Sekou Andrews Explained

Sekou Andrews
Birth Date:	13 November 1972
Birth Place:	Berkeley, California, US
Occupation:	Spoken word poet, actor, musician, playwright producer, voice-over artist
Nationality:	American
Education:	Bachelor of Arts, Sociology
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Awards:	Grammy Award for Best Spoken Word Album Clio Awards Helen Hayes Award ABA Entrepreneur of the Year (Gold)

Sekou Andrews (born November 13, 1972), also known as Sekou (Tha Misfit), is an American actor, writer, producer, and innovator of "Poetic Voice".^{[1] [2]}

Sekou Andrews has been performing spoken word poetry professionally since 2002. In that time, he has won two National Poetry Slams, two Independent Music Awards, and six CLIO Awards. In 2019, Sekou became the first spoken word poet in over 12 years to be nominated for the Grammy Award for Best Spoken Word Album.^[3]

Sekou is the innovator of a new category of public speaking called "poetic voice", which blends inspirational speaking with spoken word poetry. Through his work as a top Black public speaker, Sekou has over 2 decades of experience delivering presentations for hundreds of global brands, Fortune 500 corporations, leading associations, and non-profit organizations, including Nike, Google, AT&T, PayPal, LinkedIn, EA Games, Microsoft, Toyota, and Viacom. Sekou's work and impact on the business world has been notable, including a Forbes article calling Sekou "the de fact poet laureate of corporate America."^[4]

Career

Sekou started his career as a school teacher. While teaching, Sekou pursued music, formed his own record label, Blind Faith Records, and released his early hip-hop albums independently.

Sekou's work has been featured on national media outlets such as ABC World News, CBS, MSNBC, HBO, Good Morning America, Showtime, MTV, and BET. He has given private performances for such prominent individuals as Maya Angelou, Quincy Jones, Larry King, Hillary Clinton, Norman Lear, Sean "Diddy" Combs, and Coretta Scott King.^[5] Sekou also performed for Barack Obama in Oprah Winfrey's back yard.^[6]

He is also a voiceover artist and actor with several national commercials, films, and critically-acclaimed two-man play.^[7]

In late 2004, following the conclusion of the Declare Yourself tour, Sekou and fellow poet Steve Connell formed a creative partnership to write and perform spoken word together. As a duo, the two poets toured multiple colleges, created, recorded, and filmed poems for various corporate and political organizations., including ACLU, The Gap, Rock the Vote, NCAA, Oceana, the HBO US Comedy Arts Festival, TEDMED, and The Pasadena Pops Orchestra.^{[8] [9]}

Discography

Studio albums

• I Love U/For The Rest of my Life – EP (1998)
• Seven: A Kwanzaa Soundtrack (1999)
• Therapy – EP (2000)
• Afrodeezyackz/The Mumblings of a Madman (2002)
• Poetic License (2008)
• Sekou Andrews & The String Theory (2019)

Other Releases

• 2004: "Devil’s Advocate" – Underground Rise: Sunrise Sunset^[10]
• 2019: "Vocalise: Poem of No Words” – Denise Young: Soprano
• 2006: “Streets of Gold” – Celeste Prince: Untitled
• 2006: “That’s How They Getcha” – Celeste Prince: Untitled
• 2013: “DPL Anthem” – Shihan: Music is the New Cotton
• 2013: “Keep On Rollin’” – Shihan: Music is the New Cotton

Filmography

Films

• Nike Battlegrounds: Ball or Fall (2003) as Poet/Narrator and Writer
• Crossover (2004) as Actor and Writer^[11]
• I'm Through with White Girls (2007) as cousin2^{[12] [13]}
• The Sea of Dreams (2011) as Marvin Bell(Actor) and producer^[14]
• Rice on White (2017) as I.B.M^[15]

Documentaries and TV Series

• Lyric Cafe (2002–03) (TV Series) as self-poet
• Nike Battlegrounds: Ball or Fall (2003) as Self (Poet/Narrator and Writer)
• Crossover (2004) as Self (Actor and Writer)
• Underground Poets Railroad (2003) (Documentary) as Sekou Tha Misfit
• Def Poetry (2002–2005) (TV Series documentary) as Self – Poet
• The Underground (2006) (TV Series documentary) Self as Sekou da Misfit
• Graffiti Verité 7: Random Urban Static (2008) (Video documentary) Self as Sekou Tha Misfit
• Rhymecology: Write Better Rhymes (2021) (Documentary) Self^[16]
• The Sound of Us (2021) (Documentary) as Self

Awards and recognitions

• Nomination – Grammy Award for Best Spoken Word Album – "Sekou Andrews & The String Theory" (2020)^[3]
• Clio Awards 2020^[17]
• American Business Awards "Entrepreneur of the Year" (Stevie Awards) – Gold Level (2019)^[18]
• Helen Hayes Award 2008
• National Poetry Slam championship Winner (2002, 2003)^[19]
• 2020 Independent Music Awards for "Best Spoken Word Song" and "Best Spoken Word Album^[20]
• Feature Performance – for President Barack and Michelle Obama in Oprah Winfrey’s back yard^[21]
• Winner – LA Music Awards for "Outstanding Music Video" (1999)^[22]
• Winner – Images of Voices & Hope "Award of Appreciation" (2011)

Notes and References

1. Web site: Press Release – Studio SCR 2012 . South Coast Repertory.
2. Web site: Zaru . Deena . As 'I can't breathe' haunts America, Sekou Andrews' poem reflects cycle of injustice . ABC News . en.
3. Web site: GRAMMY Awards Winners & Nominees for Best Spoken Word Or Non-musical Album . GRAMMY.com . en.
4. Web site: Kotler . Steven . Learning To Learn Faster (Part III): The Amazing Sekou Andrews . 2022-04-05 . Forbes . en.
5. Web site: Sekou Andrews: Poetic Voice As Power . Good Life Project.
6. Web site: Snow . Shane . Leaders Need To Deliver Inspiration Now More Than Ever. Polymath Sekou Andrews Is Here To Help. . 2022-04-05 . Forbes . en.
7. Web site: Speaker: Sekou Andrews, Creator of "Poetic Voice" LAI . Leadingauthorities.com.
8. Web site: Steve Connell and Sekou Andrews: The Word Begins . Redcat.
9. Web site: Sekou Andrews – The Chopra Foundation . choprafoundation.org.
10. Web site: Andrews . Sekou . Sekou Andrews & The String Theory . spotify.com . en . August 30, 2019.
11. Web site: Crossover (2004) film . . en.
12. Web site: I'm Through with White Girls (The Inevitable Undoing of Jay Brooks) (2007) pełna obsada . . pl.
13. Web site: I'm Through with White Girls – Filamu kwenye Google Play . . sw.
14. Web site: The Sea of Dreams . flyx.me . en.
15. Web site: Rice on White (2017) . . en.
16. Web site: Rhymecology: Write Better Rhymes (2021) . . en.
17. Web site: Color of Change – Love Says . Clios . en.
18. Web site: SekouWorld Inc. – Entrepreneur of the Year Stevie Awards . stevieawards.com.
19. Web site: Sekou Andrews Bio National Speakers Bureau . nationalspeakers.com.
20. Web site: THE 18TH INDEPENDENT MUSIC AWARDS NOMINEES ANNOUNCED . Independent Music Awards . April 9, 2020.
21. Web site: Sekou Andrews . TEDMED.
22. Web site: Sekou (Tha Misfit) . LA Music Awards.