Poetri Smith

POETRI, Amusement Park Entertainment, Director of Creative and Development: With a Tony, Emmy and a few advertising acknowledgements (One Show, Cannes, Clio, LIA) under his belt, Poetri stands out as a unique creative and cultural driver. He starred in Def Poetry Jam on Broadway, toured the world twice, and co-founded the largest poetry venue in the world, Da Poetry Lounge. However, to regard him as just a poet would be underestimating his abilities. He has appeared in, created, written, and/or produced for agencies such as Wieden + Kennedy, BBDO, TBWA\CHIAT\DAY and Amusement Park, plus, brands, such as, Nike, Microsoft, Intel, Los Angeles Lakers, Delta Airlines, JBL, Snickers, Stride Gum and BET. Poetri even helped convince a young LeBron James to sign with Nike by performing for the King on Nike’s hallowed campus grounds.

Poetri has traveled all over world and entertained thousands from Australia to New Zealand to Switzerland, both performing and teaching writing workshops. His talents have landed him acting roles in such feature films as National Treasure 2, Blades of Glory, and Yes Man with Jim Carrey. Some of his television appearances include Oprah Winfrey Show, Tyler Perry’s House of Payne, Bones and he was awarded an Emmy for Black. White. Nothing, however, compares to his personal invitation by former President Barack Obama to be a part of the first annual Spoken Word event held at the White House.

As mentioned, Poetri is the co-founder and former host of the largest weekly poetry venue in the nation. Having been around for over 20 years, Da’ Poetry Lounge has not only broadened the appeal of spoken word in Los Angeles, but has become a haven for young people to come and express their emotions in a positive atmosphere. For 12 years, Poetri took his popularity in the Spoken Word community, added some comedy, and founded another popular show in Los Angeles called Spoken Funk. By having created two of the hottest spoken word venues in Southern California, Poetri has certainly left a lasting mark on the culture of Los Angeles.