C. Lilley is what happens when your favourite slam poet picks up a guitar. Taking inspiration from artists like Jake Isaac, Antoine Bradford and Ben Abraham, C is writing honest stories through poetry and music.
C. Lilley is a singer, songwriter, poet, worship leader, and content creator based in the NYC Metro Area. After spending years honing his craft in the slam poetry scene in NYC, C took up his first love of music and combined it with his skilled pen. He creates stories filled with transparency and honesty. Floating between the sounds of gospel and soul and the likes of acoustic folk and blues, C uses his love for people and his love for God to build dialogue around mental health, masculinity, and faith.
After attending both the LaGuardia High School of the Arts and Manhattan School of Music, C began to create his own stories by writing and performing spoken word poetry. As a spoken word poet, C has had the privilege of performing with the likes of Jasmine Mans and Prentiss Powell, and has performed in several famed spaces such as the Nuyorican Poets Café and the Bowery Poetry Club, as well as in venues across the country including the National Poetry Slam in 2017, in which he placed 2nd in the nation as a member of the Brooklyn Slam Team.
He has been published in various magazines including Artifact Nouveau, Rigorous Magazine, and the Chagrin River Review. This was all the encouragement he needed to release 2 full length poetry books. "je suis noir [i am black]" and "The Quiet Way" were both self-published and released in early and late 2016 respectively and are available on Amazon as well as on Bandcamp.
C has released two audio projects. 3 Poems, Op. 1 is a collection of poems that helped start his artistic journey. His latest project, 5 Poems, Op. 2, is in celebration of National Poetry Month and serves as a window into how Blackness can be both trial and triumph while intersecting with faith.
C. Lilley is excited to invite you on a journey of creating honest music, honest poems, and honest stories.