Kyle Sutton’s appreciation for poetry started with hip-hop.

Sutton, who is one of three performers in the group Mayhem Poets, has been into hip-hop since the age of nine.

Hip-hop and writing were a gateway, he said.

It was not until college that Sutton turned his hip-hop talent into poetry. After watching the 1998 film “Slam” and attending poetry slams in college, Sutton realized he might have a knack for the art.

The movie is about the character Ray Joshua, who uses slam poetry to cope with the poverty of his neighborhood.

Sutton describes slam poetry as, poetry with “a lot of hip-hop, stand-up comedy and theatrical influences.”

It is slam poetry that the Mayhem Poets perform and Sutton said most people do not understand it at first.

“Your general population doesn’t get excited because they think it’s boring,” he said.

However, Sutton said that once people see the poetry performed their minds change.

Sutton uses hip-hop in his poetry performances, and he also used it to get dates.

“I didn’t get a lot of luck with dating in high school,” he said. “After a while, I fell in love with poetry.”

Sutton was at Rutgers University in New Jersey when Sutton met the other two members, Scott Tarazevits and Mason Granger, of the Mayhem Poets.

The Mayhem Poets perform slam poetry and was formed in 2001. Before that, the group held an open mic night called “Verbal Mayhem” in 2000.

“We started it in my dorm room,” Sutton said.

Sutton graduated in 2003, Tarazevits in 2002 and Granger in 2004, and each member has his own approach to poetry.

Tarazevits is big into theatre and Weird Al Yankovic and does a “parody of pop culture,” Sutton said.

Granger’s performance on the other hand is similar to that of stand-up comics.

“You will see a lot of physical comedy in Mason’s performance,” Sutton said.

The Mayhem Poets have traveled to various countries including Ireland and Canada as well as many states since forming, and its next stop is at 7 p.m. in the 7th Street Underground.

“We say we want to take over the world with poetry,” Sutton said.

Although Andy Ho, cultural arts for University Board, did not book the Mayhem Poets, he is glad the group is coming to Eastern.

“Poetry is an art,” Ho said. “There are students I have seen at open mic nights that are interested in poetry.”

Ho has seen clips of the Mayhem Poets and likes how the act seems improvised. He also said that it is possible that students might get involved.

The Mayhem Poets perform for all age groups and adjust the topics in its poetry to fit the geared audience.

“Our motto is we perform from prisons to playgrounds,” Sutton said.

For a college audience, the Mayhem Poets include topics on romance, diversity, sexuality, post-college atmospheres and political issues.

“It has edgier themes,” Sutton said.

The group sometimes includes poetry about the places they are at, as well, which Sutton likes because he learns about the places he visits.

“It adds to the growth as an artist,” he said.

Sutton likes traveling and enjoys being on the road with the group.

“I love traveling,” he said. “I like the hotel beds better than my beds.”

More information on the Mayhem Poets can be found at its Web site www.myspace.com/mayhempoets and the group has a CD called “Reverse Birth” that will be released in February 2007.