James Ivy Richardson II
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James Ivy Richardson II is the hip-hop poet, musician, actor, and speaker known as J. Ivy. He received a Peabody Award for his performance on Russell Simmons’s Def Poetry, as well as a Grammy Award for his contribution with Jay-Z on Kanye West’s ”The College Dropout” album. Richardson has also collaborated with John Legend, RZA, The Last Poets, The Roots, Common, Mos Def, The Black Crowes, Bob Dylan, and many more. He supports his community through his ”Write to Live Academy” and the ”Dear Father Initiative”, which encourages young people to explore careers in the arts. His book ”Dear Father: Breaking the Cycle of Pain”, is his inspirational memoir about the pain of losing his father while growing up in the neighborhoods of Chicago’s South Side. The cycle of pain was transformed into self-empowerment through poetry, music and forgiveness.
The Poet Who Sat by the Door.
Dear Father: Breaking the Cycle of Pain | Here I Am: Then & Now