Powerful messages, unique delivery and plenty of soul are the characteristics that make up a talented pool of poets. These artists once spread their words in the underground but are now emerging as mainstream.
This is all thanks to the entrepreneurship of Russell Simmons, who created Def Poetry Jam for HBO.

Now viewers will be able to see the beginning of the poetry revolution with the HBO video release of Russell Simmons Presents Def Poetry Season 1.

UMCA created street heat and awareness of the release by hitting major metropolitan cities. Over 50,000 palm cards and 20,000 promotional items were distributed to traditional poetry venues, coffee shops, retail stores, barbershops, concerts and summer festivals. Featured poet from Season 1, Shihan, got in on the action by integrating a Def Poetry night at his weekly event at the world famous Da Poetry Lounge in Los Angeles.

Additional club nights were also implemented in LA, DC, Chicago and Philadelphia , with plenty of HBO giveaways on hand.

A viral word of

mouth campaign kicked off when 250 Def Poetry Announcement Kits were hand prepared and delivered to top entertainment icons as well as key cultural influencers across the country, including poets, hip hop artists, magazine publishers/writers/editors, DJs, and those identified as consumers who never miss an episode of Def Poetry! UMCA also facilitated interviews with 15 of the top urban radio stations to enable Russell Simmons to personally convey his passion about the power of poetry to listeners.