Rush Merchant III

I grew up in Minneapolis, Minnesota and Fairmont, West Virginia. I identify as a multidisciplinary artist; however, I have spent the last ten years creating and developing my work as a spoken word poet, composer and musician.My first exposure to spoken word poetry came in 1997 when I saw ArkOlogy, an ensemble that successfully blended live music and spoken word poetry. My first performance as a spoken word poet was in 1999 at Intermedia Arts. I was part of an ensemble directed by J. Otis Powell! as part of a program at The Loft Literary Center called SPINE: Reading The Bones. I was also a regular slam poetry competitor at Kieran’s Irish Pub in Minneapolis for three years. Since 2001, I have performed my work at Patrick’s Cabaret, Intermedia Arts, 7th Street Entry, the Stone Arch Bridge Arts Festival, The Loft and, most recently, at The Dakota Jazz Club in Minneapolis. I have also been featured at the Nuyorican Poets Café in New York City and at the Toronto International Poetry Slam in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.I have produced three independent recordings of my work: Soul Music (2000), Soul Music II (2002) and Home Cookin’ (2005). My latest recording, to be titled Diaspora, is currently in production.