"Text 'SPONSOR' to 469-609-7540 for advertising info" What happens when you’ve been shot at, set on fire, and fed poison — and you’re still standing? On this episode of More Than 2 Min., host Wil E. sits down with Lion Aurah, a Dallas-based actor, model, poet, martial artist, and creator of Lap Dance Poetry, for an unforgettable conversation about survival, identity, grief, creativity, and transformation. Raised in Oak Cliff and Pleasant Grove, Dallas, Lion shares stories from a life that sounds almost unbelievable — protecting family from gunfire as a teenager, surviving dangerous encounters, discovering martial arts, landing his first acting commercial as an angry jumbo shrimp, and finding himself unexpectedly on a Los Angeles runway in front of thousands of people. There’s even a wild story involving DMX’s entourage, a pool hall, and a decision that could have changed his modeling career forever. But behind the extraordinary stories is a deeply personal journey. Lion explains how his wife gave him the name “Lion Auhra” after seeing the energy he carried into a room — and how her death from COVID-19 changed everything. Rather than simply mourning the loss of his wife, Lion describes burying his former identity with her and beginning the process of becoming someone new. Now, after four years of celibacy, Lion channels grief, passion, memory, and creativity into Lap Dance Poetry, an erotic and boundary-pushing form of performance poetry that has taken him to venues and events across the country, including South by Southwest and New York Fashion Week-related events. Wil E. and Lion also explore the psychology of being “the strong one” — the person everyone depends on but rarely asks, “How are you doing?” They talk about social engineering, the changing landscape of music, gentrification, masculinity, relationships, creativity, and the importance of discovering what you’re capable of when life forces you to start over. And yes… the conversation eventually gets to wigs, nail polish, and the swimming test. This is a conversation about survival, grief, resilience, Black creativity, Dallas culture, poetry, acting, identity, masculinity, and finding the lion within. 🎙️ IN THIS EPISODE • Lion’s season of “finding out how far I can go” • Growing up in Oak Cliff & Pleasant Grove, Dallas • Protecting family and children from gunfire at age 14 • High school test-cheating pranks and fake nightmares • His first acting commercial as an angry jumbo shrimp • The DMX entourage and pool hall story • The runway walk that could have launched his modeling career • Why Lion threw away a top LA agent’s card • “I’m hard to kill” — surviving bullets, fire, and poison • Martial arts and competing with virtually no training • Church confession-card pranks: Hugh Jazz, I.P. Freely & Ben Dover • How his wife gave him the name “Lion Aura” • Losing his wife to COVID-19 • Burying his old identity and starting over • Pushing nearly 1,000 pounds after a head-on collision • “The cost of the strong” and why nobody checks on the person holding everyone up • Creating Lap Dance Poetry • Performing erotic poetry across the country • Four years of celibacy • Social engineering and human behavior • The gentrification of music • Culture Check: clear nail polish, wigs & the swimming test 🎧 GUEST Lion Aurah Actor • Model • Poet • Martial Artist • Creator of Lap Dance Poetry Instagram: @LionAurah Facebook: Lion Aurah TikTok: @LionAurah IMDb: Lion Aurah Watch Lion Aurah on Tubi & Amazon Prime 🎙️ HOST Wil E. Host of More Than 2 Min. Podcast 🔎 SEARCH TOPICS Lion Aurah • Lion Aura • Lion Aurah interview • More Than 2 Min Podcast • Dallas actor • Dallas model • Dallas poet • Oak Cliff Dallas • Pleasant Grove Dallas • Lap Dance Poetry • Black poets • Black actors • Black creatives • Dallas creatives • Dallas podcast • Texas podcast • poetry performance • erotic poetry • grief and loss • COVID grief • surviving violence • resilience • self-discovery • personal transformation • masculinity • celibacy • martial arts • South by Southwest • SXSW • Dallas culture • Black culture Real people. Real journeys. Real impact. If Lion’s story resonates with you, share this episode with someone who needs a reminder that there’s still a lion within them. #MoreThan2Min #LionAurah #LapDancePoetry #DallasPodcast #DallasPoet #DallasActor #BlackCreatives #OakCliff #BlackPoets #Grief #Resilience #SelfDiscovery Support the show
