In 1995, at the age of 15, Legacy Leonard made her debut as a spoken word artist at the Detroit Institute of Arts. She blends a variety of socially conscious, revolutionary, and thought provoking poetry with song and soul, painting the pictures of the world and society as seen through her eyes. Her passion for the art is surpassed only by her passion for change and revolution. She is an Urban Griot that believes the Power belongs to the People. Enter the mind and heart of Legacy through the art of her compelling and controversial spoken word...
âœA pen and a prayer is my salvationâ쳌, Legacy Leonard affirms of her burning need to create and inspire. Ever since her childhood years Legacy has been enthralled with the art of written word. First published at the age of 13 in an anthology entitled Master Mixx, and making her spoken word debut at 15 at the Detroit Institute of Arts in 1995 she has shown a commanding ability to elevate and educate through poetry. Through arts and activism Legacy spreads her messages of self love, consciousness, community, upliftment and change with passion and power.
It was in 1997 after completing an internship at the Detroit Free Press that Legacy embarked upon the beginning of her performance career at the locally legendary Cafe Mahogany. In May 2001 she joined Black Ink Collective, and has honed her skills and commanded the attention of audiences in the Metro Detroit area and across the country at colleges, universities, festivals and numerous events.
She has shared stages with poetical icons The Last Poets, Amiri Baraka, Jessica âœcareâ쳌 Moore, Black Bottom Collective, Third Eye Open Poetry Collective, Jamaal âœVersizâ쳌 May, and countless others..
Her poetry has also been featured in Internet magazines âœBlack Gurrl Poetryâ쳌 and âœFresh Anglesâ쳌. Her work has been a selected feature for Timbooktu.com and she is the first winner of the New Word Order First National Net Slam January 2005. She has spoken word audios in rotation on Internet radio stations Vocalized Ink.org, FreedomPath Radio.com, and Blackmic.com. She has been interviewed on radio station WHPR 88 FM (Highland Park) and has appeared on the local talk shows "Homegrown Detroit" and "Poetic Flow", Television 68. She has appeared in the documentaries âœDetroit Poets Against The Warâ쳌 (2003) and the international âœShrinking Citiesâ쳌 (2004).
Legacy has also been a member of the activist performance collectives, Deph-Onyx, and Pitch Black Poetry Collective . She currently hosts her own radio shows on Vocalized Ink Radio's âœRep Your Cityâ쳌 and New Word Order's "Reachback Innerviews" with established writers and celebrity poets. She is a contributing columnist to DetroitPoetry.com E-Zine.
Once a former gang member, Legacy now spends much of her time contributing to community activism and empowerment. She continues to support various causes, and organizing and coordinating community events. âœThe power belongs to the people, and only through positive investment can we counteract the negativity that destroys our people and our communities. It is so important to utilize the arts as a vehicle of positive and progressive changeâ쳌
I have performed at numerous cafes, clubs, and events in the Metro Detroit Area in the last several years. The feeling of being onstage is very heady, and I was always so nervous when I first took stages. I can't say I have an addiction to the stage like many artists do. My objective is for the crowd to feel my words, relate to them, and walk away absorbing the message. I'm not doing this for the handclaps, though the applause and approval feels really good. I want my words to affect your life, to enlighten you, to cause you to unleash your own thoughts and free your mind. I have had the honor of sharing stages with acclaimed artists such as Jessica Care Moore, Amiri Baraka, Umar Bin Hassan of the Last Poets, Khary Kimani Turner and the Black Bottom Collective, and Third Eye Open Poetry Collective. I have had many memorable moments of the last few years in my spoken word career, but two of the greatest moments was when I first met Amiri Baraka and saw him perform "Somebody Blew Up America" live. It was unbelievable how he mastered and spellbound the crowd. I mean the brother had the white men calling him Master, and I was like wow, that Black man is powerful! The second greatest memory was the night I met the Last Poets and we all had drinks together at Pitch Black Word Circle in Highland Park. We sat and just talked for hours. It was so peace! I suppose I should recall a memorable performance...lol...one of the best performances I ever gave was the night I did my version of "The Revolution Will Not Be Televised" at Camillian Cafe in Detroit---that night I ripped it, and the crowd response was so enthusiastic. I totally lost myself in the passion and power of that piece.
I have many influences on my writing and songs. I love Sonia Sanchez, Amiri Baraka, Nikki Giovanni, The Last Poets, Maya Angelou, James Baldwin, Saul Williams and so forth. These writers have played a major role in the sculpting of my style and thought in writing. Musicians that I love to compose to and influence my music are greats like Coletrane, Miles, Faruq Z. Bey, Ella Fitzgerald, Erykah Badu, Kina, Carlos Santana, Staind, great jazz musicians, and rappers like Tupac, Common, Talib Kweli. The list of singers and rappers that influence my writing and music is too long to list. All types of music influences my work from jazz to rap, to reggae to rock.
