Meet Cubs The Poet | Healer, Poet & Artist

We had the good fortune of connecting with Cubs The Poet and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Cubs, what role has risk played in your life or career?
Well prior to taking my first risk I do not recall it feeling like one. It felt like the “right” thing to do. It felt like life before was a study. Pulling in things that inspired me and learning to stay away from things that didn’t feed my heart, soul and mind. Reflecting upon my choices, I can now see and understand the intial risk I took. I dropped out of college my senior year, last semester, and became a full time poet. I had no plan. I had no source of income. I technically had no place to live, I squatted in my old dorm and even classrooms until I made enough money for renting a space. Everyday I would take my typewriter and TV tray stand, catch the bus to the French quarter and set up shop in the middle of Royal Street. Some days I sold poems, most days I wrote poems about the environment or my thoughts. No one knew what a person behind a typewriter in the middle of the street meant or was even doing. Before dropping out and fully committing to poetry, I remember my parents asking me, “what is your plan b? You need something to fall back on.” – there wasn’t one. I never questioned the decision I made, and that I believe was the biggest risk!

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
Operating a business or viewing the world through a solution based perspective came by the way of genetics. It’s in my dna. My grandfather was the first African American gas station owner in my hometown, Baton Rouge, La. My father had two restaurants in DC while working through a post doc. I grew up absorbing and observing how to turn passions into profit. I knew the responsibility I carried, especially in a world which limited and oppressed the dreams of people who look like me. My specific path of poetry however I believe is an Absolute gift. No one in my family has pursued art or poetry as a profession. My background is in psychology. As I studied in college, coming across different schools of thought : behaviorism, individual psychology, motivation, I began thinking for myself. Noticing that these psychologists, Adler, Watson, Camus all believed in themselves and the evolution of society so much so they unlocked parts of the brain which benefited the whole. That is what poetry has done for me, given me access to a fuller way of thinking beyond that of race and class. Once I wrote my first poem, “do you like poetry?” I was inspired to recite the poem to anyone who would listen. I set up shop on the street. Eventually coming across a typewriter which led me into creating poems for other peoplej. I started with an donation based operation, noticing that people often donated twenty dollars. I went into a price point set up, offering $10 and $20 poems, the only difference being size of the paper. Those poems now all costing $100 per poem. As that grew, I then began to offer my services to events such as weddings and funerals. I now have two options: individual poems for guests or hand bound books of poetry for the couples or honored guests made on the spot. One option being an hourly rate and the other being a flat rate. I believe everyone is a poem, it is my job to help craft and extract those sacred words to describe someone’s soul and life experience.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Funny thing is my best friend since childhood is finally visiting me in New Orleans. I’ve been here 12 years by the way. Shoutout, Mario Samayoa. So, I have a nice list set up and I’ll give y’all a few gems:

Food And Wine/Coffee And Vibe
Congregation Coffee
Mr. Wolf Espresso Bar
Pond Coffee
Pluck Wine Bar
Fritai (good friends restaurant)
San Larenzo
Le Chat Noir
Turkey and The Wolf
Doris Metropolitan (happy hour burger)
Paladar 511
PieHxle

Vibes
The Columns Hotel
Peter and Paul
My Studio which is called :
The Soul Study (341 Seguin Street)
Grande Krewe
Hair Nerds Salon
Anthology
Merchant House
Saint Claude Social Club

Instagram follow:
@mrwolfespresso
@shopfreda
@artbyjay
@jesuscyph
@jccotto
@bybrucepowers
@ghazigamali
@maryball
@spiritcloset
@denisiotruitt
@apartment4lifestyle
@rapcaberat
@jerinthejerk
@peoplemuseum

Tbh come to New Orleans and whatever your soul needs it’ll present itself.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
The city of New Orleans is my greatest inspiration. My parents, Charon and Gregory Davenport are my biggest supporter. Nazire, Soule, and Esme are my motivation. Self Reiance by Ralph Waldo Emerson is the book which inspired me to push onward. Hov is also a big influence on how I express my talent. Everyone else you all know who you are, give me love to never doubt, fear, or regret my choices in this space of creativity.

Instagram: @cubsthepoet

Youtube: Cubs THE poet

Image Credits
Nehaya Hair Nerds Salon Bruce Powers Hannah Pickle