Poetry in Motion Ball: Logic Amen Recreates Safe Spaces for Black Communities

In a recent interview on “The Day With Trae,” Logic Amen discussed how art and music saved his life. The visionary behind The Griot Party Experience, Amen discussed his relationship with creative expression from a young age and how it shaped his livelihood as a Black man trying to make the world a better place. He also talked about his upcoming event the Poetry In Motion Ball on October 25 at the Royal Esquire Club. 

Amen recounted how he coped with solitude and the trauma of being distanced from his father due to the prison industrial complex at a young age.

"I had imaginary friends,” he said, explaining that the friends would put on rap performances in his head. His mother was initially worried, hearing Amen rapping and talking to his imaginary friends who he called Michael and Jason.

"They saved my life,” Amen said. “Those were characters that I created through my imagination, through my creativity to help me cope with being the only child [and] dealing with trauma of being distanced from my father."

For Amen, art became therapy, a way to process emotions and experiences by writing bars or talking to his imaginary friends, who he described as essentially different versions of himself.

The conversation also dove into the AJ McQueen Experience, an event Amen put on that served as the graduation piece for the Seeds to the Garden project. This initiative involved placing young individuals in a recording studio, shooting a music video, and then connecting them with AJ McQueen, an influencer known for his positive hip-hop music. 

“It was a very emotional day for me,” Amen said about the event. “But that's basically what the AJ McQueen experience was. It was just a time to remind us that we really need to protect our children and teach them how to treat people how they want to be treated." 

When asked to pick an album that described him, Amen chose two: “Kind of Blue” by Miles Davis, and Ice Cube's “Death Certificate,” both of which he related to as a Black man in America dealing with societally inflicted trauma. 

On his upcoming Poetry in Motion Ball this Saturday, Amen is looking to foster leadership and provide opportunities for the community to his fullest capacity. The theme is indigo blue, a spiritual color from the Gullah Geechee culture, used for protection against negative spirits. Attendees are encouraged to wear accents of indigo blue and dress formally, as Amen believes "when you get dressed it makes you think about the choices you make in your life." 

Get your tickets to the upcoming Poetry in Motion Ball at the Royal Esquire Club on October 25 on Eventbrite.

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