CANCELLED -Poetry vs. Hip-Hop® – National Poetry Month Tour with Queen Sheba and Malik Yusef
This has been cancelled. Please see email for next steps.
City Winery Hudson Valley Presents Poetry vs. Hip-Hop® – National Poetry Month Tour with Queen Sheba and Malik Yusef on Thursday, April 30th, at 7:00 PM(opens in a new tab)! Hosted by Queen Sheba, 2026 (a three-time) Grammy®-Nominated Spoken Word-Poet & Malik Yusef — Grammy-Nominated Poet AND-8x Grammy Award–Winning Artist! This special edition of the show invites local poets and MCs to step up to the mic and represent their side.
The 10+-year nationally touring Poetry vs. Hip-Hop® friendly “battle” (“Don’t worry it’s completely fun and safe with silly prizes and cash at the end!, Says Queen Sheba”) lands at City Winery Hudson Valley for a high-energy night of lyrical competition, community, and live performance as the culminating event for National Poetry Month Celebration in the Hudson Valley metro area.
This event will sell out. Get your tickets - NOW!
Poet Gold - Headlines this incredible night! Performing with a full band ensemble for her first-ever performance at City Winery Hudson Valley!
Poet Gold is a multidisciplinary artist whose work explores love, identity, perseverance, and the human experience through spoken word and performance. The Dutchess County Poet Laureate Emeritus and author of Be The Poem: Living Beyond Our Fears, she is nationally recognized for her keynote talks, performances, and creative workshops that connect storytelling, literacy, and personal growth.
Her voice is also heard as co-host of the iHeart Radio show Finding Out with Pete and The Poet Gold, and in the poetic short film Blueprint for My People by award-winning director Carol Bash.
It is National Poetry Month, her City Winery debut, and the final stop of the tour.
Hudson Valley… this show will sell out.
Calling All Poets & MCs!
Think you have bars?
Think you have a poem that can shake the room?
Sign up to represent #TeamPoetry or #TeamHipHop and show the Hudson Valley what you have got.
Queen Sheba 2026 Grammy-Nominated Spoken Word-Poet
will serve as Captain of #TeamPoetry
Malik Yusef — 8x Grammy Award–Winning Artist — will serve as Captain of #TeamHipHop
Together they will lead an open call lineup of poets and emcees going head-to-head in a friendly open mic–style lyrical battle.
Bring Your People. Seriously.
This is not a judged competition.
There are no scorecards and no panel of judges.
The audience decides every single round.
That means the artists who bring the loudest, proudest supporters have a real advantage. The crowd will cheer, clap, stomp, and make noise to determine whether #TeamPoetry or #TeamHipHop takes the round.
So if you are stepping on stage, bring your friends, bring your crew, bring your family, bring your whole cheering section.
Because the room chooses the winner.
Competitors will battle for fun, silly prizes, bragging rights, and a REAL cash bonus round at the end of the night.
Choose your side, Hudson Valley!
#TeamPoetry or #TeamHipHop 👀
The Experience
The night begins with a limited open mic, giving a few performers the chance to warm up the crowd and set the tone for the evening.
Then the main event begins as poets and MCs take the stage in a friendly lyrical showdown, captained by Queen Sheba and Malik Yusef.
The evening wraps up with live music to close out the night, bringing everyone together to celebrate poetry, hip-hop, and community.
Expect a high-energy, uncensored night of poetry, music, culture, and connection where artists bring their best work and the audience becomes part of the show.
🍽️ We provide food and beverage service directly to your table in the venue. Or, for an expanded menu and more relaxed experience, arrive early and enjoy a meal in our restaurant before the show. When dining in the restaurant, reservations are encouraged and can be made via Resy starting one month before the show. View Our Concert Dining Menu.(opens in a new tab)
Reserve your preferred wine by filling out this form(opens in a new tab) and have a bottle waiting at your table when you arrive at your show. No more waiting for your first drink! We will save your wine preference and have a bottle at your table for all future shows. When you want to change your wine, come back to this form and update your preference.
🎶 While we do not require a two-item food or beverage minimum, we strongly encourage it. Most ticket revenue goes directly to the artist and production costs, so food and drink purchases help support the staff, service, and atmosphere that make these intimate shows possible.
The good news: we think you’ll love the food and wine just as much as the show.(opens in a new tab)
🍷 Members get 48 hour early access to new shows, pay no ticket fees, and earn points to exchange for complimentary tickets. Vinofile Plus members also receive many wine benefits. Add a membership to your cart during checkout to start saving now. Already a member? Make sure you are signed in to access your benefits. Become a Vinofile Member and enjoy the benefits today(opens in a new tab).
