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".
