U. Street, a whirlwind tour through the open mic, hip-hop, drum & bass, and funk scenes along DCs historic U Street corridor.

The Spring 2003 release of Paranoia continued the POEM-CEES tradition of pushing the boundaries of contemporary hip-hop music. Conceived prior to the 9/11 tragedies, Paranoia avoids clichés yet remains amazingly prescient by focusing on the various manifestations of paranoia in our lives. From casual conversations on cold feet in a relationship (SIWBY) to hilariously extreme outbursts & episodes ("Cheatin on Me" & "Fat White Men in Suits") the Paranoia project runs the gamut of emotions, ultimately standing as the rarest of the rare: a well-executed, non-self indulgent concept record that may be digested in segments or as a whole (translation: its a very, very good cd).

The past six years have seen NatLaw, Pic! & Stylus grow as artists, as people, & as businessmen, having released their 3 Piece/Extra Mambo Series and launched SPP WAXWORKS together with their comrades Storm the Unpredictable & Priest da Nomad. Now 2010 will bring them right back to the forefront with their newest CD release "EVERYTHING YOU'VE ALWAYS WANTED" and their legendary live performances that showcase their strengths - making good music and telling the common story in uncommon ways.