Hakim Bellamy

Photograph by Justin Thor Simenson

As the inaugural Poet Laureate of Albuquerque, NM (2012-2014), Hakim is a national and regional Poetry Slam Champion, and holds three consecutive collegiate poetry slam titles at the University of New Mexico.

His poetry has been published on the walls of the Albuquerque Convention Center, on the outside of a library, in inner-city buses and in numerous anthologies across the globe. In 2014 Hakim was named a W. K. Kellogg Foundation Fellow and was awarded the Food Justice Residency at the Santa Fe Art Institute. He is the co-creator of the multimedia Hip Hop theater production Urban Verbs: Hip-Hop Conservatory & Theater, which has been staged throughout the country. He facilitates youth writing workshops for schools, jails, churches, prisons, and community organizations in New Mexico and beyond. Hakim released his first book, Swear, in 2014 and received his Masters Degree in Communications at the University of New Mexico shortly after.

His journey as a poet has come full circle as of late, and given him the hat of musician to wear. A product of the Hip Hop generation and influenced by his parents extensive wax collection (which included the likes of Janis Joplin, Sly and The Family Stone, Carlos Santana & Buddy Miles, The Grateful Dead, Gil Scott Heron, The Temptations, and Teddy Pendergrass & The Last Poets), Bellamy is equal parts musical artist, archivist and archeologist. He digs music.

Hakim is the proud father of a 7 year-old miracle and is the founding president of Beyond Poetry LLC.