PrInCe HaKeEm

He says his life is all about passion. Whatever he does, He puts his all into it. Some of the passions in his life are singing, songwriting, and of course my family & true friends.



When you first meet him he may strike you as a too cool R&B star on the rise, but when you talk to him you realize that behind the music, the braids, and all the tattoos….there is a man, a humble man. A mans whose passion for music has gotten him one step closer to achieving his dream.



Many of us have heard his tracks on myspace or xm radio, and most of the ladies out there will admit they have taken a few looks at his pics on facebook. But not many people know the man behind the music. I had the opportunity to sit down with the rising R&B star Hakeem and figure out what drives him.



He was born on a hot summer night in Lagos, Nigeria on the 8th of June. Hakeem had a lot of family members in his life but all at different points his life. At a young age Hakeem attended boarding school and at the same time learned a very important life lesson. He learned to cherish the important things in life such as family & friends. During the very strenuous 2 years at boarding school he missed his family everyday, but knew he was there for a reason. Let us all remember that boarding schools in places like Africa are vastly different then in North America. So he used his love & passion for his family as motivation, motivation to try to obtain a better life for him and his family. After those two long years he got a chance at dream of a better life.



In the summer of 1996 he came to Toronto, Ontario in Canada. He lived in modest area in the heart of Toronto with Aunt and Uncle. Back in Africa Hakeem loved the world’s game of football and was quite good at it. However, once in Toronto he was introduced to a new game…basketball. He knew of the game but he never before seen a basketball, or even an NBA game. Like any other kid growing up back then he idolized Michael Jordan. He would play basketball all day and he would practice day & night on the court in his old neighborhood of Glendower, sometimes he would spend the day dribbling in his basement. As time went on the practice started to pay off and people started noticing a change in his game. More and more of his shots would fall and he developed amazing ball handling skills. He gained enough talent and confidence that he tried out for his high school team of Stephen Leacock and not surprisingly he got the starting Shooting Guard role. Although his team wasn’t that good, more and more people started noticing him and his game. When he wasn’t playing on his school team he would go to local community centers with his friends and dominate the ball court. During this time Hakeem developed a new secret love, aside from basketball. A love that would eventually change his life one day.



When he wasn’t playing basketball he would sit in his room, thinking about his family back home. His Mother…His Father….and his younger siblings who barely knew. During that time he developed an outlet and a passion for music. He would listen to people like Michael Jackson or Donell Jones and try to mimic them. After a while he got motivated enough to try and write his own music, but oddly enough the R&B star started out rapping. Something, he says, that helps him set himself apart from others in the game. He would freestyle with his friends day and night. Although he was doing it to express himself, many people would mock him for even trying, Even though the same people saying that couldn’t rap themselves. But just like basketball, he didn’t let the negativity bother him. He kept doing his thing, but after listening to a few more Donell Jones tracks he switched his main focus to R&B music. At the same time his love for music was growing, he started to get more and more attention for his exploits on the basketball courts. So much so, that he got a full scholarship offer for a Canadian University. But to the shock of many, he declined the offer in order to peruse music.



Hakeem later joined a little known group called “Lay Low” which was comprised of some of his close friends from Glendower. The group was filled with rappers and Hakeem was the lone singer. To the rappers, Hakeem’s sole purpose was to sing the “hook” on their rap tracks. But he had another plan in mind. He would sing the hooks but at the same time he would work on his solo tracks, and he would use peoples hate as motivation. He soon made the studio his second home. He would stay there till late at night knowing full well he had to be at work for 6 or 7 in the morning. His dedication and perseverance paid off as he was able to get the opportunity to write and sing the hook on the single of an artist by the name of Joe Hound, which is gaining airplay all over the USA and the overseas. Joe Hound is a rapper signed to Epidemic Records. The same record label owned and operated by Miami’s own Cool & Dre. Known for their banging beats and unique sound, they have produced such hits as “Hate it or Love it” By the Game & 50 Cents, “Say I” by Christina Milian, “New York, New York” By Ja Rule, Fat Joe and Jadakiss and most recently “100 Million Dollars” By Baby featuring Lil Wayne, Young Jeezy, Rick Ross and Dre himself.



Hakeem is still on his grind and using each day to improve on his already amazing talents. I personally had the opportunity to hear a few exclusive tracks, and let’s just say that when he makes his official debut he’s going to surprise a lot of people.



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