The Voice Behind The Brand

I’m Lauryn Powell — a proud Howard University alumna and founder of 3rdWorld Illestrators®, a platform I built to tell Hip-Hop stories from all angles. I champion independent artists and desire to help them develop their brands, while also analyzing and celebrating today’s mainstream rappers who influence the culture on a global scale. Raised in the DMV, my passion for Hip-Hop runs deep—from underground voices to household names—because storytelling, culture, and real talent deserve to be seen and respected at every level.

Hip-Hop didn’t just influence me—it raised me. My love for the genre started in childhood, thanks to my late father, Eric Powell Sr. He taught me not just to hear music but to truly listen—to the lyricism, the storytelling, and the powerful messages that shape culture. Growing up, I was immersed in the sounds of legends like Nas, KRS-One, Jay-Z, A Tribe Called Quest, AZ, Common, Mos Def, Gang Starr, and Wu-Tang Clan, just to name a few. As I evolved, so did my playlist, expanding to modern lyrical giants like Kendrick Lamar, J. Cole, Joey Bada$$, JID, Benny The Butcher, and more.

When my father passed, the music he introduced me to took on an even deeper meaning. The lessons, the creativity, the soul—it all resonated in a new way. To honor his legacy, I created 3rdWorld Illestrators®. The name is a tribute to a brotherhood my father and his friends formed during their freshman year at Howard University while living on the third floor of Drew Hall. They called themselves Third World, a symbol of their love, friendship, and unity. Their signature? Three fingers up, with the planet Saturn as their emblem.

But 3rdWorld Illestrators® is also a nod to my brother, E.J., an emcee known as E.L.P.J. He and his two best friends, Daryl Barber and the late Julian Fletcher, are Da Illestrators—lyrical storytellers or illustrators, determined to prove they were the illest of their generation and beyond.

Hip-Hop is my first love, and this blog is my way of celebrating it. Here, I’ll dive into old-school classics, new-school innovators, underground gems, album breakdowns, concert experiences, and everything in between.

Welcome to 3rdWorld Illestrators®. Let’s talk Hip-Hop!