Spoken word artist uses genre to inspire

Tamell “Big” Bailey considers himself to be an upbeat person, and he likes to share his sense of joy.

When people hear the Aiken resident perform one of his spoken word pieces or hip-hop songs, he hopes it leaves them feeling uplifted and encouraged.

 “If one person comes up and says ‘I needed to hear that,’ then my job is done. I like to hear that,” said Bailey, who along with Cathy Benedetto co-organizes an open mic night called the “Art of Words” on the third Thursday of the month at the Aiken County Public Library. He will be also performing with the group Big Bailey and Friends at Arts in the Heart of Augusta at 6 p.m. Friday, Sept. 20.  

Bailey’s fifth grade teacher encouraged his affinity for writing after he won a writing contest. It wasn’t long before he was writing poetry, and by high school, he was penning his own rap verses.

Hearing a track from Kanye West’s 2004 “The College Dropout” album made a huge impact on Bailey and opened him to the world of spoken word, which is the art of performed poetry.

J. Ivy, who has gone on to win Grammy Awards in the spoken word genre, was featured in West’s song “Never Let Me Down,” and it drew Bailey in.

The subject matter of spoken word has resonated with him for two decades.

“Mainstream hip-hop these days is more glorifying negativity, misogyny, violence and sex and drugs,” he said.

But spoken word is more in line with his upbeat personality and offers more motivational and inspirational messages.

“Not that you can’t talk about that in hip-hop; it’s just not the majority. It’s not common. That is where I connected,” he said.

And when he’s performing spoken word, there’s an emotional connection to the topics. He believes he’s in touch with his feelings, and his ability to emote is what brings the words to life.

He started doing spoken word in 2007 at Soultry Sounds Cafe in Augusta, which landed him a featured spot after his first performance, solidifying his interest, and he has been sharpening his technique ever since.

The 2023 winner of the IHA Awards’ best male poet, Bailey produced his album “Never Quit On Your Dreams” which won the award for best album at the 2022 Fairfield Music Awards. His song dedicated to his late mother, “Johnnie Mae,” won Best Inspirational Music Video at the 2022 Christian Georgia Film Festival.

He plans to release a new single with the band, the Sound of Brilliance, in October. Bailey is pursuing his ultimate dream of creating his own Grammy-worthy spoken word album. His music is available on streaming platforms and his website.

The next Art of Words event is scheduled for Sept. 19. Sign ups begin at 5:30 p.m. with the event at 6 p.m. Material should be appropriate for audiences with children.

 Aaron Kinzer will be the featured artist.

Bailey said the small setting at the library allows for interaction with feedback if people are interested in it.

When he’s not behind a mic, Bailey, who has a master’s degree in informational technology and 20 years of IT experience, owns Tamell’s Tech Support as well as SMS Entertainment.

Charmain Z. Brackett, the publisher of Augusta Good News and Inspiring: Women of Augusta, has covered Augusta’s news for more than 35 years and is a Georgia Press Association award winner. Reach her at charmain@augustagoodnews.com. Sign up for the newsletter here.