We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Akinola Pedro a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Akinola, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. What did your parents do right and how has that impacted you in your life and career?

My parents are immigrants so I’m a first-generation American. What I love about my parents is that they were hustlers. My dad drove a taxi, but at the same time, he had other crazy avenues to try and earn money. I made a song called “Taxi Driver” off my first album that goes in-depth about what my dad was like growing up. In their strange yet insightful ways, they both instilled that hustler spirit in me. I always knew I had that spirit, but it wasn’t until I got to Los Angeles That it came out on full display. I’ve witnessed some eye-opening things, and I thank my parents for providing that mentality.

Akinol a, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

Exactly 5 years ago, My song “Traffic.jam {BARGAIN}” was featured on the NBA 2K20 Soundtrack and co-signed by Steve Stoute & Kevin Durant. That is when I went by AkinG Kalld Pedro though. That gave me a cool following.After that, I dropped my album Children of Immigrants! Then I rebranded myself and released my EP, “Tatooine: the world that never was”. Right now, I’m wrapping up my next body of work. I’m proud of this one because I’ve taken pieces of my previous self on past albums and EPs and created the true definition of the “Akinola Pedro” sound.

Is there mission driving your creative journey?

Truthfully, I wanna get to a point where I’m able to throw my phone away and play kingdom hearts all day haha. But on a serious note, to be able to be comfortable. It’s not an easy drive on this journey but I understand that. I want to be able take care of myself and the people I cherish the most in life.

What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?

I’ll say this, I never thought I would be doing music. I always thought I’d become a soccer player. When I figured out I was good at writing, that’s when I began to take music seriously. So being able to see myself grow as a musician is always rewarding. The bonus part is being paid for that because in the times we are living in now, where we have thousands and thousands of artists on DSPs, I’m glad to know that there are people who enjoy what I do.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://innocircle.llc
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/akingkalldpedro/
• Youtube: https://youtube.com/@akingkalldpedro

Image Credits

John Hollidge