Meet Rell Knowledge | Poet & Music Artist

We had the good fortune of connecting with Rell Knowledge and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Rell, why did you pursue a creative career?
I have always had a passion for creating.
And at a young age I had a knack for making people feel my words and be immersed into the way I articulate myself. My grandmother always told me I have a “hypnotic vocabulary “, since my grade school days I have always wanted to make a change in the world. When I grew to the age of better understanding I realized that I can create a positive change in the world with my words, and that is pretty much my “Why?” in simple terms.

For as long as I can remember I have been creating. As a kid I was the first born and my parents had me young, so they were always enthusiastic and supportive as they encouraged me to create whatever came to my mind.

I feel like it started with my obsession with Spiderman and other superhero’s, I got into comics very young which lead to me getting into reading at an early age. And it ultimately molded me to be a writer.

Now here I am!

I started off writing poems and other forms of expressive writing when I was in 6th grade (age 12). It started off as a simple literature unit in my Language Arts class… little did I know that it would grow into something more. Around the same time I began learning to make beats as a side passion.

Which is also how I got into the world of making music.
Hiphop is the love of my life. And at its roots it is poetry. So music and poetry are forever intertwined in my heart , as well as who I am as a person.

As I furthered developed my skills, I started performing my poetry and expressive pieces in clubs after school when I got to high school.

Now in college my entire life is pretty much based in poetry.

From New York to Atlanta everything I do is poetry, from events , open mics , and writer’s workshops. Poetry has really changed my life in such a way that is sometimes hard to explain.

I am grateful that The Most High has blessed with me such a talent that allows me to express myself and touch the hearts of others.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
So for me personally I have always viewed creativity as something that all humans are born with.

Some people are creative with paint and a brush , others needle and thread.
Though I can paint a picture and make a piece of clothing as well.
My creativity has always been within the realm of writing and music.

As a poet I use my voice to talk about my personal life, the things I have gone/ going through, as well as how I view the world. I view the world through a very romantic lens , I tend to find beauty in all aspects of life negative or positive.

When it comes to my artistry I am often proud of how I am able to grab the attention of an entire room as well as hypnotize whoever I am expressing myself to. After doing many performances I am always told that the way I use my words are always so engaging and keep listeners hooked from beginning to end. Compliments and observations like these always keep me motivated and help me continue to innovate and grow my style.

My journey to where I am today has been filled with achievements that sit in special places in my heart , but to say it was easy would be disrespectful to my personal growth. It was not necessarily hard knocks to get to where I am now , but the path here was far from linear and it took a lot of hard work and dedication to reach the points I have reached and the experience has been nothing short of beautiful.

As a poet I have a strong sense on empathy , I usually refer to myself as such. And in my journey I have always kept an open mind and at a young age I learned that was the only way to progress in what I do.
Poetry and art are both very reliant upon life and its experiences and I learned in order to be a solid poet you have to keep an open mind and you cannot be hesitant to show your heart to the world.

As I continue to grow in my artistry I want those that experience me to always remember to keep their hearts open and on their sleeve in everything that they do. Emotion is important, it is really the essence of the human experience. I think it is the one of the major aspects of our soul and spirit that can be shown on the physical plane.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
I have a small habit of gatekeeping , but Atlanta has so much to offer that it is hard to keep it to myself.

Currently my favorite spot in the city is the general Ponce City Market area. I mean everything that I love to do is over there. Cool and unique shopping / eating experience at the market itself, the Belt line which is always full of life , take the scooters to Piedmont park and you got yourself a nice Saturday vibe. And all it takes is one parking session no need to get back in your car to go anywhere else.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
Quite truthfully I owe much of my personal success to my family.

Specifically my parents of course, they have always been supportive of how I use my talents. Though they might not always understand, they still stand by me through everything and for that I am forever grateful for the love and support they have provided me.

Along with my parents are also my other family members, my little brothers , aunts/uncles, Latisha, and my grandma. They are the ones that really keep me going through the process , especially in times where I become pessimistic, I just think about them.

Finally my friends , from Tristin to Bri to Koy to Trinity (and others that I can name but we would be here all day) , their support has catapulted me to places I could only imagine. And I am forever thankful to have such a strong support system around me.

When I feel the energy falling low they are always there to lift me up in many ways that I never take for granted.

Instagram: @rellknowledge

Youtube: https://youtube.com/@soldiersoliloquies?si=CTQMf3aJvfZb0iLE

Other: You can also find my music on all platforms:

Seaven

Project is currently finished and being ready to be released.