BIOGRAPHY

Brandon Abdullah Powell (AKA Akhe Abdullah)  is a emerging leader, community organizer and media artist from Columbus, Ohio.  Abdullah is a graduate of the University of Cincinnati with a B.A. in Electronic Media and since college he has spent 7 years of working with inner city youth at a renowned non profit urban youth arts center named Elementz. Abdullah currently serves as the Creative Director of Elementz and through his efforts he has been recognized within Cincinnati for his leadership and has had his profile featured in several prominent local media outlets such as the Cincinnati Enquirer and on CET Voices of PBS.  

His artistic influence started at an early age through his family. His father, Chris Powell, has an extensive background in the music industry having worked with a variety of nationally renowned musicians. Abdullah’s grandmother, Jean Jones, and Aunt Terry Logan, are professional visual artists while Abdullah’s mother has always sang in church choirs and been a fan of classic R&B music.  

Abdullah started to pursue his own artistic talents within the world of music and media as a college student. Since then he has produced a variety of music and video projects geared towards awaking the conscious of others about his life and urban perspective.  His most notable music works are a hip hop album that he produced with recording artist Infinit Evol entitled, The Professor & The Mutant (Explicit lyrics), which gives perspective on what real hip hop is, and the urban environments that hip hop emerged from. Abdullah also recently released his first instrumental album entitled, Journey: The Sound of Life which  shows his maturity as an artist and pays homage to his artistic roots.  In a detailed news article by the Cincinnati CityBeat called “Pastime Paradise” Abdullah talks in detail about his artictic heritage, his instrumental album and how his music represents a part of his continuation or JOURNEY through different phases of life.  

Abdullah is also a Muslim who embraced the Islamic faith in 2005.  He currently uses his own conversion experience to help serve the needs of other convert and revert Muslims in Cincinnati through a non profit called the Salaam Community Network (SCN).  Abdullah is the Vice President of the Shura Council of SCN and he also is active within the Muslim community as a mentor of youth, committee member of a local Masjid, and performer of worship.  

When Abdullah isn’t engaged in community work he often spends time with his wife, newborn daughter & extended family.  He enjoy’s playing basketball, blogging about his personal journey, and reciting the Qur’an.  Over the course of his life Abdullah intends to become more of a leader in serving the community using the gifts, relationships and resources that he has been blessed with.