Leslie “ButtaFlySouL” Taylor, poet/spoken word artist, host, vocalist, actor, producer and director, native of Chicago, Illinois makes his home in New York City.

ButtaFlySouL has been featured on 98.7 Kiss FM, Boston Comedy Club, Blue Stockings, Club Decades, and the BET/Pantene Totally You Tour with Nikki Giovanni. He has also been featured at a host of poetry venues, churches, and universities. His spoken word artistry has also won him the Nuyorican Glam Slam Championship as well as the opportunity to open for Motown recording artist Donnie. He is currently one of the contributing writers for the Signifying Harlem Literary Journal and featured poet for the Nubian Heritage on line magazine. He prides himself on having the distinction of being one of the esteemed members of the Peabody Award winning Russell Simmons’ Def Poetry Jam family.

At Vibe Theory ButtaFlySouL would make a name for himself as a comical, witty, poetic, and musical force. Hosting the Friday night open mic at Two Steps Down afforded him the opportunity to co-host The Spit Fire Radio Show on WBAI 99.5 FM during their fundraising season. This lead to hosting shows throughout New York City, DC and Oakland, FLOW a hip-hop and poetry showcase and the 2004-4005 Poetry Slam at DC Black Pride.   He will be co-Hosting the 2006 DC Black Pride Slam.   Look for Butta on the Ebony Pyramid Carribean Cruisin 2006 tour later this year.  

Not being limited to poetry, ButtaFlySouL has been singing since the age of six with local community choirs in Chicago. He has been showcased and featured in Chicago, Miami, Washington D.C., and New York City. He is currently featured on the dance single “Trouble Man Remix.”  He is also the newest member of Deep Dickollective (DDC) a hip hop group based out Oakland.  Together they tour colleges and hip hop venues a like sharing their brand of in your face hip hop lyrics.  Butta has also been featured in Peace Out East in New York, and Peace Out West in Oakland.  Though his heart is in gospel music, he easily makes the transition into R&B and Jazz. With his melodic sound, he continues to be a sought after and respected vocalist.

ButtaFlySouL easily makes his transition from the microphone to the stage in his performance in the stage play “Meeting of the Gods” written by Yolanda Kae Wilkinson and directed by D. Rubin Green.  He also co-stared in the musical “Trippin” written by Daniel Beaty and choreographed/directed by Leonard Joseph.

ButtaFlySouL made his directorial debut at the Nuyorican Poets Café with “baron.unplugged” and continued to direct shows like “Snippets, Downtown Rhythm, The Underdogs, Lessons, and Amusing (AD).” As a director, consultant, and coach ButtaFlySouL has worked with some of New York’s Cities brightest young artist. He is currently directing “The Classifieds.”  Butta is also the Executive Director of the 2005 ROAR Theater Festival at the Nuyorican Poets Café that boast of four weeks of the funniest heart stopping off broad theater you can find.  He is currently directing two one-person shows Touch written and starring Francisco Roque and Call Me Crazy written and starring Helena D. Lewis.  Both plays are part of the 2006 Downtown Urban Theater Festival.

ButtaFlySouL is committed to educating people on HIV/AIDS awareness especially in the African American community. He took the opportunity to share his gift of poetry and desire to change the community at large by facilitating the bibliotherapy group “Loungin In Giovanni’s Room” at GMHC where participants utilize poetry as a tool to face daily issues or concerns around sexuality. The group is open to Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender, and Straight people of all ages. Many have become poets or writers and have been featured at venues that ButtaFlySouL has hosted.

Just recently he performed for the Episcopal Archiesese of Newark, NJ, Reparations Task Force.  He as also shared his talents with his friends at Amnesty International and JFLAG to help raise awareness about violence against gay men and women in Jamaica.

ButtaFlySouL or Butta as family and friends know him is the one artist and activist that you will never forget.