As part of the Nottingham Poetry Festival

Three of Nottinghams finest lyricists come together for an unforgettable night of poetry and music. ALL artists will be performing with full live bands.

JayaHadADream: Jamaican-Irish rapper JayaHadADream is known for her introspective yet hard-hitting style, drawing heavy influence from grime and hip hop. Raised in Cambridge, she found her artistic voice in Nottingham, where her music began to flourish. Her signature sound—marked by raw storytelling and emotive delivery—has captivated audiences everywhere, from intimate venues to the UK’s biggest festivals. In 2024, she made a major breakthrough by winning the Glastonbury Emerging Talent Competition, securing a coveted spot on one of the festival’s main stages. Since then, she has lit up Reading, Leeds, Boomtown, and more, cementing her presence in the UK music scene.Her talent has landed her on major platforms, including BBC 1Xtra’s Sounds Of The Verse freestyle with Sir Spyro, as well as sets and freestyle.

Jah Digga is a multifaceted artist from Nottingham, England and is a hugely respected national figure. Growing up in the St Ann’s area during the 1990s, he was influenced by a household filled with reggae from his Jamaican mother and 90s hip-hop from his older brothers. This diverse musical environment sparked his passion for music, leading him to write and perform his own lyrics from a young age.

His early career was rooted in the grime scene, where he gained recognition through collaborations and performances. Over the years, Jah Digga has expanded his artistic endeavors, becoming a prominent figure in Nottingham’s creative community. He has been involved in various projects, including working with schools and youth groups to address social issues like knife crime.

In addition to his music, Jah Digga co-hosts the “No Blacks, No Irish” podcast with Derry Shillitto, where they explore cultural and social topics. His recent work includes the release of the deeply personal track “Addictions,” which delves into themes of gambling and alcohol dependency, showcasing his commitment to addressing real-life struggles through his art.

Jah Digga continues to influence and inspire through his dedication to music, poetry, and community engagement, solidifying his role as a key figure in Nottingham’s cultural landscape and heads up the fantastic poetry collective Poets Off The Endz.

Cappo: Dr Paul Adey is lecturer of Popular Music and Music Business at Nottingham Trent University’s School of Art and Design. A legend in UK underground hip hop, Cappo is known for his dense lyricism, boom-bap production, and uncompromising artistry. Hailing from Nottingham, he has built a decades-long career performing with the likes of Wu-Tang Clan, Common, and The Roots. His work has influenced a generation of MCs, combining gritty realism with poetic precision. Expect a masterclass in live lyricism from a true pioneer. Paul’s interdisciplinary research focuses on popular culture, literary devices and musical concepts such as intertextuality and allusion, and the semiotic analysis of song lyrics. The nature of Cappo’s praxis links his work to rap music, English literature, Creative Writing, and media studies.

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