Russell Simmons Presents Def Poetry, better known as simply Def Poetry Jam or Def Poetry, was a spoken word poetry television series hosted by Mos Def and airing on HBO between 2002 and 2007. The series features performances by established and up-and-coming spoken word poets. Performances also included special appearances by well-known actors and musicians, as well as occasional performances by Mos Def himself. Co-created by Bruce George, Danny Simmons, Deborah Pointer, Stan Lathan, and Russell Simmons, the show is a spin-off of the popular Def Comedy Jam which began airing on HBO in the 1990s.

About The series included historical legendary poets such as The Last Poets, Nikki Giovanni, Amiri Baraka, and Sonia Sanchez. It also featured poets, Saul Williams, J. Ivy, Jessica Care Moore, Lemon and openly gay poet Emanuel Xavier. Though technically not a poetry slam, Def Poetry has become heavily associated with the poetry slam movement, and utilized many of poetry slam's best-known poets, including National Poetry Slam champions such as Beau Sia, Taylor Mali, Big Poppa E, Mayda Del Valle, Mike Mcgee, Alix Olson and Rives, among others. Even poets who are critical of the poetry slam, such as John S. Hall, have acknowledged slam's influence on the show. In a 2005 interview, Hall was quoted as saying:

In a 2005 interview, Bob Holman, who founded the Nuyorican Poets Cafe's poetry slam and appeared on Season 4 of the show, applauded Def Poetry, noting:

However, Marc Smith, the founder of the Poetry Slam movement, is more critical of the program. Smith decries the intense commercialization of the poetry slam, and refers to Def Poetry as "an exploitive entertainment [program that] diminished the value and aesthetic of performance poetry."

In November 2002, a live stage production, Russell Simmons Def Poetry Jam, opened on Broadway. Directed by Stan Lathan, the show featured poets Beau Sia, Suheir Hammad, Staceyann Chin, Lemon, Mayda Del Valle, Georgia Me, Black Ice, Poetri Smith, and Steve Coleman. The show ran on Broadway until May 2003, and won a 2003 Tony Award for Best Special Theatrical Event.New York Times List of 2003 Tony Award Winners. The show subsequently toured both nationally and internationally.

Def Poetry premiered on HBO in 2002 and the latest season to air (Season 6) premiered in February 2007. As of summer 2008, there has been no word about the possibility of a Season 7. Starting in 2008, producers of Def Poetry (including Simmons, Stan Lathan, and Kamilah Forbes) developed and broadcast the HBO poetry show Brave New Voices, which is stylistically similar to Def Poetry, with teenage poets competing and backstage scenes.

Episode index

Season 1 (2002)

Episode 1 Steve Colman – I Wanna Hear a Poem Georgia Me – Full Figure Potential Vanessa Hidary - Culture Bandit Lemon – Shine Nikki Giovanni – Talk to Me Poem, I Think I've Got the Blues Black Ice – Bigger Than Mine? Suheir Hammad – First Writing Since

Episode 2 Taylor Mali – What Teachers Make Yellow Rage – Listen Asshole Jewel – Poem Song Flow Mentalz – They Call Me Drama Sonia Sanchez – Poem to Some Women Shihan – This Type Love Dawn Saylor – When I Was 14 Kayo – Who Am I?

Episode 3 Cedric the Entertainer – Untitled Sarah Jones – Your Revolution Beau Sia – Give Me a Chance Willie Perdomo – How Beautiful We Really Are Abyss – God Gave Me Grey Skies The Last Poets – Take Your Time IN-Q – When Hip-Hop Was Fun J. Ivy – I Need To Write

Episode 4 Mayda Del Valle – Descendancy Poetri – Money Jessica Care Moore – Warriors Walk Alone Dave Chappelle – The Corner Store Amiri Baraka – from Why is We Americans? Liza Jessie Peterson – Ice Cream Fiend Kevin Coval – Family Feud

Season 2 (2003)

Episode 1 Beau Sia – Asian Invasion Jason Carney – Southern Heritage Thea Monyee – Woman to Woman Sekou Sundiata – Come on and Bring on the Reparations Marty McConnell – Give Me One Good Reason to Die Twin Poets – Dreams are Illegal in the Ghetto Jamie Foxx – Off the Hizzle for Shizzle

Episode 2 Danny Hoch – Corner Talk, September Patricia Smith – Skinhead Dante Basco – Nikki Maggie Estep – Emotional Idiot Black Ice – Truth Is Kent Foreman – Epiphany Roger Bonair-Agard – How the Ghetto Loves Us Back Erykah Badu – Friends, fans, and artists must meet

Episode 3 Lemon – Where I'm From and A Toast Bassey Ikpi – Sometimes silence is the loudest kind of noise Taylor Mali – Totally like whatever, you know? Regie Cabico – What kind of guys are attracted to me Haki R. Madhubuti – The B Network Rat Sack – I'm Losing You Talib Kweli

Episode 4 Ishle Yi Park – All I have ever done is write you love poems Shihan – Say What? Suheir Hammad – Not Your Erotic, Not Your Exotic Big Poppa E – Wussy Boy La Bruja – WTC Anthony Morales – Story Avenue Stuck Amalia Ortiz – Some Days Oscar Brown Jr. – I Apologize

Episode 5 Felipe Luciano – Jibaro, My Pretty Nigger MuMs – Ploylessness Amanda Diva – Hot Shit Malik Yusef – I Spit Asha Bandele – Morning Was My Mentor Malcolm Jamal Warner – I Love My Woman

Episode 6 Sekou the Misfit – I'm a Rapper Steve Connell – Why Not Wine Coolers Georgia Me – NigGods Louis Reyes Rivera – Bullet Cry Jessica Care Moore – I'm a Hip Hop Cheerleader Keith Murray – Man Child.

Episode 7 Denizen Kane – Lost and Found Staceyann Chin – If Only Out of Vanity Big Rube – Alphabet Acrobat Wood Harris – Night Song Goldie – No title Regie Gibson – For James Marshall Hendrix Joy Harjo – A Poem to Get Rid of Fear Linton Kwesi Johnson – If I Was a Top-notch Poet

Season 3 (2004)

Episode 1 Black Ice – Lone Soldier Rives – Sign Language Helena D. Lewis – Stank Breath Poem-cees – Power Mutabaruka – Dis Poem Daniel Beaty – Duality Duel Rupert Estanislao – Empress Jill Scott – Nothing is for Nothing Suheir Hammad – We Spent the 4th of July in Bed

Episode 2 Mayda Del Valle and Lemon – Tito Puente Flaco Navaja – Kids Don't Play Gemineye – Poetic Bloodline Ursula Rucker – Get Ready Michael Ellison – Light Skin-did Ishle Park – Pussy Ras Baraka – American Poem Dana Gilmore – Wife, Woman, Friend Common – God is Freedom

Episode 3 Poetri – Krispy Kreme Emanuel Xavier – Tradiciones Marc Bamuthi Joseph – For Pop Richard Montoya – Miami Vanessa Hidary – The Hebrew Mamita Danny Hoch – PSA Bassey Ikpi – Homeward Lemon – Gangsta MCs Steve Colman – Terrorist Threat

Episode 4 Black Ice & Staceyann Chin – Jammin Rock Baby – Titty Man Alix Olson – Women Before Mike 360 – Twilight Zone Cheryl James – We Follow Your Lead Shappy – I Am That Nerd Jonzi D – 3000 Casualties of War Amalia Ortiz – Cat Calls Jimmy Santiago Baca – from Healing Earthquakes ("Twelve")

Episode 5 Roger Bonair-Agard – For Trent Lott Frenchie – Fucking Ain't Conscious Geoff Trenchard – Of Copper Chipped Teeth Chinaka Hodge – Barely Audible Quincy Troupe – Forty One Seconds in June, in Salt Lake City, Utah (for Michael Jordan) Dufflyn – Single Life MuMs – Brooklyn Queen Kevin Coval – Jam Master J Beau Sia – Love

Episode 6 Shihan – Sick and Tired Jason Carney – Out Here Gina Loring – Somewhere There Is a Poem Kanye West – Self Conscious Jamie DeWolf (formerly Jamie Kennedy) – Grim Fairy Tale Bao Phi – You Bring Out the Vietnamese in Me Roscoe P. Coldchain – Trouble Mayda Del Valle – Mami's Makin' Mambo Buju Banton – How Long

Episode 7 Maggie Estep – Happy Malak Salaam – Warrior's Love Joel Chmara – Sweet Tooth Tollbooth School Year Flowmentalz – The Payphone Saul Williams – Coded Language Georgia Me – Hit Like a Man Deb Young – Children of a Lesser God Smokey Robinson – A Black American

Season 4 (2005)

Episode 1 Daniel Beaty – Knock, Knock Rives – Kite Nafessa Monroe – White Mark Gonzales – As with Most Men Zena Edwards – Laugh Oscar Brown Jr. – Children of Children Amalia Ortiz – Women of Juarez Black Ice – Or Die MC Lyte – I Was Born

Episode 2 Gemineye – What Are You Fighting For? Bonnie – My Man Javon Johnson – Elementary Suheir Hammad – What I Will Rachel and George McKibbons – Multi-tasking Vanessa Hidary – Fling Gone Awry Flowmentalz – Constipation Nikki Patin – Sweat Nikky Finney – Girlfriends Train Kanye West – 18 Years

Episode 3 Bassey Ikpi – Diallo John S. Hall – America Kicks Ass Tish Benson – Fifth Word Email Kelly Tsai – Mao Tracy Morgan – Feeling Fucked Up Will Bell – So I Run Morris Stegosaurus – Big Man II Dawn Saylor – Take You To Brooklyn Michael Eric Dyson – Intellectual MCs KRS-One and Doug E. Fresh – 2nd Quarter

Episode 4 Poetri – Dating Myself Julian Curry – Nigger, Niggas, Niggaz Ishle Park – Open Letter to Soldier Taylor Mali – Like Lily Like Wilson Adele Givens – That Shit Ain't Funny Kevin Coval – My g-dself Loose Yolanda Kae Wilkinson – Circa Valentine's Day Amir Sulaiman – Danger Floetry – Everybody Heard

Episode 5 Lemon – Love Poem Regie Cabico – You Bring Out the Writer in Me Rafael Casal – Abortion Kim Fields – How Come Reg E. Gaines – I Don't Feel Like Writing Jon Goode – Barbara Dana Gilmore – Wife, Woman, Friend, Pt. 2 Rita Dove – Black on a Saturday Night Talib Kweli – Lonely People

Episode 6 Flaco Navaja – Revolution Liza Jesse Peterson – Waitress Robert Karimi – Get Down with Your Catholic Muslim Self Triple Black – Love Poems Bonafide Rojas – In front of the Class Laura "Piece" Kelly – Central District BessKepp – Rotten Pomegranates Michael Franti – Rock the Nation Ruby Dee – Tupac

Episode 7

Georgia Me – Bitch Ass Nigga Jus Cus – Homeland Security J. Ivy – Dear Father Marlon Esquerra – Morning Papers Marvin Tate – My Life to the Present Martin Espada – Imagine the Angels of Bread Alix Olson – America on Sale Mos Def – Pornographic Content Ani DiFranco – Coming Up Mike Epps – I Love the Hood

Episode 8

Mayda Del Valle – Hood Days Andy Buck – *69 Faraji Salim – Star Spangled Banner Bob Holman – Rock & Roll Mythology Patrick Washington – Letter to the Editor Tara Betts – Switch Paul Flores – Brown Dreams muMs – The Truth Parts I & II Buttaflysoul – Queer Eye Dead Prez – 4 the Hood

Episode 9

Beau Sia – I'm So Deep Aysiha Knight – Until Buddy Wakefield – Convenience Store Shihan – The Auction Network Miguel Algarin – Met Walking Kendra Urdang – To Every Man Who Never Called Himself a Feminist Speech – Night Time Demons Red Storm – My Debut Universes (poetic theatre ensemble) (Steven, Mildred & Gamal) – Don't Front Common – A Letter to the Law

Episode 10

Tommy Bottoms – Basic Economics Staceyann Chin – Three Frenzied Days Joe Hernandez-Kolski – Cool Marc Batmuthi Joseph – Move Denizen Kane – Love Song Aya De Leon – Cellulite Musiq – Pieces of this Life Mos Def – My Life is Real Yusef Komunyakaa – The Sure Beat Beau Sia, Georgia Me, Suheir Hammad – First Taste

Season 5 (2006)

Episode 1

J. Ivy – Never Let Me Down Dahlak Brathwaite – Just Another Routine Check Claudia Alick – Employed Poor Black Ice – Imagine Gideon Grody-Patinkin – Touching Avery Brooks – from Purlie Victorious (by Ossie Davis) Lauryn Hill – Motives and Thoughts Rachel McKibbens – After School Special Dave Chappelle – Fuck Ashton Kutcher and How I Got the Lead On Jeopardy

Episode 2

Al Letson – The Ball the Rim and Him Dan Sully and Tim Stafford – Death From Below Georgia Me – For Your Protection John Legend – Again Caroline Harvey – Spoons Bounty Killer – Look Into My Eyes; Bassey Ikpi – I Want to Kiss You Will "Da Real One" Bell – Diary of the Reformed Alicia Keys – P.O.W.

Episode 3

Reg E. Gaines and Savion Glover – Pawn Shop Tommy Chunn – Computer Wordplay Scorpio Blues – Second Guessing Gemineye – Penny for Your Thoughts Emanuel Xavier – Nueva York Mayda Del Valle – To All the Boys I've Loved Before Rev. Run – Peter Piper Aulelei Love – Same Cell, A Poem for Women in Prison Mike Booker – Hoodology Smokey Robinson – Gang Bangin'

Episode 4

The Poem-cees – Cheatin' Geoff Trenchard – Ode to my Bathroom