5 Time Def Poetry Jam Poet, Bassey Ikpi is taking her one woman poetry show on the road. Bassey Ikpi is a Nigerian born poet/writer who has been a featured cast member of the National Touring Company of the Tony Award winning Broadway show, Russell Simmon's Def Poetry Jam. Recently she appeared on the NAACP Image Awards as part of a tribute to Venus and Serena Williams and was a featured performer for Johannesburg, South Africa's annual arts festival,  Joburg Arts Alive.  Bassey has been seen gracing the pages of magazines such as Nylon, Marie Claire, Glamour and Bust. She recorded an original poem for the Kaiser Foundation’s, HIV/AIDS campaign, Knowing Is Beautiful. Bassey's personal and heartfelt work has made her a much sought after performer. 

This summer, making stops in several major cities on the East Coast, Bassey Ikpi will intertwine her poetry with an evening filled with a live panel, discussing everything from pop culture, politics and relationships. Not only will her poetry be live streamed via several social networks, but the panel will also field questions from the audience and interact with followers on Twitter.  Each city stop will include different panelists from the entertainment industry, bloggers, writers and academia.  With each location, comes a different theme for the evening. The kickoff event, which will take place in her hometown area of DC, will be the catalyst of the Basseyworld Live experience!