When you talk about the London poetry scene, Woodzy, also known as Jake Woods is a household name. He has made his mark with slick flows about relatable subjects across many stages. The 27 year-old Surrey based poet and creative was a former student at Brit School; a UK establishment that nurtures creative skills alongside providing a robust academic curriculum. Initially studying theatre, Woodzy then discovered his love for poetry and spoken word which encouraged him to pursue the art further.
I’ve always had a passion for performing and being on stage which made Brit School a great place as a creative.
Jake Woods – Poet
Fast forward to now, the award winning poet and workshop facilitator has featured on the Sky Arts TV show, Life & Rhymes, hosted by the legendary Benjamin Zephaniah. From opening for UK grime artist Stormzy to achieving over a million views for his 90’s Baby poem, Woodzy has created his own lane with no signs of slowing down. He launched a series of online workshops during the height of the pandemic that has manifested into collaborations with schools and his local community alongside Crawley Town Football Club.
2020 saw Woodzy explore the LA scene before the pandemic shut things down, but that didn’t take anything away from his experience. Performing at 10 shows over a two week period and securing a final spot in a slam poetry competition, Woodzy became one step closer to his goal of bridging the gap between the UK and the US poetry scene. Woodzy’s first album, Happy Place, was released in 2019 featuring poet and previous The Voice UK contestant Broken Pen. His new project, Peace Out, Peace In is scheduled for release in 2021, and you can find out more about what new vibes he will bring to the table in his interview below.
You can catch Woodzy’s wordplay on the 2nd October as he launches the upcoming Chris Eubank Jr headline fight in collaboration with Sky Sports live from Wembley Arena. The sold out event will have an audience of thousands indulging in the beautiful art of spoken word by a poet who is constantly breaking boundaries within our scene and more. From the open mic stage to performing in Wembley, Woodzy tells us what this next step means to him:
It’s always been a dream of mine to perform at Wembley. I hope this opens more doors for all of us.
Woodzy – Poet
Wordplay & Flow 