Meet Kc Pen | Poet

We had the good fortune of connecting with Kc Pen and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi KC, why did you decide to pursue a creative path?
Art is survival for me. Without learning how to express myself through the arts and finding an escape from reality at times, life would be extremely difficult for me. My form of art is spoken word poetry and for over a decade it has been adding oxygen to my lungs with every stanza I write or perform.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
My art started off as music. February 2014 my high school sweetheart and I broke up and I needed an outlet to express myself. Music welcomed me with open arms. Through countless hours spent with close friends I learned how to write songs then eventually rap. Music kept my interest for quite some time and helped me get through a breakup with my first love. Music unfortunately didn’t keep possession of my heart forever. Music was challenging because I didn’t really enjoy rapping verses, I loved making choruses but didn’t have the best voice for them. February 2015 poetry entered the chat and became the only conversation I was interested in. Music was still floating around in the background but 2015 was the year I became fully dedicated to poetry. I credit that to an on campus poetry team at my college called Urban Lyrics and specifically a close friend of mine named Kelvin. Kelvin shed light on how beautiful and competitive spoken word poetry could be and it took all my attention and time that year. At first I was a terrible performer and remember getting such a low score on my first spoken word competition. I was performing as if I was rapping a song and my words weren’t colorful enough to paint a picture for the audience to be appeased by. Within a year from working countless nights on my poetry I became a respected poet/performer amongst my teammates. 2 years later during my senior of college I was awarded artist of the year at my school and performed over 5 times at countless school events that year. Fast forward to 2025, poetry has been the love of my life for a decade. I feel every emotion with my pen and let it tell stories of pain, grief, happiness, lust, love, growth and so much more. Poetry helps me navigate through life and ensures I never get lost and always stay on the right path.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
If my best friend was visiting Miami I think I’d be a great tour guide. I’m originally from Miami Gardens, spent some time in Kendall and now I’m living Downtown. We’re going to start off with food because good food means everything to me. I’d take them to NOA Cafe for some good Peruvian cuisine, Yambo to introduce them to Fritanga and Red Rooster for some good soul food. To go grab drinks I have a few options, Batch Gastropub in Brickell, Better Days, Mama Tried, & Tipsy Flamingo. To hangout I’d bring them to an open mic show at Books & Books in Coral Gables where Miami Poetry Club host a monthly open mic that I usually perform at. I’d definitely take them to the beach to enjoy our beautiful weather and water. I’d also bring them to Jazz night at The Corner on a Tuesday or Arlo Hotel on a Friday night. If they’re interested in brunch we’re going to Copper Blues in Doral or Tap 42 Midtown. If they’re looking for the best day party the city has to offer we’re going to Rise & Toast at The Urban on a Sunday. Other good party places I’d bring them to would be Sylvester’s, Brick, Dirty Rabbit and Mr. Jones. Miami has so much to offer I’m not sure a week would be enough to show them everything I’ve grown to love about this city.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
First and foremost I’d love to give a shoutout to a group of artist called Urban Lyrics. I went to a college called SUNY New Paltz in upstate New York and this group of talented artist/friends from all over NYC helped me elevate my penmanship and spoken word skills. I’d also like to give a shoutout to the Miami Poetry Club who I’ve been writing and performing with since late 2023 and it’s a special group of poets who I’ve grown a bond with. Lastly I’d like to give a shoutout to a close friend of mine named Jiggy Behavior. He’s an artist from NY who makes great music and helped me learn to write music which eventually evolved into poetry. Being born and raised my early years in Miami then moving to NY then back to Miami has truly been a blessing because of all the artist, family and friends I’ve shared experiences with which help me tell my stories. I’m grateful for all of them.

Website: https://Kennyrhymes.com

Instagram: Wordsbykc_pen

Other: Apple Music: https://music.apple.com/us/artist/kenny-rhymes/1322081053