- published: 09 May 2014
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Akir is an American hip hop artist, producer and songwriter known for his complex lyrics and social-political content. His name is an acronym for Always Keep It Real. He is also the co-founder of One Enterprises.
Akir first entered the hip hop scene as an on-air personality at the high school radio station, WNMH, from 1994 to 1996. In 1998, he ranked second out of 50 in Howard University's Verbal Armageddon, MC competition.[citation needed] Akir sought to improve his musical talent and began to focus on production. Collaborating with his brother and business partner SouthPaw, he co-produced one track on Immortal Technique's Revolutionary Vol. 1. Soon after, Akir released his first song, "Best Friend", on DJ N'finit's mix CD, The Blockbuster Vol. 1, through his own production company, One Enterprises.
In November 2005, Akir and ten other up and coming emcees formed the group The Reavers, and released the album Terror Firma. Soon after, One Enterprises and Viper Records joined to release Akir's debut solo album, Legacy. Soon after the release of Legacy, Akir was featured in The Source's Unsigned Hype sidebar in the January/February 2005 issue,[unreliable source?] and the "Off The Radar" spotlight in the April 2006 issue.[unreliable source?] Akir was also featured in XXL magazine's Chairman's Choice in the October 2005 issue,[unreliable source?] and Show and Prove spotlight in the June 2006 issue.[unreliable source?] In 2006, Akir appeared as a model for Mecca 5star apparel, appearing in ad campaigns in magazines and billboards.[unreliable source?]