By Shayler Richmond
Darion Ervin is one of the rawest most authentic storytellers.
Economics major turned investor turned poet.
“I can talk to my notebook more than any person. To me poetry is honesty and where I feel safe," said Ervin. "Once I began performing poetry. I knew I couldn’t go back to not performing."
On stage while performing a poem is where he can release all his emotion. One of the worst feelings Ervin can remember is how he felt when Alton Sterling was killed by police in 2016. He recalls watching the police brutality on video and having to rewatch it because his heart was breaking and his mind wouldn’t allow him to believe his eyes.
“It was overwhelming. Once you see yourself in a an entire body of people and your people are being slaughtered, how can you not feel something? Regardless of where you stand or how you’re living. It’s sadness at its deepest,” said Ervin.
Ervin has arrived at a point in his career where poetry is who he is and he figuring out how to to take his poetry to the next level, which starts with making a name for yourself.
"I didn’t know it was going to be this big of a deal for me when I started writing but poetry literally saved my life and I feel like I owe it that back. I want to get to a point where people are choosing to ride around listening to my poetry and spitting along rather than any song in the world," said Ervin.
Through his platform he also has a goal of reforming capitalism because of his belief that it is too ingrained in the structure of America to be removed, but he isn't focused on wealth. Ervin believes the impact artist have on them self is important due to the mental and emotional benefits of creative expression.
“You can put a passion in people through poetry, but poetry is just the words and you have to be a part of the change. We can speak about change in poetry, but we actually have to change,” said Ervin.
For Ervin the impact creatives have on them self does not overshadow the impact they can have on one another. His favorite poet is Darius Simpson, and he recalls Simpson's performance at the University of Oxford blowing him away.
“Sometimes you need to just hear that there are other people going through what you’re going through or can articulate it better than you and it's alleviating,” said Ervin.
He is going to use his powerful voice to speak his truth as much as possible.
“Before it’s all said and done I would like to be renowned amongst my peers," said Ervin. "I don’t need to be William Shakespeare, but I would just like for my poetry to live on past me.”