Black Cracker

Born in Anniston, Alabama 1977, to a single mother, Black Cracker (Ellison Glenn) is a multi-disciplinary artist working in sound, text, video and installation.

He grew up on military bases stationed in Texas, Germany, and New jersey. After a late graduation he enrolled at the Memphis College of Art in 1996 where he studied fine art with an emphasis in conceptual art and art history. Awarded a grant to develop his practice at the illustrious New York Studio Program in 1999, he decided to drop out of college and remain an active artist in NYC. Although discouraged by the commerce driven art market, he quickly found a place in the city’s literary scene.

Excelling as an award winning slam poet locally and nationally and as well as a poet in print. His text have ap- peared in a number of anthologies and his collection of poems and drawing, 40oz Elephant, was published in 2011 (Bowery Poetry Books). Black Cracker was also a vital activist and educator, mentoring teenages all over the city from 2000-2009 as Artistic Director of Urban Word NYC (formerly Youth Speaks NYC). In 2004 Black Cracker began exploring music production, collaborating, producing and touring with a number of Avant Garde musical groups including Cocorosie, Bunny Rabbit, and Raz Mesinai. He is currently a vocalist in Grand Pianoramax a Swiss based Jazz trio and as well in Kiku along side Blixa Bargeld. Black Cracker has released 3 solo albums, and has toured the globe extensively, most recently as the support act for Peaches in Europe and Australia.