Performance Poet J. Ivy first discovered his affinity for the written art during a routine high school assignment. This Chicago native headed to Illinois State University, where he soon became known on campus as “The Poet,” which later led him to performing throughout Chicago and then across the country and around the world.
His motivational motto, “Dreams Don't Come True, They Are True” has guided him from his native home Chicago to becoming a Grammy Award Winning Artist. From his breath taking performances for people of all ages to his appearances on countless television networks, like HBO’s Russell Simmons’ Def Poetry, NBC’s Sunday Night Football, and ESPN’s National Spelling Bee, J. Ivy’s passionate delivery always leaves spectators transfixed in a state of inspiration, and because of that he is recognized World Wide.
Known for his historic verse on Kanye West’s classic song “Never Let Me Down (The College Dropout),” which also featured Hip-Hop Icon Jay-Z and as the man who gave Oscar & Grammy Award Winning singer-songwriter John Stephens the name John Legend, J. Ivy has penned poetry for Deepak Chopra, NBA Hall of Famer Michael Jordan, an upcoming Muhammad Ali documentary produced by and airing on B.E.T., and for his own work "Dear Father: Breaking the Cycle of Pain," a book which was published January 2015 by Beyond Words Publishing, an imprint of Atria Books & Simon and Schuster, with an audio book set to follow Late Summer of 2015.