Help Akeem push his music career forward..

Hey Gang! My name is Akeem Soyan and I am a multi-disciplinary artist from the northside of Chicago.

Born and raised in Uptown with Nigerian immigrant parents, I struggled to find my identity. But car rides home from African parties always gave me hints. From Anita Baker to Phil Collins to Michael Jackson, music always resonated with me.

It wasn’t until my first and only year of attending the University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign that I was able to fully free myself from the shackles of fear. Fear of judgment. Fear of failure. Fear of living my truth.

Inevitably, I decided to drop out of school to pursue a career in music.

Fast forward to now, I am a co-executive director at Circles & Ciphers, a black youth-led organization that works with young people impacted by violence and the carceral system.

Although I disdain the media’s portrayal of black bodies killing each other, I know that violence is pervasive in our communities and there are more meaningful ways to address it.

With that being said, I learned about restorative justice around the same time I began attending open mics and performing..

This has been a part of my journey and self-discovery for the last 7 years along with chasing my dream as an artist.

It is with Allah's grace, my mother’s unflinching support (despite her disapproval), my community and my desire to achieve greatness that I have made it this far…

However, I need your help to continue the next phase of my career as a musician. I am looking for $5,000 to maintain my independence as an artist, expand my potential audience reach and connect with more communities worldwide through a more extensive marketing plan (youtube ads, playlisting, posters, etc).

I am also looking to shoot a music video and host a listening party in August for the release of my fourth project, where community can come for FREE and have a good time.

All in all, being an artist is expensive..especially when you want to hold on to your values and principles.. so I am looking for your support in helping a black boy fly.