Hello, Hola, Hallo, Bonjour…
in a snapshot, my name is Michael Perez (Pharez/D.mask,Us!): handmade in Heaven, i arrived on Earth (Chicago) twenty some odd years ago + a few ;)…via Puerto Rican parents who are my INSPIRATION and earthly JOY, along with 2 beautiful and wonderful sisters who have added sabor (flavor), sweet, sour & spicy to my life…i was introduced to a strict upbringing by my Grandmother Mamita, my vintage love, who is the reason behind the proficiency of my native tongue, Puerto Rican Spanglish!
At a young age, i developed a passion for WORDS and the way they were SPOKEN…from preachers to poets, professors to emcees & presidents to corner street hustlers-i enjoyed the puzzle piecing of words and how they commanded the attention of thousands as well as the attention of ONE…
…this passion would later take me on a journey into the world of broken pencils and abUSED notebooks, which would eventually afford me the opportunity to grace stages in Chicago and New York City before moving to Indianapolis where i now reside and have functioned as part of The Fighting Words Poetry Team…this LOVE for WORD(s) translated into a LOVE for CULTURE, which translated into a LOVE for the WORLD and the BEAUTIFUL PEOPLE in it!!!
“…death and life are in the power of the tongue…”
“…my tongue is the pen of a ready writer…”
question: What is your tongue saying!?
