Ursula Rucker facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Ursula Rucker
Rucker, Donaufestival, 2008
Background information
Birth name	Ursula Desire Rucker
Born	Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.
Origin	Philadelphia, United States
Genres	Spoken word
Occupation(s)	Singer songwriter
Years active	1994–present
Labels	Studio !K7 FiveSixMedia
Associated acts	Alix Perez 4hero King Britt [Jazzanova] Jamaaladeen Tacuma Josh Wink The Roots

Ursula Desire Rucker is an American artist who performs spoken word. This means she uses her voice to deliver poetry or stories, often with music. Ursula is known for her many different styles and for using special ways to make her listeners pay attention.

About Ursula Rucker

Ursula Rucker was born and grew up in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. She studied journalism at Temple University. Ursula has both African-American and Italian family roots.

She started writing poetry when she was a teenager. For a long time, she kept her poems private. But in 1994, she shared her poetry for the first time at a place called Zanzibar Blue in Philadelphia. This was her first public performance.

That same year, many music artists and producers asked Ursula to work with them. Some of these included Wax Tailor, King Britt, 4hero, Incognito, Jamaaladeen Tacuma, Josh Wink, Alix Perez, and especially The Roots.

Ursula became known for her unique poetry style and how she performed on stage. King Britt helped her make her first spoken-word recording. It was a popular song called "Supernatural" in 1994. People who loved dance music and DJs really liked Ursula's voice and rhythm. The original song and its remixes were played in many clubs in the United States. Around the world, the most popular version of the song is still the a cappella one, which means it's just her voice without instruments.

Ursula Rucker with The Roots at The Blue Note NYC

Ursula's Music Career

Ursula Rucker puts a lot of feeling into her work and words. Because of this, some people have compared her to famous writers like Sonia Sanchez and Nikki Giovanni. They say her work is very "powerful."

Once, when writer Ntozake Shange could not work with The Roots for their album Do You Want More?!!!??!, they asked Ursula to help instead. Her contribution, "The Unlocking," led to more invitations. She also helped close The Roots' next albums, Illadelph Halflife and Things Fall Apart. Things Fall Apart became a certified gold record, meaning it sold over 500,000 copies.

Many critics have praised Ursula's work with The Roots, 4hero, and other groups. Her work has been reviewed in magazines like URB, VIBE, XXL, The Philadelphia Inquirer, and Straight No Chaser.

Ursula has performed her work at many different places, universities, and festivals. These include the Montreal Jazz Festival and the 1999 Winter Music Conference. She also performed at Drexel University and the 2005 Amnesty International Australia Freedom Festival. This festival aimed to help people learn about Amnesty's worldwide campaign to "Stop Violence against Women."

Ursula has toured with Jamaaladeen Tacuma, Sylk 130, and 4Hero in the United States and in Europe. She also provided a song called "Soon for Unbound" for a benefit album. Andy Puleston wrote about her album Supa Sista: "Ursula's vocals... are delivered smoothly, showing that a quiet word can be more powerful than shouting into a microphone." Paul Sullivan said about her album Silver or Lead: "Ursula's smooth voice... makes the tough topics she talks about both softer and more intense."

Ursula Rucker's Discography

• "Supernatural" (Single) (1994)
• Supa Sista (2001)
• Silver or Lead (2003)
• Ma' at Mama (2006)
• Ruckus Soundsysdom (2008)
• She Said (2011)

Collaborations with 4hero

• "Loveless" on Two Pages (1998)
• "Time" on Creating Patterns (2001)
• "The Awakening" on Play with the Changes (2007)

Collaborations with Josh Wink

• "Sixth Sense" on Herehear (1998)

Collaborations with Jazzanova

• "Keep Falling" on In Between (2002)

Collaborations with Raw Artistic Soul

• "The Light" on You Got Rhythm Too (2007)

Collaborations with Wax Tailor

• "We be" and "The Games You Play" on Hope & Sorrow (2007)

Collaborations with The Roots

• "The Unlocking" on Do You Want More?!!!??! (1995)
• "The Adventures In Wonderland" on Illadelph Halflife (1996)
• "The Return to Innocence Lost" on Things Fall Apart (1999)
• "Phrentrow" and "WAOK (Ay) Rollcall" on Phrenology (2002)

Collaborations with Incognito

• "Gotta" on Transatlantic R.P.M. (2000)

Collaborations with Richard Earnshaw

• "Rise" on In Time (2010)

Collaborations with Mike Lindup

• "World Is Ready" on Changes 2 (2023)

Collaborations with Simon Doty

• "Soulflow" on Universal Language (2023)

Film Appearances

Ursula Rucker appeared in the 2008 film The Black Candle. This movie was directed by M.K. Asante, Jr. and narrated by Maya Angelou.

A film called Ursula Rucker: Poet was shown for the first time at the 2008 Urbanworld Film Festival. Michael J. Dennis directed and edited this film. It was originally made as part of WYBE/Mind-TV's Philadelphia Stories series.