Powell served as a senior writer for Vibe magazine from 1992 to 1996. He has authored the books In the Tradition: An Anthology of Young Black Writers, recognize Poetry, Keepin’ It Real: Post-MTV Reflections On Race, Sex, and Politics, Step Into a World: A Global Anthology of The New Black Literature, Who Shot Ya? Three Decades of Hiphop Photography, Who’s Gonna Take The Weight? Manhood, Race, and Power in America, Someday We’ll All Be Free, No Sleep Till Brooklyn, New and Selected Poems, The Black Male Handbook: A Blueprint for Life, Open Letters to America: Essays, Barack Obama, Ronald Reagan, and the Ghost of Dr. King, and The Education of Kevin Powell: A Boy’s Journey into Manhood.