Richard Williams, better know by the stage name Prince Ea, is an American spoken word artist, poet, rapper and filmmaker. After graduating Magna Cum Laude from the University of Missouri-St.Louis with a full scholarship and a degree in Anthropology, he initially pursued a career as a hip-hop artist. Inspire by artists like Immortal Technique and Canibus, he started and poularized the “Make S.M.A.R.T. Cool” movement to promote values like intelligence, free thought, unity, and creativity in hip hop music and culture.
In 2014, Prince Ea shifted his focus from music to creating motivational and inspirational spoken word films and content. His YouTube videos have received over two billion views, and he covers a wide range of topics such as environmentalism, race, work-life balance, and spirituality. He credits his shift in perspective to the inspiration of ancient wisdom texts, such as the Tao Te Ching and Bhagavad Gita.
Today, when he’s not creating, Prince Ea speaks at conferences and gives lectures to high school and university students nationwide on the topics of self-development, living your passion, and the importance of being motivated and engaged in the classroom.