Simply Sayo: A spoken word artist with a unique narrative

A rising star in the world of spoken poetry, whose trademark style of using satire to stir interesting conversations on social media centers on covering common issues such as African culture, modern society, and racism, is now set to dominate the genre.
Popularly known as Simply Sayo on social media, the spoken word artist, satirist, and content creator is now a fan favourite as she continues to rise to the top.

How and where it all began
In an exclusive interview with The Beat during her brief holiday in Tanzania, the satirist, real name Adesayo Talabi, said that from an early age she has always been fond of words, saying that they helped her find her authenticity as she navigated communication in a then-foreign environment.
“My earliest memory of when I fell in love with communication and words is when I arrived in the United Kingdom (UK) from Nigeria. I was five years old at the time. Getting off the plane, I was greeted by unfamiliar faces and sounds. These people were speaking a language that I did not grasp even though I had heard it in my homeland. It sounded so different,” she narrates.
While the 25-year-old, who was born in Nigeria, was effortlessly finding her identity, Covid-19 made the unwelcome entry, and then lockdown happened in London and most parts of the world. Little did Adesayo know that the lockdown would be a blessing in disguise, as this was the time she introduced her art to the world.
“Before the lockdown, I had planned to resume physical performances of spoken word poetry, which I had put on hold for a while. “As I was stuck in my house filled with boredom, I decided to use social media as my performing platform,” recalls Adesayo.
Her first piece that she shared, which she says she wrote in less than two minutes, was about how she felt being locked in the house and not being able to go out. “After it went viral, I made up my mind that if the world was impressed by this small part of me that I wrote in a very short time, I had to show them what I can truly do given ample time,” Adesayo explains.
She then began to develop her poetry by spicing her words with different cultures and elements. This diversity is what makes her poems that carry interesting messages sound satirical yet serious, at times with a double entendre.
“It’s very much about expression, having fun with words, and being myself in a manner that is unique to me,” she says.
As she creates her own poems, Adesayo says that, growing up with words, she finds it not important to seek inspiration from different creatives at the same time because it can diminish a poet’s artistry, voice, and style.
“These three things are what define a poet, and when you look up to a lot of talented poets all at once, you can become blind to your own art. I remember when I was studying English literature, I came across poems by Benjamin Zephaniah, a Jamaican poet based in the UK. His writing, which includes Jamaican Patwah, is what spoke to me about how poems can be beautifully created and sound different without the common description of poems such as ‘who art thou’ and the like. Up until then, I had never come across poems that have such a distinct narrative that very much reflects the poet. It was at that moment, I told myself I could write like that,” she says.
Adesayo’s creativity in poetry led to the birth of ‘kpoetry’ as she prefers to call it. Her name is often linked to one of her viral poetry series dubbed ‘As a man’, where she mordantly criticizes men while pointing out different acts done by them.
After attaining a degree in journalism at Brunel University that was later followed by a Master in global media and communication, Adesayo decided to take on content and poem creation as a full-time job.
“It was a lot to decide because I had doubts if it would work, but fortunately, I have been able to create this life for myself with the help of my family, management, and friends who have stood with me from the very beginning,” Adesayo details.
She gets her ideas for poems from normal conversations, books, films, current issues, and everyday life.
“My writing process is fragmented. An idea or a line can pop up in my mind, and then I would note it down and extend it to a whole poem when my mind is well settled. Sometimes I even get stunned by the complete poems formed from the small noted details, but that is one of the interesting facts about poetry; you do not know where you can take it or how it can stretch your mind before you have a beautiful piece at the end,” she explains.  
Adesayo is well-known for her signature moves, which include certain looks, tones, and facial expressions that are amusing yet complement the piece that she speaks. Her grey-colored far coat(s), lip quivering look, and a Nigerian accent that is accompanied by her serious face as she speaks her art are some of her well-known moves.
“It is critical for poets to have a style that distinguishes them as artists and ways to express themselves as artists in a way that distinguishes them from other creatives.”As for me, I have an animated personality and face, and when I perform poetry, it all comes out,” she says.
She advises fellow poets to work with other people who will assist on the business side of the creative work.
“Creatives are really good at being creative and expressing themselves, but when you want to be well compensated for your art and efforts, you need to develop good business acumen. That does not mean you have to study it in its entirety; it means that you have to seek support from other people because it is convenient and gives more room to be creative. For me, I do that through my management and friends,” Adesayo shares.
Within the first three months of being a full-time poet, her social media community increased from 3000 followers to 100,000, she currently has over 200,000 followers on Instagram, 400,000 on TikTok, and 15,000 on Twitter.
Her authenticity in the content she creates has seen her perform at some of the most iconic performing venues in the world, such as the Royal Albert Hall and the Natural History Museum, which are both situated in the UK.
At the moment, Adesayo is creating an Extended Play (EP) of the poetry series that she has been sharing on social media.
“I want these poems to be extended beyond the one-minute limit on social media. These artworks will be accompanied by one-of-a-kind music, ensuring that each piece has its own identity.After that, I will start planning on creating a studio poetry album. I see myself having my own sold-out headline shows in the future. I foresee Sayo dominating the world!” she chuckles.