Salaam Shaheed is a Professional Poet who hails from Polk County Florida. He has been writing for “as long as I can remember” and performing spoken word for the past 27 years. He is one of the Founding Members of a collective of Poets, Musicians and Artists called Black on Black Rhyme. In 1998, Mr. Shaheed helped to create Back Talk Poetry Troupe, which would later become known as the largest poetry troupe in the country. 

In his tenure in with Black On Black Rhyme, Mr. Shaheed has planned and organized sales programs, provided patrons with product information which would better assist in establishing fitting merchandise for purchasers, overseen new artists and their work to aide them in development, developed solid relationships with new and existing clients, etc. He is also a dedicated community activist, volunteers at different Community Centers, motivationally speaking to youth on various occasions. He was instrumental in the production of teen summits pertaining to Gang Awareness when Tallahassee said that they were having a gang problem. He has performed and spoke in a plethora of venues throughout the country from Florida to Michigan from North Carolina to California. His goal is to be a voice for the people and aspire all to create. His favorite quote is:

How “A sound man's heart is not shut within itself, but is open to other people's hearts. I find good people good and I find bad people good, If I am good enough. I trust men of their word and I trust liars If I am true enough. I feel the heartbeats of others above my own, if I am enough of a father, enough of a son.”

Ashley Waller/QueenBlack the Poetess is a native Actress of Daphne, Alabama. She expresses her gifts and talents in many different areas, from being a member of  Black On Black Rhyme Step2DaMic Poetry Troupe in Mobile, Alabama, to being an inspirational speaker, and even a minister at Bay Ridge Baptist Church in Daphne, Alabama, and author of "Crowned the Glory of God".

QueenBlack/Ashley Waller is a recording artist of the poetry. She made her debut with her CD entitled "Reinvent Me" in 2018. She is also the cofounder of African Culture Spoken Word Showcase, actor in the short film Tech Magic that was mentioned in the London World Wide Comedy Short Film Festival in 2019, Actor in Love is Blind Stage Play, and an African Culture Cultivator Model in the Mobile International festival.

• Actress in the stage play for the last known slave ship "An Ocean in My Bones" portraying Rose Allen, directed by  Terrance Spivey. (2022) 

• Sacred Hart movie and TV series background actor Peacock TV airing in January 2023.

• Modeled in Prestige Magazine in London "All White Edition 2022" and their "2022 Spring Edition".

QueenBlack/Ashley Waller's mission is to inspire and bring awareness to the world through the power of spoken word, modeling, and acting.

Kenda Edwards aka Young Gunna is a Singer, Songwriter, Rapper, Poet, and Youth Mentor who resides from Mobile, AL. She has been writing since the tender age of 12. Writing has always been her passion. She's also a member of Black On Black Rhyme's Step2DaMic Poetry Troupe of Mobile, which was founded in Tallahassee, FL in 1998. To date, it's one of the largest poetry troupes in the country. 

She serves her community volunteering at different schools, churches, and community centers, and speaking to youth on various occasions. She's graced stages in various locations including Jackson, MS, Tallahassee FL, Hattiesburg, MS, Columbus, SC, Gulfport, MS, and Memphis, TN, just to name a few. Her goal is to be a voice for the people and aspire all to create. Her favorite quote is "We don't read and write poetry because it's cute. We read and write poetry because we are members of the human race and the human race is filled with passion, medicine, law, business, engineering. The are noble pursuits and necessary to sustain life but poetry, beauty, romance, love, there are what we stay alive for." 

By DEAD POET SOCIETY

Hyrim Ether has been an affiliate of Step2DaMic since its inception, but officially became a member in 2019. In addition to being a spoken word artist, he is a published author, co-host and co-founder of both Rhythm and Rhyme Open Mic Night and African Culture Spoken Word Showcase. 

Hyrim Either is a former radio personality and current voiceover artist for personal and contracted projects. He has devoted himself to cultivating the revolutionary and spiritual consciousness of his target audience. He's books entitled Immortal Love, Rogue Guardian Angels, and The Ancestral Children can be purchased at Shop the Independent Bookstore | Lulu.

Ebony tha GODDESS is a nationally renowned, sensational Spoken Word Artist, Singer, Plus Size Model, and Podcaster. She uses a pen and pad to expose her heart, spreading "tha GODDESS" experience to the world while leaving others in awe of her transparency. She was born and raised in Moss Point, MS and carries the essence of the city's rich heritage with her as "The Moon of Moss Point". She's a member of Black On Black Rhyme's Step2DaMic Poetry Troupe and THE 20/20 Network, LLC, both of Mobile, AL, just to name a few.

Her album entitled Ebony Speaks is a collection of work written after witnessing the GODDESS energy of the late Lady Tess. Ebony Speaks was produced by Halo City Entertainment and is available for purchase at bandcamp.com. This woman warrior's work and worth weaves a path of poetry and purpose extending world wide.

Courtney Johnson-Shaw artistically known as, Pharaoh da Poet is a 31-year-old creative from Jackson, MS. He was raised and currently resides in Mobile, AL. He is the Founder and Creator of Personality Wear by way of Unified Culture, LLC. This amazing father, artist, dancer, mental health coach and poet uses his gifts to fulfill his purpose. His most honorable moments come from being a dad to his two beautiful children, Leila Marie & Connor Dillon, (his very own Lilo & Stitch lol).

Pharaoh da Poet is using his many talents to fuel his growth as a person while gaining an even bigger family through Black on Black Rhyme and his Step2DaMic tribe. One of his many passions is spreading the beauty that is within poetry.

Queen Kisha was born in Mobile, AL in 1985. She lived in Mobile until the age of 13, when her father went active Army and moved to Ft. Bliss, TX. She attended middle, high school, and college in El Paso. She studied music, and psychology at The University of Texas at El Paso.

After having her first child junior year of college , she got married and moved to Birmingham, AL. Living in Birmingham brought about many challenges within the marriage. She was being preyed upon through domestic violence, leading to her second daughter. With the strength of God and family, she was able to move to Mobile and start over.

Queen Kisha is the Founder and CEO of Blessings House Resource Center, a nonprofit to work with low-income families, domestic violence victims, single families, and veterans. The motto is " The change is you". She has been working on the start up to get the 501c3.

She started doing poetry as a child but it wasn't until friend, Junya Goddbod, told her she was good and pushed me to perform. There is a relaxing spirit to perform. With Poetry you are able to express yourself and heal others.

Junya Winston aka Junya Goddbod was born and raised in Youngstown, Ohio. He graduated from Toronto High School. After high school, he joined the army.  It if were not for Vickie Saunders and Brutha Issaid, Junya says he would have never started writing poetry or performing. He was inducted into Black On Black Rhyme in March of 2023. Junya says, "Farming is my professional life."