JSkillz

Jamal "Jskillz" Hinnant, is a dynamic and passionate 20-year-old poet born and raised in Jersey City, NJ. He has been performing since age 15 and is one of the leaders of the youth movement in New Jersey. He is also the Jersey City, NJ chapter president of Youth Poets International (a non-profit organization dedicated to teaching youth to express themselves through poetry and other forms of art), and is a 2006 NJ Youth Poetry Slam Team Finalist. In 2005, he was a finalist in the Urban Word NYC Youth Slam, and competed in the Nuyorican Poetry Café’ semi-final slam. He was also slam champ at Cypher Movement in Jersey City for five straight months. Jamal, always respectful and humble, may truly make his mark on the poetry scene in 2006. In January, Jamal won the first Brick City Slam held in the Newark Museum. In February, Jamal won the third annual “Knicks Poetry Slam Series, presented by Canon Business Solutions featuring Stephon Marbury” in the Theater Lobby at Madison Square Garden. As a Knicks Slam team member, he received a $1000 grant, clothing by Akademik, and was honored at halftime of a Knicks home game at Madison Square Garden. Although Jamal has performed, competed, and won slams in several states, his love is writing, mentoring, and conducting workshops. As a member of Youth Poets International and NJ S.L.A.M, he performs at schools across the country utilizing this platform to encourage young people through art for change. At 16, he published his first book entitled, Just Understand Me. Besides working on his second book and CD both entitled, "Addicted to Poetry volume…1," He is a full-time student at Jersey City University with a 3.84 grade point average. Jamal has declared a double major in English/Education and plans on becoming a teacher. His favorite poet…Jesus.
EXPERIENCE
Some of his experience is as follows...
First Ever...Best Of The Bay Area Slam, Full Moon Saloon (Ybor City, FL)
Special Guest Poet, Black On Black Rhyme Annual Pajhama poetry night (Tallahassee, FL)
Special Guest Poet, 105.1 WBLS radio station, (New York)
Special Guest Poet, WMNF.org (88.5FM)radio station, (Florida)
Featured Poet, The Shark Bar (Tampa Bay Fl)
Featured Poet, The Lobby (Saint Petersburg, FL)
First Annual Brick City Poetry Slam Winner, (Newark. NJ)
NY Knicks Poetry Slam Series Winner, Madison Square Garden (Manhattan, NY)
Poetry Slam Winner, Mango’s Reggae Café (Montclair, NJ)
Featured Poet, Culture Shock (Manhattan, NY)
Guest Poet, Voodoo Rouge restaurant (Norfolk, VA)
Special Guest Poet, “Hot Mics on a Platta” (Brooklyn, NY)
Featured Poet, NJ PAC (Newark, NJ)
Guest Poet, South Plainfield Branch Library (S. Plainfield NJ)
Featured Poet at New Jersey City University (Jersey City, NJ)
Featured Poet, Harlem Tea Room (Harlem, NY)
Special Guest Performer, MLK High School (Manhattan, NY)
Featured Poet at City Without Walls poetry Café (Newark, NJ)
Featured Poet The Cantab Lounge, (Cambridge, Massachusetts)
Guest Poet A Sleepy Hollow Café and Gallery (Montclair, NJ)
Featured Poet, Port Africa Poetry café (S Plainfield, NJ)
Nuyorican Youth Slam Champion (Manhattan, NY)
Four Time Winner, Cypher Movement Poetry Café (jersey City, NJ)
Special Guest Feature at Fusion Ti poetry café (Edison, NJ)
Featured Poet at Rutgers College (New Brunswick, NJ)
Youth Slam Winner at Fusion ti poetry café (Edison, NJ)
Featured poet, Black history month celebration at NJ PAC (Newark NJ)
Featured Poet, Woman’s history month celebration, Mount Olive Baptist Church (Jersey City, NJ)
(Two time) Semi finalist at Nuyorican Poets Café (Manhattan, NY)
Featured Poet at Marist High School (Bayonne, NJ)
Guest Performer at Snyder High School (Jersey City, NJ)
Special Guest Poet at Abyssinia Baptist Church (Brooklyn, NY)
Poetry Slam Champion, Port Africa (S. Plainfield, NJ)
Feature Poet with Youth Poets International at Java Head Cafe (Washington, DC)
Special Guest Poet Youth Convention (Houston TX)
Youth Poets International Know Wonder Award For Excellenct
Guest Poet for Last Poets (Harlem, NY)
Special Performer/Speaker Snyder High School (Jersey City, NJ)
Feature Poet, Youth Poets International (Jersey City, NJ)
Special Guest Speaker, Women's Rising (Jersey City, NJ)
Guest Poet, Serengeti Plains (Montclair NJ)
Guest Poet, Ourstory Bookstore (Plainfield, NJ)
Youth Poets International Poet Try Award
Special Guest Performer, New Jersey City University (Jersey City, NJ)
Special Guest poet, Urban Word NYC Poetry Slam (New York City, NY)
Special Guest performer, Mary Bathune Life Center Jersey City NJ)
Guest Speaker Mount Olive Baptist Church (Jersey City, NJ)
Special Guest Performer, Friendship Loudge (Jersey City, NJ)
Guest Poet Havanna Bay Cafe (North Bergen, NJ)
Union Faith Church of the Living God (Jersey City, NJ)
New Hope Baptist Church (Jersey City, NJ)
Special Guest Performer Mayor Glen Cunningham (Jersey City NJ)