By Krista Casey

Ayisha Knight can’t hear, but she can feel the rhythm. She writes her own poetry and then translates it through sign language.

Knight was one of the def jam performers from “Soulvibe” at afterHOURS Saturday.

“Soulvibe,” a mix of a poetry slam and hip-hop performance, is one of the events at afterHOURS that includes comedy, music and dancing. The def poetry jam relies on audience participation for it to be successful.

The art of slam poetry, often in a competitive sense, gives the audience the power to become part of each poem’s presence. Artists “perform” their own work, rather than just reading. A distant cousin to rap music and the world of hip-hop, slam poetry borrows from the musical genre, adding the expression and rhythm found in rap music with the breakdown of written prose.

Underground hip-hop MCs such as Mos Def and Sage Francis got their start in this realm, honing their performance skills in small clubs and slams that later would benefit their rap careers.

Giles Lee, one of the night’s performers, divided the audience into three groups and gave each group one word to repeat. Other artists asked that the audience clap or snap along to the beat.

The performers and participants of this art form create a community of sorts for the night, each working to respond in sync with one another, enhancing the “slam” experience. The audience was cued on when to respond and often shouted out words as the evening began to flow.

The mood was relaxed and supportive, with performers helping each other out to provide rhythm and instrumentals.

Iyeoka Ivie Okoawo, known as Iyeoka, one of the evening’s most passionate performers, was accompanied by her brother and previous performer, Big Brother Said. She rocked out with beat boxing skills. Iyeoka’s brother made the sounds of a cello and Big Brother Said helped keep a beat.

Big Brother Said, a Northeastern alumnus, was the first performer of the evening. Conveying liberal ideals in his performance, his take on politics was nothing new to Mass-achusetts. Some of his lyrics included, “2000 election was pre-selection,” and “fillin’ the prisons with God’s children.”

Common themes of the night included political and social opinions, as performers discussed the war in Iraq and President George W. Bush. Some other artists talked about their anger and frustration particularly stemming from their ancestors’ toils.

Ayisha Knight’s performance stood out, partly due to her message and the way she portrayed it. Knight’s first poem was entitled “Pass it on.” The lyrics were a response and a message to her experience of being raped as a teenager.

Knight told young women not to be silent and to make themselves heard. She described her own situation as one that limited her ability to vocalize her problems and she took it upon herself to educate young women today not to do the same.

“I was really impressed with her talent,” said Samantha Rooney, a freshman psychology major. “Her performance was my favorite part of the night.”

Knight’s hand gestures added another element of rhythm to her performance.

Ayisha Knight was one of seven performers, including both individual performances and group acts.