Tef Poe

Tef Poe is a hip-hop artist, writer and activist who built his reputation as a battle rapper in St. Louis. As an MC, Tef has collaborated with Lupe Fiasco, Talib Kweli, Common, Killer Mike, and Big Boi. As an independent artist, he has been featured on MSNBC and BET and in XXL, Washington Post, the New York Times, and HipHopDX.com. Recognized by The Source magazine’s Unsigned Hype in 2012, the following year Tef retired as champion of BET's 106th & Park Freestyle Friday competition. As an activist, Tef Poe has been involved in efforts for human rights with Amnesty International, Hands Up United, and Organization for Black Struggle. His Time magazine essay “Barack Obama Has Failed Us; But We Will Not Stop Fighting Injustice,” underscored his role as a central organizer in what he calls “The Mike Brown Rebellion.” In 2014, he received the Salute to Excellence Award from the National Association of Black Journalists for his River Front Times column about racial and social issues. War Machine III is his latest album.