(SHAKE the Poet) Richard A. White was born on September 22, 1980 in Brooklyn, New York and raised in Newark, New Jersey. Richard has always had an undying love for lyrics. He started rapping in 1989 when he was only nine years old. Three years later he wrote his first poem to a female to show his affection. Though the poem wasn’t the best while derived from another poem he wanted to create a more original poem that he could call his own. Richard would read and study the encyclopedia and dictionary to enhance his vocabulary and expand his knowledge so he would be able to write on various subjects eloquently. In 1993 Richard entered into a talent show with various different artists and won 1st place. As Richard continued to write he would receive request from his peers to write selective pieces and perform them as well. After high school Richard enrolled in Essex County College in 1998 and completed his courses in one year. He later enrolled in Montclair State University in 1999. While attending Montclair he participated in a competition held by a local fraternity and won 1st place with his poetry. Richard was dubbed the name Black Shakespeare by Eric Rhett Jr. but Richard shortened to Shake to make the name more original. In 2002 Richard left college and joined the United States Army to support his family and country. Richard was stationed in Fort Hood, Texas. He met Anisha Tuck in Fort Hood and got married in 2003. They were introduced to poetry night at Under One Roof Bookstore and would go and recite poetry every Friday night. In 2005 he served in Operation Iraqi Freedom 2. After returning from the war, Richard started competing in poetry slams such as the “Rhyme or Die†Slams held by Silky Crow Entertainment with Cocoa Fire. Richard also founded Spit Fire Poets, a poetry group in which holds some of Killeen’s most talented poets, in 2006. Spit Fire Productions was also formed later that year as the group started making CD’s. Throughout the remaining year of 2006 Richard would place in the top three in a few of the slams and finally tying for 1st, qualifying him to participate in the final slam for the Killeen National Team “Rhyme-ageddonâ€. At that slam Richard placed 1st place making him the First ever Killeen Slam Champion. In August of 2007 Shake and the Killeen Slam Team(Rhyme or Die) finished 2 in the Nation..... the rest is still being written.
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