MU student [Justin McCain](http://loudpoetry.wix.com/justinmccainpoetry) isn’t your typical overachieving senior. Sure, he may have gotten a gig voicing his poetry on a CW special and traveled to St. Louis and Kansas City to perform his scholarship-winning poetry for live audiences, but he also nonchalantly describes himself as “laid-back” and “bubbly.” 

This English major’s upbeat, can-do attitude is maybe even alarmingly chill. During our phone conversation, he mumbled apologetically about adjusting his phone, then matter-of-factly mentioned he was driving a stick shift through hail on his trip home to St. Louis. 

McCain is a spoken word artist, or a performance-based poet, who reads his material aloud and uses mannerisms, facial expressions and hand or body gestures to portray the meaning of his written words. 

He has been writing poetry since he was 14, but didn’t begin performing in front of audiences until he was 17.  Soon after, McCain began receiving scholarship for his poetry. As a freshman and sophomore, McCain set out to establish himself in the small spoken word community here at the university, performing at every gig or open mic session he could get. 

All the while, McCain remained an active member of the fraternity Kappa Alpha Psi, managed a lucrative business selling Greek life apparel and was a full-time student. By junior year, he began to look beyond the confines of Columbia and started traveling three or four times a month to open mic cafés in St. Louis and Kansas City. McCain says part of the reason for moving beyond Columbia was to make room for fellow artists.

“Those sophomores and juniors who I’m working with directly, and editing their work and mentoring them — I want to give them the chance to really stand out in the community,” McCain says. “I want to see those other artists succeed.”

One of those fellow spoken word poets that McCain mentors is MU junior Devin Chavers, who is the president of INDIE P.O.E.T.S., the only spoken word poetry organization on campus. 

“(McCain) was very supportive, and encouraged me to move forward with my vision and idea,” Chavers says. “He is very wise.” 

Right now, McCain is focusing on building up his [arsenal of spoken word audio projects](http://www.mediafire.com/?eaof9h7a7yxa72t) and intends to continue on with poetry competitions after graduation — all while running his apparel business and studying for the LSATs. Nbd.