Prentice Powell

Prentice Powell composed and embarked on his first poem in 2003. In 2006, he became Oakland and San Francisco Grand Slam Champion. In 2007, Powell won Spoken-Word Artist of the Year at the Black Music Awards. In 2010, Powell was voted "Best Poet" by the Oakland East Bay Express.

Powell is a firm believer in practicing what he preaches. After performing on the national finals stage in 2003, placing fourth in the nation only two months after writing his first poem, he pursued a spoken-word career. He became the 2007 spoken-word artist of the year at the Black Music Awards and 2006 Oakland and San Francisco Grand Slam Champion. In 2010, he won the East Bay Express award for “Best Poet.” He is the only to poet to have performed on all three seasons of the hit TV Series Verses and Flow, with five episodes.

Powell also works in education developing, creating and teaching creative writing courses. His work is primarily focused on youth development of African American boys. He also currently works with autistic children with severe behavioral disorders.

Powell and his poetry collective, “Fiveology,” were the official opening act For Jill Scott’s 2013 summer tour, and he is the first spoken-word artist to perform on “The Arsenio Hall Show,” as well as the only individual to appear on the show three times. Powell’s poetry has taken him all over the world, including to London, Amsterdam and South Africa, where he has also done community work. He has shared the stage with artists such as Eric Roberson, Goapele, Amir Sulaiman, and Stevie Wonder.

Powell was nominated for a Grammy Award for his 2024 poetry album.