Cambridge-area poet, Omoizele “Oz” Okoawo, will be competing in the Grudge Match.

If you thought the New York and Boston rivalry was contentious in baseball, wait until you hear the poetry.

On Friday, poets from New York and Boston will compete in a poetry slugfest at Arts at the Armory on Highland Avenue in Somerville.

Producer April Ranger said New York and Boston have long been storied rivals in the still-underground art-turned-sport of poetry slam. In this fast-paced competition, poets from each city will use all the tricks of their trade— lyricism, comedy, political fury, and straight-up heartfelt personal narrative— to impress audience and judges in the slam’s first foray into Somerville.

“This is the most hot-blooded rivalry match since I beat my twin sister out of our mother’s womb,” said Ranger, whose identical twin will also be performing.

All-star poets include: Bowery Poetry Club SlamMaster Jeanann Verlee (NYC), Berklee College of Music Poet-in-Residence Caroline Harvey (Boston), 2010 National WOWPS Champion Eboni Hogan (NYC), and 2008 National team finalists Brian S. Ellis and Omoizele Okoawo (Boston), to name just a few. They’ll be judged by five hyper-critical American-Idol-style judges, including 1998 National Poetry Slam Regie Gibson (Chicago) and 1997 National Master’s Champion Richard Cambridge (Boston).

The show opens promptly at 7 p.m. with a performance by The Whiskey Boys, a high-energy fiddle and guitar duo from Jamaica Plain. The slam will follow, hosted by 1998 Lollapalooza poet Dawn Gabriel, and the night will close with special performances by actress and comedian Aimee Rose Ranger and musician Ruby Rose Fox. Admission to this all-ages event is $10, and all proceeds go to help produce the 2011 National Poetry Slam right here in Cambridge this August.

Friday, April 1
7:00-10:00 p.m. (doors at 6:30)
Arts at the Armory
191 Highland Avenue, Somerville, MA 02143
All ages, $10 admission