8 minute read
Neelam
Interview & Photography by Amina Touray Styling by Janel Styles Makeup by Jasmine Stovall Nails by Nail Bae
Dress from Kaftan Studio @Kaftanstudio
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Provided by @Pr_solo 28 FEB 2022
After rapper, artist, and influencer Neelam Hakeem’s videos were reposted and shared by legendary artists on social media platforms, the world discovered a oneof-a-kind talent with important messages and activism through her lyrics that needed to be heard. Neelam chats with us about her purpose, the role of social media, and the diversity that she wants to see in the Hip Hop industry.
Neelam, what are some important things that we should learn about you to get to know you better? I’m just a Black Muslim woman who’s pushing a different aspect to the culture. I want to provide a different voice, message, thought, mindset, look, feeling than the norm. My people are so dynamic and can no longer be confined to soulless conglomerates who profit off of exploiting our ignorance.
You received an overwhelming response for your rap and spoken word talents, on social media, and have been recognized by renowned people, like Will Smith, Diddy, and Erykah Badu, to name a few. Was that something that you ever expected, and what did that mean to you? I totally didn’t expect to get accolades from people that I admire so much. To receive reposts from so many people from all walks of life is so inspiring. I had a lot of fear about dropping my rap pieces because it was something I’d never done before and I was worried about what people would think. I remember asking myself, “Do you stand by this message?” My answer was yes And I posted it immediately. When the feedback was so positive, it filled me with immense gratitude and made me very optimistic. music? What I wish to accomplish is adding a notable dynamic to the music industry particularly the female hip-hop rap genre that’s different from what they push now mainstream. I feel like women are the most dynamic people on the planet and the fact that they only push a certain type of female rapper is ludicrous. It sounds funny to say it out loud but I want more representation and diversity in the rap game when it comes to women. We have other messages, we have other looks, we come from other walks of life, and we should be able to see that because you can’t be what you don’t see. I would like to reach every end of the planet. All 196,940,000 square miles.
I love the important messages that you communicate through your music. Your lyrics and videos are always very compelling and insightful. The Fakes caught my attention, and is one of my many favorites. Why do you think that so many people in today’s generation are portraying a lifestyle that is far from the truth on social media? And do you see it changing? In a Capitalist society, your worth is usually attributed to how much money you have. Hip Hop which has a huge effect
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on our culture has for the longest been used to promote lifestyles that were really rented by the industry for rappers to make us all feel insecure about our life. It made us better consumers of capitalism. Social media now allows us all to play a role to promote lifestyles that make others feel insecure so they can validate themselves by either consuming or acting the part. Will it change? We will but unfortunately, there will be different tricks for the next generation.
Your sense of style and fashion is beautiful and inspiring. How would you describe your style and where do you get Vol 13
your inspiration from? I would describe my fashion with one word which is “dope” I believe what I put on speaks before I do it a lot of times. I walk in the room and people will comment on what I’m wearing before anything else. Also a majority of the time I’m the only one in the room that looks like me, so naturally, you stand out. Modesty is always at the core of my style, and I honestly pull inspiration from everyone and everything. I believe modest fashion is timeless. It’s the future, the past, a constant.
you described it as challenging before you made the decision. How do you feel about it now four years into it? I see my hijabs, turbans, and headwraps as a crown. It’s not just a reflection of my faith but honestly an extension of me and my personality. I’ve honestly fallen in love with it and Modest fashion. I used to feel a little awkward about being the only one at an event with it on, but now I’m proud of it. I feel like it’s my superpower.
What does a typical day look like for you? A typical day for me starts with prayer and a moment of gratitude. I’m a wife and mother, which is a priority for me, so I tend to my family’s needs, making breakfast, preparing for school, etc. Then my husband and I go over our schedules that dictate our day. I can’t miss a day of checking my emails which usually consists of music-related plans for my project dropping in March, or brand deals from my social media management team G&B. As of right now because we’re preparing for my music project we go to the studio as well as video shoots and drop preparation meetings. If I have to shoot any brand campaigns I get that done as well with the help of my husband. My team literally consists of my husband and my brother-in-law. We don’t have a big conglomerate working with us because I’m completely independent. Naturally being independent is a struggle however we are optimistic and just care about the message and pushing the boundaries in the female hip-hop rap genre to bring about something different from the norm. My mother who was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis lives with me so I have to care for her as well. Juggling my lifestyle as a mother and wife and daughter musician/influencer is a challenge but we get it done as a team. We always end the day with a family dinner then we watch our favorite show.
How do you define a purpose, and have you found your purpose? The purpose is to give a reason for existence. We have a false belief that we are here for 1 purpose when we are actually here for multiple purposes. One of mine is being a mom. Another is a wife. Another is using any skill, brilliance, or talent I have to
contribute to the overall good.
I have fulfilled a purpose just by being educated because at one time my people weren’t allowed to be that!
Neelam, it seems like you’ve traveled a lot, and you mentioned that you visited The Gambia, which happily surprised me since I’m part Gambian and was recently there myself. Can you share how your first-time experience there was and what you did there? Visiting The Gambia was the first time I took a trip to Africa. The Smiling Cost was life-changing for me because the experience was incredible. I went there with an organization to help build orphanages and it honestly change my perspective on a lot of things in life. I’ll be forever grateful for the moments that I shared with those children and the beautiful people I met. I was blessed to go to Africa a few more times but that was my favorite trip out of all of them so far.
Overall; politically, climate-wise, spiritually. How do you feel about the future? I feel great because nature will always balance itself out. My politics will always align with nature, freedom, justice, and equality. I will do my part!
Our collective politics and technology will either respect nature or be forced to respect nature. My spirit is at ease because I fear nothing but Allah/God.
What expectations do you have for this new year of 2022, and are you working on any new projects? I expect nothing! I have a new project dropping with great music that will put out a great message! I will push, market, and promote to the best of my ability. I will expect nothing and appreciate everything!
