I am raising 4 black boys in America…on this planet…that is my most important gift, challenge and role. My art has saved…and is still saving my life. I consider my children and my art as pure God forces…and thank God often for the gifts. Peace & one love - Ursula Rucker

Mother of four, Poet, & Songstress Ursula Rucker can light up a room and your spirits with poetic flows and lyrical grace that will no doubt leave you stringing along afterwards in deep thought and wonder. It is within the text of her words that you can feel her passion, her love for creativity, culture, and life, and her growth from a Supa Sista to a Ma'at Mama, and it is her circle of artistic spirituality that she carries that makes her such an amazing artist. Her latest album entitled Ma'at Mama is filled with such graceful delivery of pure raw thought and social issues, and each and every track sings of a story! This album, which also features the fabulous Sonia Sanchez is fire and a definite pick me up!

Known as one of the architects of Philadephias Poetic revival, Ursula is bound to always perfect and deliver...it' all in her words, and here she shares a few words of her own to be inspired by!

ymib: What things do you do daily/routinely to fulfill inner peace within your mind, body, and soul?

Ursula:I don’t have something that I do daily…not yet anyway…working on that. But, when I need to reconnect with my center…I usually pray…write…think about art…daydream…sing, or listen to my favorite song…shop…whatever it takes.

ymib: What advice would you give to a woman about the following words...?

Motherhood: You can do it! Women are the only ones who can. Our inner strength is unrivaled. Why do you think god bestowed this great challenge and blessing on us, instead of our male counterparts?

The Power of Words: Respect the power of words. Sometimes people make this statement…”oh, they’re just words…no big deal”. Well…words have begun battles, holocausts and love affairs. Words are no joke.

ymib: How do you want people to feel after hearing your music/spoken word?

Ursula: I just want people to “feel”. They can feel anything they want…but just be human enough to “feel” something.

ymib: What is the hardest part & the easiest part of maintaining Maat within your current life?

Ursula: Well there are so many evils, boxes, systems and stumbling blocks set up to challenge and cause chaos in ones life…those are the challenges to peace and balance. The beautiful thing about living “ma’at” is…that it’s never easy…it makes you think and work and create…and inevitably…that hard work is what makes one a balanced and better human being.

ymib: Best advice you have been given or have heard about life?

Ursula: Whenever I am worried or anxious…I put in mind a quote one of my friend’s shared with me…”the position of the creator has already been filled”. It helps me snap back every time!

ymib: Books we would find on your bookshelf?

Ursula: “Their Eyes Were Watching God”, “Wounded In The House Of A Friend”, “The Four Agreements”, “Being Black: Zen and the Art of Living with Fearlessness and Grace”, “Autobiography Of Assata Shakur”, Frida Kahlo biographies, art books, & “Without Sanctuary”, and the list goes on and on!

ymib: Other than spoken word/music, how do you like to express your creativity and spirit?

Ursula:Fashion…I went to school for fashion illustration and design when I was a teenager…it’s one of my passions.

ymib: If you could go back in the past and ask someone a question, who would it be, and what would you ask?

Ursula:Just off the top of my head…I wast just telling someone the other day that I would love to have known Frida Kahlo. I daydream about being her friend, having long pointed discussions about love, art, politics, and life, and chillin’ in the parlor with Diego Rivera, Trotsky, and the like…haha! That would be cool!

ymib: New things you would like to learn/achieve within the future?

Ursula:Oh so much and so many…I would like to take up photography, drive cross country from the east to west coast of America, go back to school to study for my masters/phd…just to name a few.

ymib: What are some issues that you are currently passionate about within the world?

Ursula:The future and lives of children…the state of popular music (especially black music)…the environment, global warming…the Black American’s experience and struggle…Africa…injustices and violence against women…shall I go on?

ymib: How would you describe your lifestyle & spirituality?

Ursula:I would describe my life/lifestyle as a constant work in progress…always learning, always changing. And my spirituality, well…I stay enlightened as much as possible…stay enlightened.

"Maat Mama" & the rest of her albums can also be purchased here