Born and raised in Jacksonville, Florida, Powell adopted the stage name "Lil Duval" to pay homage to his birthplace, Duval County, Florida. After graduating from high school, Powell relocated to Atlanta, Georgia where he started working in the comedic circles, performing stand-up at the Atlanta staple, Uptown Comedy Corner, which led him to become a regular performer. After performing at the Oakland Bay Area Competition in 2001, Powell was approached by Cedric the Entertainer’s road manager and was invited to perform on the Budweiser tour featuring Cedric and four additional comedians. Powell was then invited by Cedric to perform on his television special Cedric the Entertainer: Starting Lineup.
In 2003, he released the underground comedy DVD Dat Boy Funny, which also featured several upcoming comedians featuring colorful sketch pieces and parodies mocking events in pop culture. The following year, Powell became a regular featured performer on three seasons of BET’s ComicView. Powell released his second DVD Put Your Hands on Me in 2005. That same year he appeared in Three 6 Mafia's independent film, Choices II: The Setup, as well as being featured on various skits of the film's soundtrack.
In addition to stand-up comedy, Powell also writes for Ozone magazine. He has also appeared in several music videos including T.I.'s "Rubberband Man", "24's", "Whatever You Like", "What Up, What's Haapnin', Big Kuntry King's "That's Right", Yung Joc's "It's Goin' Down" "Coffee Shop", and Young Jeezy's "My President".In 2005 Roland Powell aka Lil Duvall was one of the finalist on BET's Coming to the Stage. Lil Duvall's performance was was smart, witty and cleaver. Today, Lil Duvall is rapidly becoming one of the most talked about comedians in the industry. Lil Duvall's hard work towards perfecting of his talent continues to make him a rising star.
What is there to know about Dominique? Well, if you're interested in high-powered comedy, there is everything to know, From clubs across the country to Comedy Central's hit "CHAPELLE's SHOW" she's showing America what a comedienne is.
She began honing her skills unprofessionally as a civil servant on the nightshift as a postal worker at the now infamous Brentwood Postal facility in her native Washington D.C. "I knew something like that was gonna happen. I used to see all kinds of stuff that terrorist could use come through that post office. But that was back in the good ole' Timothy McVeigh days", she quips about the nation's anthrax scare. Boredom with the job and fear of going postal gave way to open mic nights at local clubs at the behest of friends and co-workers. She immediately gained a reputation for telling it like it is; raw and uncut and unknowingly garnered a loyal following. Washington's uppity audiences gravitated toward her mixture of politics, street culture and current events. Her strong presence and a bravado rarely seen in female comics quickly gained the attention of the producers of HBO's "Russell Simmons' Def Comedy Jam", the show that changed comedy forever. She went from shuffling mail to working with the likes of Chris Rock in no time. "I didn't do anything special. I just talked about what I knew and the next thing you know I'm on T. V. I quit that job and took about 20 books of stamps. I figured they owed me." She never looked back.
Sensing that she had outgrown DC's small comedy scene, she moved to the Bronx, which wasn't a far cry from the Southeast, and became a fixture at the clubs in New York City. Places like the "Comic Strip" and "Stand Up New York" served as testing grounds for her new material. On a chance Wednesday night at a small club on the lower eastside she met Saturday Night Live's Tracy Morgan who made Dominique his opening act for his run at Caroline's on Broadway Comedy Club. The two formed a friendship and have been working together ever since. Being Tracy's feature however wasn't enough to keep the bills paid so Dominique became what she calls a 'hustler', performing all over the country to make ends meet. From Caroline's in New York to The Improv in Miami to LA's Laugh Factory, and every club in between, Dominique has wowed audiences with her straight forward wit and comedic standpoint reminiscent of Mom's Mabley.
A run on the highly successful Def Comedy Jam Tour and numerous television appearances including the fresh new "Comic Groove" on Comedy Central, the legendary "Showtime at the Apollo" and the controversial "Comic View" on Black Entertainment Television prompted a move to Los Angeles. Upon arrival, Dominique began making the rounds in Hollywood's comedy clubs as well as the smaller lesser known clubs in LA. "I like telling jokes in mainstream clubs as well as underground spots cause it keeps me fresh no matter where I am". And fresh she is. She has become a club staple and continues to tour clubs and colleges around the country. Since 1998, Dominique has been a headliner on the RJE Comedy Cabaret Tour www.comediandepot.com, the largest and highest grossing college/university based comedy tour. She has participated in Urban Internationals Comedy Arts Festival better know as Jamie Foxx's "Laffapalooza" as well as the Don "DC" Curry's "Bay Area Comedy Competition" in Oakland. After two years of study, she added acting to her resume when she landed a part in the critically acclaimed indie "Thirty Years to Life".
These are the things to know about Dominique, she's a class act from stage to film, she's a woman with a strong point of view and a strong way of telling it and she's ready for whatever those in the know throw her way.
