Hakeem Paragon Brings New Positivity in Hip Hop from Honolulu in New Album

[Jules West]

Hakeem Paragon is back after the success of his first album in 2019, No Heaven for Heathens, with a brand new album inspired by the beauty of walking in day-to-day life, A Sunflower in the Shade. As always, there is a key concept behind Hakeem Paragon’s releases, as he sets off on a journey to come out of a low place and uplift both himself and the listener.

In Hakeem’s words, “I represent love and self-love. I was in a very low place and a lot of hip hop tends to ‘shit’ on the listener. For some reason, every time an artist comes to uplift, it is seen as ‘corny.’ I think I’ve found the sound that can still promote positivity in a way that people can stand to ingest it.”

Unlike most artists, the Milwaukee-born artist currently residing in Honolulu, has a love for music and life that has led him to put other artists on by running his own three-day music festival in Honolulu, the LoveForIt fest. With his mission to spread positivity and love, meaning, purpose, and hope hits in every bar of A Sunflower in the Shade. The album, released on March 20, 2020, was influenced by Hakeem’s wife, two daughters, family and friends, and the songs document his life from the time of the release of his 2019 No Heaven for Heathens to its own release.

Several producers make their mark on A Sunflower in the Shade, including Spradley, June Fabores, and BYourself, but Milwaukee’s Regal shaped the album’s overall sound. Hakeem Paragon’s future plans include expanding his exploration of how he can further affect people’s emotions with sound through hip hop.

Stream Hakeem Paragon - A Sunflower in the Shade:

• YouTube: youtube.com/watch?v=4_uz2lXGt9c&list=OLAK5uy_nXdFZiVsNwsAYl9plk...
• All Major Platforms: distrokid.com/hyperfollow/hakeemparagon/a-sunflower-in-the-shade

Follow Hakeem Paragon on Instagram: @hakeemparagon