2013 Champion, Spoken Word: Tekron

First establishing himself as a rapper, in the classrooms of an Atlanta middle school, Tekron (to be associated with the fuel additive because he be gassin’) then crossed over to poetry and spoken word. His approach to his craft, is not a traditional one, but neither is his art. Coining hip-poetry (an electric combination of hip-hop and poetry), the artist uses the spoken word to express himself. Through hand written raps to himself, while involved in the Juvenile Justice System, Tekron discovered that each circumstance he faced became the greatest source of his influence. Born Cervando Sterling in Richmond, CA, Tekron spent his childhood between Georgia and California. Since he was 13, the hip-poet has continuously lived in the Bay Area. Staying focused in school and trying to stay on track is Tekron’s goal before entering into a life of verbal expressive arts.

Today, Tekron attends Beats & Flows, a youth program at the Eastside Cultural Center in Oakland, CA. The young artist occasionally attends ‘Holla Back’ an Open Mic night on Thursdays at the cultural art center. Growing as an artist and young man, Tekron attends Laney College, pursuing a degree in Sociology.