Thug Life Army

In the quest to provide the hip-hop community at large the opportunity to enjoy the deeper roots of hip-hop, deeper than rap; we love the spoken word artist. Introducing the younger, and sometimes the older, hip-hop culture citizens to these artists is an honor that we thoroughly enjoy.  

Aisha Raison has proven to be one of the strong, young feminine poets of our time. Creative and outspoken, Aisha's poetry will move you and create new food for thought for the mind, body and soul.

Aisha Raison-spoken word artist, photographer and producer-has recited poetry all through the south since 1997. Starting off in Memphis at the Firehouse on October 24, 1997, she emerged as a developing writer with a curiosity for making the audience...well, comfortable.

On April 9, 1998, Aisha created Afrodeesiack Press in order to publish on her own and help others as well. Her first chapbook "Afrodeesiack: African-American Erotic Poetry" set the stage for her as an erotic writer, helping her emerge on the scene not only as a poet, but as an independent woman who wasn''t afraid to open her mouth and say what she wanted.

With her feminist image and her sexual words, she won and toured several southern poetry slams and readings, including the 1998 and 1999 Southern Fried Poetry Slam.

In 1999, she and several other established Memphis poets created Animated Souls, where the poets did plays such as "Day in the Life" and "Suspended in Animation".

She later moved to Winston-Salem, North Carolina, and worked with several other poetry groups and winning placement on the Winston-Salem Slam Team in 2000 and 2001.

Aisha created "Eclectic Thoughts" in 2000, the chapbook that said goodbye to the sexual creature and hello to the feminist slash mother slash human.

Her most recent work, entitled "Ghetto Anthems...and other beats to dance to”, introduces the audience to a wider spectrum of her experiences, thoughts, and characters most women have found themselves playing at one time in their lives.

Aisha had the opportunity to introduce the chapbook during Venus Envy in Memphis and at Broads Off Broad in Winston-Salem in 2002. She was also one half of Wordsicians of Winston, which gave a performance in dedication to June Jordan and on the behalf of breast cancer awareness.

She was given the opportunity to perform "Eulogy of a Suicide Victim (to Jane)" for the domestic violence prevention play "Weep No More".

Since then, Aisha performs in coffee shops and college stages, including Thea's House of Jazz and Blues, retelling stories that influence and inspire those that have yet to have a voice.

Aisha Raison -- Young, gifted and Black female lyricist flipping scripts and phrases for the masses...Check her site HERE and become aware of this talented lyricist.

Be sure to visit the Poetry Section of her site, she will provide you with more than lyrics - she will enlighten you  to ''think''.