In these parts, spoken word enthusiasts have found their resident Ms. Love Jones in Ingrid B.
Well, not quite.
"I'm getting old. I'm the grandma of the poetry scene in Miami," joked Ingrid late Wednesday night. "Ok, like a really fly old Auntie."
It's that signature spunk and often times downright racy wit that's come to characterize Ingrid's poetry nights. Maybe Miami's excess of guilty pleasures even seep into the subconscious of its poets.
On Wednesday night inside Ingrid's "Bohemian Room" at Vladas, a collective of poets gave their impassioned diatribes on love, heartbreak and death sprinkled here and there with a dash of lewdness.
Meanwhile, Ingrid gave a lecture on the topic of what's been at the center of spoke word world since Larenz Tate and Nia Long's unforgettable romance in the cult classic "Love Jones."
Black love and the lack thereof.
"Black women you have to start learning to look more approachable," said Ingrid. "Look how the white and Latin girls are so eager and friendly."
Never one to shy away from speaking bluntly on such topics, she prepped the audience for the equally unapologetic poet of the evening, noted author and cultural activist, Jessica Care Moore.
Moore opened with a poem slamming John Mayer for his recent comments on dating black women.
Although not as well established as it's New York and D.C. counterparts, Ingrid feels Miami's spoken word scene is just as rife with food for thought.
Said Ingrid: "We have some amazing writers who are really convicted by what they're saying. The talent in South Florida is overwhelming."
