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Love Jawns: A Mixtape

Love Jawns: A Mixtape (LJAM) is a soundtrack of the city, by the people, for your commuting & daydreaming pleasure. Three poets share a poem. A DJ stitches them together with musical interludes. Love Jawns: A Mixtape was produced by Yolanda Wisher with Jaléssa Savage and Wayv Wilson for Philadelphia Contemporary from 2019 to 2020.

Season 1 (The First Jawn)

Episode 1: This Ain't No Sunny D Sh!t — April 27, 2019

Featuring RAQUEL SALAS RIVERA, 2018-19 Poet Laureate of Philadelphia & co-editor of Puerto Rico en mi corazón, a collection of bilingual broadsides of contemporary Puerto Rican poets + YOLANDA WISHER, 2016-17 Poet Laureate of Philadelphia, author of Monk Eats an Afro, & Curator of Spoken Word at Philadelphia Contemporary + HUSNAA HASHIM, 2017-18 Youth Poet Laureate of Philadelphia & author of Honey Sequence. Spun by DR. BRUCE CAMPBELL JR. aka DJ JUNIOR, an Associate Professor in the School of Education at Arcadia University who runs his own independent record label, Record Breakin' Music. "This ain't no Sunny D sh!t" is a line from Husnaa Hashim's poem "Orange Juice."

Complete recording (26:26): MP3

Episode 2: We Are The Enemies — October 23, 2019

Featuring TRAPETA B. MAYSON, a poet, social worker & MBA, who is a native of Liberia + CYNTHIA DEWI OKA, author of Salvage: Poems who created a migrant poetry workshop series in Philadelphia & is originally from Bali, Indonesia + SANAM SHERIFF, a poet & artist from Bangalore, India who is currently an MFA candidate in Poetry at Washington University in St. Louis. Spun by OLUWAFEMI, a deejay, music producer & visual artist based in Philadelphia, by way of Central New Jersey, by way of Lagos, 1 Nigeria. "We Are the Enemies" is a line from Trapeta B. Mayson's poem "We Are All Trees Here."

Complete recording (20:58): MP3

Episode 3: And Church Was Everyday — November 20, 2019

Featuring ASHLEY DAVIS, a black queer androfemme (they/she) artist, poet, human who writes to center the inter generational black femme & build spaces for rest & inner children to play + KIRWYN SUTHERLAND, a Clinical Research Professional & poet who makes poems centering the black experience in America + LYRISPECT, an award-winning lyricist, author, activist, educator & voiceover artist. Spun by WAYV WILSON, a singer-songwriter & music producer who recently released his EP Black Child: A Song Cycle. "And church was everyday" is a line from Ashley Davis' poem "I learn time travel from Great Gramma Susie."

Complete recording (22:06): MP3

Episode 4: But They Still Livin' Tho — December 27, 2019

Featuring KAI DAVIS (she/her), a Black Queer writer, performer & teaching artist from Philadelphia who received the Leeway Transformation Award for her art for social change work + JASMINE L. COMBS, a writer, educator & spoken word artist who is the author of two collections of poetry, Universal Themes & This Drowning Was A Baptism + JACOB WINTERSTEIN, a lifelong Philadelphian, artist, event producer & educator & co-founder of The Philly Pigeon collective which organizes poetry slams, multi-media productions, workshops and artists retreats. Spun by JACQUELINE CONSTANCE, born & raised in Philadelphia & armed with just a mic, her digital sampling, foot pedal & a small mixer, turns breaths, sighs & words into funky orchestral pastures for her lyrics to frolic through. “But they still livin though” is a line from Kai Davis' poem “Uptown Baby.” This episode concludes The First Jawn, LJAM's inaugural season.

Complete recording (21:54): MP3

Season 2 (The Second Jawn)

Episode 1: That's Another Whole Story — February 29, 2020

Featuring Brooklyn-born interdisciplinary poet & sound artist TRACIE MORRIS + QUINCY SCOTT JONES whose first comic, Black Nerd with artist Ronald Nelson, will be released this year + HETTIE JONES, one of the most prolific Beat poets of her generation. Spun by DR. BRUCE CAMPBELL JR. aka DJ JUNIOR, a professor who runs his own independent record label, Record Breakin' Music. “But that's another whole story” is a line from Hettie Jones' poem “All Told.”

Complete recording (24:34): MP3

Episode 2: How Do You Kill A Blank Page — March 31, 2020

Featuring SHAM-E-ALI NAYEEM, poet, artist & public interest lawyer + WARREN LONGMIRE, writer, software engineer & educator + BETHLEHEM ROBERSON, known as a vocussionist, fusing vocals with body percussion. Spun by WAYV WILSON, a singer-songwriter, producer & music educator. “How Do You Kill a Blank Page” is a phrase from Warren Longmire's poem “Zoom Links.”

Complete recording (17:16): MP3

Episode 3: Some Very Important Chisme — April 30, 2020

Featuring MERCEDEZ HOLTRY, poet, writer, mentor, and Chicana feminist + META SARMIENTO, Filipino rapper and poet born and raised in Guam who now calls Denver, CO home + TOLUWANIMI OBIWOLE, a Nigerian multi-disciplinary artist, organizer, and healer. Spun by MERCURII AKA TOLUWA OBIWOLE. “Some Very Important Chisme” is a line from Mercedez Holtry's poem “Chisme and Lavender Carmel Coffee.”

Complete recording (20:48): MP3

Episode 4: Two Stops Early — May 29, 2020

Featuring MIA CONCEPCION, 2019-2020 Philadelphia Youth Poet Laureate + NOOR IBN JABAM, a poet who teases, challenges, breaks & creates language + poet, performer & educator DENICE FROHMAN. Spun by Detroit-born, Philly-based DJ A-LIST. “Two Stops Early” is a phrase from Denice Frohman's poem “A Queer Girl's Ode to the Piragüero.” This episode concludes The Second Jawn.

Complete recording (19:30): MP3

Special Episodes

LJAM PSA — May 29, 2020

Special mini-mix featuring poet & comic book author QUINCY SCOTT JONES & current Philadelphia Poet Laureate TRAPETA B. MAYSON. Spun by WAYV WILSON.

Complete recording (12:28): MP3

Summer Jawn — June 19, 2020

An extended Juneteenth mix featuring freedom songs by QUINCY SCOTT JONES, HUSNAA HASHIM, NOOR IBN NAJAM, JASMINE L. COMBS, KAI DAVIS, ASHLEY DAVIS, TRAPETA B. MAYSON & YOLANDA WISHER. Spun by WAYV WILSON.

Complete recording (25:36): MP3

Fall Mini-Mix — September 23, 2020

A special collaboration with #VoteThatJawn, an initiative that aims to bring 18-year-olds and other first-time voters to the polls. Featuring Philly Youth Poets Laureate MIA CONCEPCION, CYDNEY BROWN & WES MATTHEWS in response to Walt Whitman's poem “Election Day: November 1884.” Spun by WAYV WILSON.

Complete recording (9:18): MP3

Big Wash Mini-Mix — December 9, 2020

A special collaboration with the Fabric Workshop and Museum inspired by Jonathan Lyndon Chase's "Big Wash" exhibition opening in January 2021. Featuring poetry by JONATHAN LYNDON CHASE & JAMAL RASHAD. Spun by WAYV WILSON.

Complete recording (6:49): MP3

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