By starrymag | January 7, 2014

Akil is the 9^th Eliminated Contestant in the episode that aired Wednesday,
February 16, 2005

ROAD TO STARDOM, airs Wednesdays at 8 PM ET/PT on UPN

 

 

Q) Why did you decide to apply for the show?

 

A) I decided to apply for the show because I love Missy’s music and her style and I thought it would be a great opportunity to share my music with the rest of the world.

 

Q) What was your audition process like for the show?

 

A) The auditions were grueling! You had to go through a range of psychological and physical tests to really see what our endurance was like. They also just had a series of eliminations that started in New York and ultimately ended in LA.

 

Q) Who do you plan on keeping in touch with anyone from the show?

 

A) I keep in touch with everybody I can; especially I have been talking to Eddie and Frank B, Heather and Marcus and a few other people.

 

Q) What made you originally decide to become a rapper?

 

A) I think I originally started to get into rap after I started doing poetry and then I started to really take a listen to rap when I realized how lyrical it is. Busta Rhyme’s song “Scenario” really made me wanted to get into rap. That was the first song I memorized and started to kick myself. After A Tribe Called Quest, The Roots and The Pharcide, I just really got into hip-hop in around like 1993.

 

Q) How did you learn all of your amazing dance moves?

 

A) This is going to sound funny, but I really learned all of my dance moves from Rock Steady 2 tapes. There was a hip-hop store that used to be around my way and they used to sell Rock Steady tapes and I used to watch the break dancing tapes and after a while, I just started putting together moves myself.

 

Q) How has your culture shaped you as an individual?

 

A) My dad’s side, he is African American, Irish and German. On my mother’s side, it is Polish and Lithuanian and she’s Jewish. We’re kind of a secular family, but we’re very spiritual and I try and embrace all of my heritage. I try and learn from every culture that I am close to. As an individual, my culture has really made me strive for excellence. I think a big thing in Jewish culture is studying and being a scholar so I try and read and incorporate it into my work. As an African American, there is also another heritage of struggle, just keeping at it and being persistent, I draw from that and the injustices in the world.

 

Q) What was it like meeting Madonna?

 

A)Meeting Madonna was really cool for me. I wish I could have talked to her, like for real for real, like one-on-one because I have the same birthday as her. My birthday is Madonna’s birthday and I wanted to say something, but I didn’t get a chance to really speak with Madonna.

 

Q) Why didn’t you stick up for yourself in front of Missy?

 

A) I relive that scenario so many times. At that point, I really felt that I had things weighted against me and I wasn’t going to win the show because I just kept being called out into the spotlight. That last time especially, I didn’t really felt like it was justified. If they’re going to get rid of me, I might as well go out with some integrity and that’s what I did. I didn’t feel like someone with two spotlights under their belt was going to win the show. All things considering, I think I came out all right. My mom and family were watching the show and I was representing them and trying to break the stereotype of Jewish people being greedy and I just wanted to play music. That’s why I entered the competition to begin with.

 

Q) We saw you stuck to your guns regarding your attire. Has your style evolved since being on the show?

 

A) My style is constantly evolving. It is funny because in a way it constantly evolves, but at the same time it is very continuous and doesn’t change much. I just pick a few things that I like and I don’t let anyone try and mold me into something I am not.

 

Q) What is your favorite moment from being on the show?

 

A) There are so many great moments in the show. I think some of the best moments were where we weren’t really being filmed because we were just freestyling and doing sight verse and having a great time.

 

Q) What advice do you have for future contestants?

 

A) My advice to future contestants would be to be persistent, try your hardest, put your best foot forward, make sure you keep yourself real, work hard on your original material because the more repertoire you have and the more versatility you are going to have and develop yourself as a performer and as an artist.

 

Q) Who do you think is going to win the competition?

 

A) I think Jessica has a high chance of winning the show. Although, you never know!

 

Q) What are you going to do now that you are no longer on the program?

 

A) I’ve got a lot of doors opening for me now, thanks to Missy and the show. I’m looking into lots of different musical projects and thinking about maybe doing some acting and I’m also in a production, a play, called “The History of the Word,” which is for high school students and incorporates some of the their writing and will be touring the country. Everything I’m doing is pretty much on my website so, if you have a chance, take a look at my website and see what I’m getting into.

 

Q) What would you like to say to your fans and supporters?

 

A) I just want to send out much love to all my fans and supporters. If you want to holler at me, you can come to my website and I’ve got a weblog on there. I like to chat on there with folks. Stop by my website and I have a little demo for sale. See what’s good!