Speaking the truth

Using self-deprecating humor and sexual commentary as his platform, spoken word artist Regie Cabico captivated the afterHOURS audience Tuesday night.

"I try to figure out ballads and how far I can push someone," he said. "It's an element of danger."

Sponsored by NU Barkada and the Asian American Center, the show attracted a wide variety of students.

"He's raw but real," said Dayina Noel, a sophomore criminal justice major.

Spoken word artists give a whole new dimension to the art of poetry by combining vivid storytelling with a musical background.

Not shying away from his homosexuality, Cabico referred to himself as "queer as folk" at the introduction of his performance. He said he would rather take a shower than have a sexual encounter with someone of the opposite sex.

During the show, he also read his poem titled, "Erotic Lover," which described a sexual experience he had without leaving many details to the imagination.

At one point during his performance, he said his mother used to dress him and his sisters in flamboyantly-colored clothes when they first arrived in the United States after moving from the Philippines.

"We looked like walking skittles," he said.

Growing up in a mostly black town in Maryland, he drew inspiration from hip-hop and began to integrate its culture with his spoken word pieces. Additionally, he uses his family upbringing and acute observations of his environment as sources of material.

When he was young, Cabico said his dream was to attend the Duke Ellington School of the Arts in Washington D.C. During his audition, he reenacted the famous scene from the '80s movie "Flashdance" where actress Jennifer Beals' character dances provocatively in front of a panel of judges.

But his attempt proved fruitless when his mother eventually forced him to attend a local Catholic school.

Cabico wasn't the only spoken word artist to showcase his talent this week.

On Friday, the Latin American Student Organization (LASO), the Haitian Student Unity, the Northeastern Black Student Society and Lambda Phi Epsilon hosted "Beatless," a spoken word event that included performances from both students and professional spoken word artists. The show included performances delving into topics such as love, religion and culture.

About 260 students attended "Beatless," said LASO president Luisa Peña. The night was open to any interested performers from around the Boston area and was promoted through the use of flyers, Facebook invitations and word of mouth, she said.

Stacyann Chin, a Jamaican spoken word artist who performed, touched upon topics like womanhood and, like Cabico, her homosexuality.

"I think Jamaicans have begun to accept that there are people who are gay in their families, in their homes, children, mothers, fathers, sisters, cousins," she said.

Flaco Navajo and Black Ice were the two other professional artists the groups were able to acquire for the night. She said the most enjoyable part of putting together the show was being able to work together with the other student groups.

"[I liked] bringing students from the community together," she said. "There was a huge diversity, the audience was very diverse, the artists were very diverse and it was all brought together in an intimate setting."

Junior human services and management major and architect of "Beatless" Luz Mederos said she thought the fact that it was the second year they hosted a spoken word event added to the overall atmosphere.

"We were experienced and we knew how to reach out to the students and give them what they wanted," she said.

Junior English major Tristen Grannum performed a piece entitled "Fifteen" describing observations from his daily life, including dancing in a nightclub and riding the bus late at night. He said he enjoyed being part of the festivities.

"I thought the evening was pretty good and I liked the quality of the performers," he said.

Mederos said overall the night was a huge success.

"Each performer all knew each other, it kind of flowed," she said. "They knew each other and worked well with each other and brought the show to a different level."

Those interested in exploring spoken word artists can contact the Lizard Lounge in Cambridge, which hosts spoken word nights every Sunday.