Poetrama Magazine Issue 2 April 2021 (2)

PS: Thank you so much. I can never run away from that one. Well, the name Umind?! is a
rhetorical question as well as a statement of fact . At the time that I came up with the name,
what was on my heart most was the need to remind myself why I started performing because
round about the time that I stepped onto stage in 2011. What had happened is that a lot of
poets were stepping out and I remember at that time I was one of the few Christian poets if
any at the time. It was me and SoProfound. There was a real need to find a message to stand
for, there was a real need for me to understand why I was performing and as I meditated
and prayed I felt like I needed to find a name for myself. I did not want to use
my name because I wanted to be able to separate myself from the stage and
not have to link what I did as an artist with my personal life. So Umind?!
became that reminder for me. One of the reasons why I started
performing was an answer to a call and I felt that I needed to be
obedient. As you know I'm a Christian and I thought, Lord,
I've heard so many artists give so many stories about sidestepping
and coming away from what they did first. I
have a proclivity to talk about the things that I'm
passionate about, issues that I feel so deeply about, do
you mind? And if you do mind this is me in
expression, you can't get it any other way! It is
what is. You get the package as is so the question
is rhetorical plus the statement of fact. I will
gravitate towards what my heart beats for and
most of the time you will find that encapsulated inside
my work will be the gospel. That is it, if you do mind
I don't care. It's kind of harsh, blunt much but it's a
fact. On every stage I go on, what gives me boldness
is knowing that My whole stage name speaks to me
before I speak on that stage, it reminds me that it's not
about me, it's bigger than me and if I can step on the
stage and someone can see God through me not even
just through me but through the work I do, I have done
my job. I've had people walk out on me when I'm on stage
because they don't agree with what I'm saying because of
the environment that I'm in but it's been such a joy just
remembering why I started performing when a lot of
stuff happens the way that I don't quite anticipate and
it strengthens my soul. That's the mouthful around who
Umind?! is.
TZ: That's quite the backstory, it's fitting. Now coming to
the more cliché question about how you started writing.
Was it a process or it was a vivid moment, if it was can
you share it with us?
PS: So from a tender age I had always really been
fascinated with words but I think that's my mom's
fault because my mom was a unique storyteller.
She would memorize entire books and recite it
back to us.