James Ivy Richardson II, known as J. Ivy, and born on March 3, 1976, in Chicago,
Illinois, is an American poet, spoken word artist, songwriter, and author. His
poetry career began in high school, where he received a standing ovation for a
performance. After college, J. Ivy returned to Chicago and gained prominence on
the local arts circuit. In 1997, he hosted Rituals, a popular poetry night in
Chicago, which led to appearances on Russell Simmons' Def Poetry Jam on HBO. His
breakthrough came when Kanye West featured him on "Never Let Me Down" from The
College Dropout, which won a ...