The Final 6

1Xtra's been touring the country, meeting the cream of the UK's young spoken word artists.

From all the artists we've discovered, we've chosen six to join us in our Words First finale next year.

We started Words First because we wanted to shine a light on this scene which more and more young people are turning to as a form of self-expression.

Spoken word tends to be straight to the point, exploring issues such as politics, class, race and identity in an honest way. Discover more about spoken word here.

You may not agree with some of the things you hear on this page, but we hope you appreciate the quality and diversity of this art form.

Amina is an 18 year old British-Somali poet based in London. She wants to make her audience challenge what they think they know about poetry and make them fall in love with words. She says her work is brave and humble, with a warm intimacy both on stage and on the page. She is part of several London collectives performing across the city.

Solomon is a 24-year-old poet, rapper and musician currently living in Bristol. He is inspired by everyday life and artists such as Kendrick Lamar and Little Simz. Originally from Brighton, Solomon has been listening to hip hop and writing music and lyrics from an early age. He wants to take his audience on a conceptual journey, and says you can expect a blend of hip hop and poetry with a charismatic performance.

Asma was born in Sudan and moved to Bradford, West Yorkshire when she was 1 year old. As a dyslexic poet, poetry has helped her make up her own rules for using words and she writes about the everyday, from conversations with a friend to nostalgia for her home country. Asma has a master's degree in visual art and wants to explore a collaboration between this and her writing.

18-year-old Isaiah has been a poet for over 6 years and is an established name on the Manchester spoken word scene, having been associated with of the Young Identity collective. He writes about himself and those around him with honesty and is known locally for his electric live performances.

Liam is a 19-year-old poet and a local boy on the Glasgow spoken word scene. Liam only started performing his words live last winter, but he prides himself on his energetic live performances driven by a political narrative. His inspirations include Sam Small and Jenny Lindsay who, along with the Scottish independence referendum, he credits with inspiring him to start writing.

Reuben Field is a 22-year-old spoken word artist from a small town near Birmingham who dreams of becoming a published poet. He has been performing for less than a year and his work focuses on social commentary through fictional stories. He creates characters to drive his story, combining rhythmic delivery with narrative.