Today we’d like to introduce you to Jamille and Dominicque Smith.
Hi Jamille & Dominique, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstories.
LoveTies (Jamille and Dominicque Smith), met in 2012. After dating for a year, I (Jamille) had written what is now our signature poetry piece, SoulTies, and used it as part of a show to propose to her. I (Dominicque) wrote a piece in response to Soulties. This was put into an engagement video and became our signature poetry piece that led to the creation of LoveTies the Art of Mr. and Mrs. Smith. We were married on July 12, 2014.
In 2016 we officially became LoveTies LLC after performing on many stages together. We were blessed to share a stage with internationally known jazz artist Najee; we performed at the House of Blues Cleveland and for events hosted by 107.9FM, 93.1 FM and the Player Networking Event in Los Angeles for Superbowl Weekend this year. Our body of work has been extensive and ongoing since the birth of LoveTies.
We (LoveTies) just released our first debut album titled Patiently Waiting. It was produced, mixed, and mastered by Red Luxe Studios (Delvonte Tate) and David Munford, with featured artists Sam Goodi Bell, WoeJay Simpson, and DAVE. Our project was released on October 15, 2021. It’s done well with sales to date. Patiently Waiting is an album that sets poetry to music with a Soul/R&B feel. In releasing the Patiently Waiting album, we (LoveTies) created a new lane for performance poetry to connect people with the art of writing on a whole different level.
We (LoveTies) won Poets of the Year in 2019 at the Legend Awards and walked away with three awards for the Ohio Poetry Awards in the categories of Crowd Favorite, Best Poetry Group, and Best Feature of the Year in 2021. We were also featured in Who’s Who in Black Cleveland and Scene Magazine.
During our journey as LoveTies, we became members of a collective performance art group called A’C.R.E.W. (Artists Creatively Recognizing Everyone’s Worth) through its first production in 2019. A’CREW is a group of artists with their individual brands, but we often get together to put on productions together. For example, we just returned from Los Angeles performing for Superbowl Weekend for the Player Networking Event. I (Dominicque) am the business manager, and Jamille is one of two creative directors for A’C.R.E.W.
We continue to grow in both love for one another and the beauty of spoken word poetry through our art.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
(Dominicque) It’s been a learning process going from being performance artists to an official LLC business. We gained a lot of knowledge as entrepreneurs along the way. In releasing our album, we had to make sure we completed copyrights and contracting with bookings to protect our brand. Entrepreneurship is a different world than just jumping on a stage and performing.
It’s been a smooth road because we work together so well as husband and wife. We have grown to function as a unit. We already knew about balancing our married life with children, so we carried that over into the LoveTies business.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
(Jamille) We are a married spoken word poetry duo that performs creative expression of art. We are known for creating impactful poetry around love, relationship ministry, empowerment, and everyday life struggles. We will travel both nationally and internationally for bookings. We have been mentors for other poets and been guests for public speaking engagements. We recently tapped into the poetry to music side and are currently in the process of working on our second album.
What are you most proud of as artists?
(Jamille) We are most proud of the success we have gained from embracing the art of poetry. Winning awards, recognition, opportunities to travel, and the overall love and support around us make this journey worth it. Our kids love it and embrace it. They keep saying, “Mommy and Daddy are celebrities.”
What sets you apart from others?
(Dominicque) What sets us apart from others is that we are a married spoken word duo, who now have an album with poetry set to R&B Soul music. We did not meet as poets. We dated for nine months before Jamille even knew I wrote poetry. I was his manager until he came home from work one day, and I shared something I had written. He was in total shock. He then forced me to perform at an event he was hosting. That changed everything, and we became one as both husband and wife and poets.
What has been the most important lesson you’ve learned along your journey
The most important lesson we have learned along the way is to keep our marriage and family first. We love poetry and performing, but we do not allow it to disrupt the balance of our household. On the business side, I will say contracts are everything. You have to have your Ts crossed, and Is dotted because, unfortunately, everyone does not conduct business properly and it can hurt your brand. Do your homework and protect your art.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.lovetiesllc.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lovetiesllc/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LoveTiesTheArtofMrandMrsSmith
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC7MuFf778_YTsWvumo6GUoA
- Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@lovetiesllc
Image Credits
Drico Lamar Photo
Storm Photography
Chou Visuals Photos
