2026 Nuyorican Slam Team
Masters of their craft. The cream of the crop. Where words become legacy.
Each year, the top four finalists of our annual Nuyorican GRAND SLAM are nominated to be members of the Nuyorican Slam Team, which performs and competes at regional and national stages, such as NJPAC and Southern Fried Poetry. Since 1990, the Nuyorican Slam Team has etched its name in the history books as one of the top slam teams in the country, showcasing the work of generations of prolific Nuyorican poets.
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Click the link below to donate and show your support to this year’s Nuyorican Slam Team!
Proceeds help cover competition entrance fees, travel/lodging expenses, and more.
2026 Slam Team Roster
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Kai Diata Giovanni is the 2025 New York City Youth Poet Laureate and member of the 2026 Nuyorican Poets Cafe Slam Team. They were a finalist in the 2025 New York State Youth Poet Laureate competition, and they competed at Brave New Voices in 2024 as a member of Urban Word NYC's slam team.From Brooklyn, New York to Nairobi, Kenya, Kai has organized and performed as an artivist (artist-activist) locally, nationally, and internationally for many years. Kai’s work routinely explores race, rage, radical justice, and belonging.Kai has performed in spaces such as the Brooklyn Museum, Nuyorican Poets Cafe, the Blue Note Jazz Club, the Guggenheim, Lincoln Center, Apollo Theater, University of Nairobi, Trinity Church, and more. Kai has spoken and performed in collaboration with organizations such as the WNBA (NY Liberty), the African Literature Association, the Department of Education, Girl Be Heard, the Laundromat Project, and more.Kai published their first book of poetry, “The Words That Need To Be Heard,” at only 12 years old. They recently published their second poetry anthology, "In Season," exploring themes of identity, justice, queerness, love, grief, and transformation through a lens that is unapologetically Black, tender, and revolutionary. They currently study Creative Writing at Howard University in Washington, D.C.
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Marcus Stokes is a song writer/performer, poet, and actor out of Westchester NY. 6x Nuyorican Slam Champ, January 2025 Nuyorican Final Friday slam champ, 2025 Nuyorican Grand slam champ.
Bric 2025 February slam champ,
Bric 2026 February slam champ
as well as numerous others.
Producer at the Modern Poet NYC
Published in the 2025 spring edition of Milk Press by Poetry Society of NY.
Writer of the 1 Train Cypher Breast Cancer Awareness song.
Blending all different elements of his artistry into his poetry, he creates unique pieces of expression dealing with themes of spirituality, mental health, love, grief and heartbreak. A "writer's writer", whose voice and storytelling as well as experience on stage make every performance a moving one.
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Raad Syed is a Bangladeshi-Muslim spoken word poet living in Crown Heights, Brooklyn. He has competed in slam poetry competitions across the country with the Ghost Poetry Show organization. He has also performed poetry for various nonprofits such as the Palestine Solidarity Alliance and for the Council of American-Islamic Relations (CAIR). His poetry focuses on his Muslim identity as well as justice against colonialism and Islamophobia.
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TEN is an emerging literary artist from Queens, New York whose work centers blackness, queerness and spirituality. He holds a Bachelor in Philosophy from Brooklyn College and has received support from the Cave Canem Foundation, and The Center for Black Literature at Medgar Evers College. His poetry has been featured at The Guggenheim Museum and The Apollo Victoria Theatre. He is a 2026 Nuyorican Poets Cafe slam team member. His play, A Diseased Feeling, has been featured Off-Broadway w/ DUAF, and is a winner of an Audience Award. His most recent credits include a self-produced 2026 Tiny Desk Contest Submission, Dreamscape; and TEN Talks, a virtual artist salon. He categorizes his writing as ritual building and prayer. His work often leaning towards transfiguration and transcendence.
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Jamal Pedro is a Westchester based Filmmaker and Poet. His writing explores love, grief, and family dynamics and has led him to be featured in venues such as The Langston Hughes House in Harlem, The Bronx Music Hall, The Bronx Museum of the Arts, The Brooklyn Museum, and more.
Jamal has recently started the online platform TheModernPoetNYC giving poets a safe space to speak on injustices and mental health issues while providing free content for the poets themselves and pushing the culture forward.
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Sumbodies Mama is a multifaceted artist hailing from the vibrant Bronx, NY, celebrated for her roles as a poet, spoken word artist, and actor. Her list of accolades is impressive, including being crowned the 2024 Nuyorican Poetry Grand Slam Champion and securing 2nd place in the 2024 Women of the World Poetry Slam. Her journey to success began when she was named the 2009 Nuyorican Poets Café’s Youth Poet of The Year and continued when she won the 2010 Brave New Voices International Youth Poetry slam as a member of the Urban Word NYC team. She has shared stages with luminaries such as Georgio Armani, Oscar Award-winning Philip Seymour Hoffman, and Savion Glover. Sumbodies Mama's artistry is a force to be reckoned with, inspiring audiences far and wide with her compelling narratives and poignant performances.