When Dahlak Brathwaite’s performance at the filming for the fifth season of HBO’s Def Poetry Jam in 2005 was followed by three standing ovations, it was apparent that the world of spoken word had just discovered a new force to be reckoned with. Seasoned with two Bay Area poetry slam championships and a national slam championship, Dahlak brings intense presence to the stage, and demands the same from his audience. His witty punchlines and heartfelt social commentary have awed crowds of all platforms. While performing with his spoken word collective iLL-Literacy, Dahlak also tours internationally with the Scourge theater company and is in the process of recording his debut solo hip-hop album, Dual Consciousness, deeming him a triple-threat on the mic and the stage.