Nnamdi Orakpo could be described as a bundle of talent. He is a footballer, basketballer, author, educator and a poet all rolled into one. He is witty and a delight to chat with. This 26-year-old Obosi, Anambra State-born artist, comes across as a young man with wisdom beyond his years. Able to criss-cross the world of the young and the old, little wonder then his poems appeal to both worlds. In this interview with Sunday Arts, Nnamdi Orakpo spoke on a number of issues. Enjoy.

YOU'VE been described as a world renown poet, author and educator with an untamed talent for wordplay coupled with a strong message, and your works described as eclectic, experimental, psychedelic, creative and witty. Now tell us, who is really Nnamdi Orakpo?

Well, I am a single parent with a three-year-old daughter named Olivia Winzer Orakpo. I am also a Ph.D candidate in applied gerontology at the University of North Texas, and I plan on proceeding on to medical school next year. My first love is soccer but I later fell in love with basketball, and played overseas in Australia.

It seems you are an all round artiste, how did it all begin?

It began in 2001 when my mother was facing racial and ethnic discrimination at her job. She was fired for hanging up pictures of black American achievers during black history month i.e. Malcom X, Martin Luther King, Rosa Parks, etc. I began writing monologues to express how I felt. I met some guys on campus who were reciting some poetry/monologues similar to what I have written. They would do this everyday outside under the tree on the bench in between classes.

I began to listen but I never participated...until the next semester. These guys said they were poets and I wanted to do what they did. So I began reciting and writing mine in a poetic fashion. I was already in love with hip hop and; the militant type like Dead Prez and the conscious types like Mos Def, Talib Kweli are what inspired me to be lyrical with my art.

My life changed after that. I was never the same. Then a girl asked me to read a poem in her event that was to be held the very next day. I wrote the poem six hours before the event and performed it for a crowd of 500 that same evening. It was crazy...it was on live television KTTV ...and so I became confident and the people received me...so I continued.

Tell us a little about your book, VerbOsphere.

Well since I had been writing, I had been collecting my work and saving it on disk. I collected 70 poems from 2001 to 2005. I lost all of them because the computer I gave my mum blew up and I misplaced the disk while in transit, moving to Washington DC in 2005. Luckily, I memorized half of them. So in 2007, I decided to make it an official collection.

And in two days, I wrote the VerbOsphere...a collection of about 32 poems that I could salvage from memory...it was published by RonJon Publishing and it is now in various university libraries and bookstores across the nation (California, Texas, New York City, Washington DC).

What inspires you, I mean, how do you get your inspiration

Everyday people and their living conditions inspire me. People who don't have a voice but who continue to persevere through many obstacles inspire me...the underserved, disenfranchised, and the underprivileged... my African history, and love..

You are a doctoral candidate in applied gerontology, is there a connection between the arts and the field of gerontology?

Well, I'm not sure. Maybe not. But I really respect my elders and part of that is respecting my history..which is one of my inspirations. I like to keep the spirit of my ancestors alive and give history a pulse.

Can you tell us about your poem, Black Man Redefined and what led to the writing of that poem..

This poem is heavy. I thought that black man worldwide had a negative name that was not deserved. I know of many black men who do well and work hard to sustain themselves and their families; my father and grandfather being part of them. And myself. I wanted to remind the world of the achievements of black men despite the hell we have overcome.

I wanted to remind the world about things like every appliance in their home, stoplights, the electric car, steam engine, automatic gearshift in cars, building of pyramids with bare hands, first open heart surgery by Imhotep in Egypt, and all other accomplishments black men have achieved but remained humble about. Things that this world today cannot function without.

Who are your audience?

The globe..all ages. The language I use is universal and not vulgar.

Do you have those who influence you and which group of people do you influence most?

Artists older than me, influence me. i.e. Saul Williams and Taalam Acey as well as the Last Poets (Abiodun Oyewole) and many hip hop artists.

What story are you trying to tell with your works?

A story of desperation,. crying for help. a reminder from the ancestors to the youth. A love story. A spiritual journey that becomes intuitive but still difficult.

Is your poem, Indivisible Duality dedicated to anyone?

Not dedicated, but inspired by one of my old girlfriends in 2003.

Does your living in the diaspora affect the way you think and your poetic composition?

Yes definitely, most of what I started out writing centered around that but I have diversified my topics

What does poetry really mean to you?

Poetry to me is an oasis. It's also a realm where few exist. A level of being. Poetry is becoming your work...to me

Have you introduced your works to Nigeria?

I have, to the Nigerians here in the States and my work is categorized on iTunes as world music: West Africa. However, organisations such as Against Illiteracy and Poverty in Africa (AIPA) have invited me to perform in Nigeria...very soon.

Coming from a science background, how does your training in the sciences influence your poems?

It helps a lot. It helps me be precise and detailed in my description and for me, science brings more practical elements to art. I use it a lot. Especially my Poem called Boomerangs in Veins, a poem about my friend who died from Sickle Cell disease.