Poet/spoken-word performer Carl Hancock Rux was born and raised in Harlem, NY, 1964.

Selected by The New York Times Magazine as One of Thirty Artists Under The Age of Thirty Most Likely To Influence Culture Over The Next Thirty Years (New York Times, 1994) and featured on the cover of The Village Voice as one of Eight Writers on The Verge Of (Impacting) The Literary Landscape... (Village Voice, June, 1998)

Carl Hancock Rux crosses the disciplines of poetry, theater, music, and literary fiction in order to achieve what one critic describes as a dizzying oral artistry...unleashing a torrent of paper bag poetry and post modern Hip-Bop music; the ritualistic blues of self awakening; Coon songs and schizophrenic soul sestinas...from hellacious to hilarious, and back again... one of the most engaging one-man shows you’re likely to see all year. (Ray Rogers, NEW YORK POST, 1997).

Recipient of the 2002 NYFA Prize; 2002 NYFA Gregory Millard Playwright in Residence Fellow; NEA/TCG Playwright in Residence Fellow; Bessie Schomburg award; and twice short listed for the Herb Alpert Award in the Arts, Carl Hancock Rux has published poetry, plays, fiction and essays in numerous anthologies, and is the author of Pagan Operetta (poetry/ Autonomedia Press/ recipient of The Village Voice Literary Supplement Prize) Carl Hancock Rux has also written poetry for the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, as well as other dance companies.

Rux Revue (Sony/Epic), his critically acclaimed CD was voted one of the top ten alternative music CD's of 1998 (New York Times/Year In Music). New works include Rux’s sophomore recording project, Apothecary; Rx (Giant Step Records), and his novel, Asphalt (Simon & Schuster), both available in stores now.