Meta Sarmiento is a Guam-born Filipino living in Denver, CO. A rapper, poet, speaker, and educator with over a decade of experience. He has worked with, taught, and performed for a culturally and socio-economically diverse set of students & audiences, both locally and globally.

 

His work explores themes of cultural & political identity, climate change, masculinity, and love. He and his work have been featured by Rocky Mountain PBS, Denver Westword, Voyage Denver, TEDxMileHigh, NBC NEWS, Asian Avenue Magazine, Colorado Public Radio, Aspen Words, Guam Daily Post, Button Poetry, Rap Direct, and Word is Bond.

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Meta has performed in a variety of venues: from intimate basement shows, to sold-out theaters. Meta has touched stages in the United States, Indonesia, France, and has facilitated workshops for more than 20,000 students.

 

He is also  a recipient of the 2020 Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Award from Denver Asian American Pacific Islander Commission; Finalist for the 2019 North Street Book Prize; Winner of multiple cyphers and rap battles; Top Finisher at 2018 WRLD UNDERGROUND MC TOURNAMENT; and a Winner of 2015 Spoken Word for the World, where he was flown to Paris, France to perform at COP21 during  the United Nations Climate Negotiations. He is the author of the poetry book Tie Your Shoes Kid, and has released several hip-hop EPs: METAMOB, Nobody Knew, and This Road.

 

He currently teaches poetry and boxing at Empower Community High School, where he mentors students on their journey finding the power in writing and the harnessing their fighting spirit. When Meta isn’t writing, performing, or teaching, he is boxing, bowling, or lounging around watching some anime.

 

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