Clarence Jackson - The Poetic Preacher

Clarence Jackson formally known as Poetic Preacher is a self taught spoken word artist from Jamaica. Clarence came to London over nine years ago to pursue his career in youth work, where he hopes to inspire and motivate young people to achieve to the highest degree. In 2010 he was nominated for the Spirit of London Awards for his contribution to music and although his main vice is reaching out to people via socializing he is an avid reader and footballer.  

I thought I catch up with Clarence himself to find out why he entered the realm of spoken word and what motivates him to write.

‘I’m a poet giving hope to my generation through marrying the spoken word with rhythm, music and personal experience’ which he hopes will make the entire art ‘more appealing to the younger generation. The roots of spoken word are gathered from his religious experiences, he explains ‘in 1999 spoken word came to me in the form of an impromptu presentation during a religious gathering’.

He says his biggest difficulty is probably being misunderstood. He explains, ‘as soon as a lot of people hear the name Poetic Preacher, some instantly turn off, before listening to what I have to say, as it’s associated with church’. Other difficulties include a lack of financial support and finding the right medium to present his work. 

‘I have overcome these obstacles by first being true to myself and people and learning to appreciate differences and preferences in life. If it wasn’t for my relationship with the Creator, I would not have overcome the most difficult times in my life. I have also learnt to use innovative methods of promoting my project for example street canvassing, live events, religious events and many other ways which have helped me raise funds to record music and videos that I’ve broadcasted on YouTube and other social network. It has taught me to be patient whilst developing the art of contentment’.

People should listen to me because ‘what I’m saying is real, current and relatable and will impact society in a positive way. My message has triumphed the scrutiny of many critics. Many youths - including myself - have benefited positively from abiding by wholesome principles, some of which are embed in the message.

‘Without doubt, I’m motivated by the Most High. I am also motivated by my own personal experiences, the experience of others, social issues affecting society and my passion for working with young people. My greatest achievement to was the nomination and benefits that came with the Spirit of London Awards 2010 for contribution to music’.

‘My inspirations include Martin Luther King Jnr for his commitment to peaceful demonstration and equal rights, Nelson Mandela with his spirit of reconciliation, Harriet Tubman for her selflessness, my mother in her devotion for my development and a whole host of others who mentored me. I have learnt from them that life must be lived with others in mind. There are quite a few artists I would like to collaborate with, but as time goes by, we will see’.

When asked what we can expect from him in the future he says ‘GREAT THINGS! You can now contact him via Facebook