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5th L

The hip-hop culture is comprised of four elements: break dance, emceeing/rap music, graffiti and the DJ's on the turntables.

Spoken word, however, consists of poetry, theatre and a touch of hip-hop flavor.

David Ross (native son) and Femi Lawal (The Dri Fish) are members of The 5th L, performance poetry group. They have opened for international recording artists such as Musiq Soulchild, Saul Williams, Ursula Rucker, Fertile Ground, Jaguar Wright and KRS-One on numerous occasions.

The 5th L are not only skilled in performance poetry, but are known to host events as well as their own venues. They have committed their talents to avidly introducing creative writing & dramatic reading to elementary through high school students. The 5th L pushes the envelope whenever they display their spoken word theater productions, such as Good Fellas, Penniless and The Bridge Of Ages.

Native Son aka David Ross is a resident of Baltimore City, a poet and the author of Speech Impediments . David has been humbly inspiring audiences through exquisite lyrics since 1997. This award-winning artist delivers a captivating performance - enlightening listeners on cultural, educational, family, political, self love, social, and spiritual issues.

The Dri Fish aka Femi Lawal is also a resident of Baltimore City but was born in London, England and raised partially in Nigeria. The Dri Fish has been performing spoken word since 1995, at the same time altering the destructive thinking and decision making patterns of men, women and children alike with his candid social critique offered by his lyricism.

These brothers deliver spoken word with the skilled theatrics of Broadway show; the high-energy performance rap artists exert on stage and yet are able to maintain the poetic integrity of Langston Hughes. Their performances are known to captivate audiences of all ages, taking all spectators on an emotional ride when addressing topics on a wide variety of issues. Their style can be defined as an experimental fusion of Performance Poetry and Hip-Hop complete with all the respected elements of classic literary art and well-witted lyrics.

The 5th L has a passion for artistic expression and with their words the intend to inspire the planet in a positive way.

For more about this dynamic duo, visit www.5thl.com or www.myspace.com/the5thl.