Poetic Soul

Born in 1968; son of a home child care provider mother and a businessman father; raised in Atlanta City, New Jersey; children: 2 daughters and a son, Ashawna, Umeoma and Shango. Education: Temple University, BA in Communications; Acworth University, BS in Business Management.

In an oft-quoted remark, Poetic Soul recounted his birth: "I was born like most black children living in America surrounded by ghetto poverty, love and soul music." It was 1968 and Aretha Franklin song "Chain of Fools” was becoming an anthem for a new generation of soul music lovers. As Soul once said in a live PBS interview, "I didn't have to pretend that I had soul because my mother’s love for music and life implicit in my nature." Indeed, as a poet, composer, artist, and musician, Soul has made a career of redefining his roots "That's the most invigorating feeling," he repeatedly ended his spoken word radio show "Reflections" telling his audience, "expressing who and what you are into a microphone”.

Influenced by Motown Music and The Last Poets

Soul was born in 1968 to a home child care provider mother and a businessman father. His family enjoyed a middle class lifestyle in Atlantic City, New Jersey. From both parents Soul inherited a desire to feed his mind. "Reading and music was compulsory," Soul said. He tackled Shakespeare in third grade and first stepped on stage in an elementary school performance of Julius Caesar. Of his father, Soul said, "My father's influence was just realizing the importance of having a calling." The sounds of Motown, James Brown and The Last Poets put Soul on the path to his own calling. He was in fourth grade, and upon hearing the words of Sam Cooke “ A Change Gonna Come” he wrote his first poem. After that he led a dual life as student of literature and a self-taught student of the spoken word. "It was always important to me to be that kid who could rock the party as well as rock the English professor's mind," Soul stated on his live spoken word radio show "Reflections"

Following high school, Soul followed his cerebral bent, earning a bachelor's degree in Communications from Temple University. Next, he was off to study creative writing at several Atlanta’s based workshops before earning a BS in Business Management at Acworth University. but instead of settling for a nice paying position in corporate America, Soul encountered a poetry revival that was based in coffeehouses, and found himself front and center in the culture of "spoken word."

Poetic Soul first made a name for himself on Atlanta's poetry scene at the infamous Patti Hut Café. As a breeding ground for up-and-coming word artists, Patti Hut had developed a reputation for a spot for “intimate poetry”.
This is where he fine tuned his craft and skills in front of an audience of 100 plus. After joining a poetry troupe called Klub Kummb and then appearing several times on PBS television Poetic Soul’s career as a writer gained momentum, so did his work as a poet. "[My poetry] is about making things matter. Making those invisible, intangible ideas and dreams, things that you can touch, that you can feel," he said. So far he has done that in seven Books. Soul acknowledged the privilege he felt at being able to share his poetry on stage and in literary form. "To be a young poet and publish books is quite a blessing, because publishers print poetry like churches sing hymns--to maintain some sort of traditional stance," he said. In the spring of 1995 his first self published book of poetry hit the streets. Called Poems. Bullets & Blood, it is distilled from seven years of journal writing. He went on to produce six more books of poetry (1997) The River Is Overflowing With Words, (2000) Love Serenade, (2008) The Son Of A Warrior Griot, (2009) Lovin U, (2010) Ubran Griot and (2012) Poetic Soul. Its publication reinforces the power of love, passion and poetry he gave to aspiring poets in African Writer Magazine."Experience things and write it down." He also advised the use of poetry as therapy, saying, "If you can channel [pain] into something, that's the healing.

This Author, Artist and Activist has traveled the country performing for hundreds of audiences, including but not limited to various poetry venues, schools, universities, subway stations, street corners, rehab centers, libraries, cultural events, hospitals, parks, bookstores and fundraisers. In 1997 he helped design and hosted a spoken word radio show on WRFG 89.3 FM titled “Reflections”. His other notable community activity and performances include the spoken word program “Word Essence” on PBS television. Lest We Forget, a black history program at Atlanta’s Auburn Research Library (2008). He has opened for popular spoken word artists like KOFFEE (Miss Georgia), Def Jam Poet “Abyss”, Nukola, Def Jam Poet “Wordsmith”, and “Ken Martin, F8, Ruby Fyre, The Last Poets, Pics n Poetry, and has shared the stage with Mutabaruka, Saul Williams and Fertile Ground.

Indeed Poetic Soul