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<\/p>\nRakeem said he has always wanted to take “a legitimate path and serve others” but life hasn’t always gone that way<\/p>\n
Musician Rakeem Lewis at his Wirral studio(Image: Liverpool Echo)<\/p>\n
A Wirral dad has spoken about his \u201cfull circle\u201d moment after achieving a major career milestone. Rakeem Lewis, from Moreton and now living in Upton<\/a>, has had one of his tracks featured in a Disney Plus short film alongside a star from This City Is Ours.<\/a><\/p>\n The 34-year-old musician told the ECHO:<\/a> \u201cNow, looking back, it\u2019s incredible to think about how those experiences led me to where I am today – being in a Disney film and reflecting on everything I went through along the way.\u201d<\/p>\n Growing up on the Wirral<\/a> in the 1990s, Rakeem was one of the few Black children in his community.<\/a> He recalled how this \u201csense of being different\u201d was reinforced by repeated encounters with the police, which initially sparked feelings of anger and frustration.<\/p>\n He said he and his brother were targeted multiple times, including one night when he was stopped four times by the same officer. He said: \u201cI had to make complaints. I did everything I could to stay out of crime and focus on music, but it\u2019s so easy to become angry and even a product of discrimination.<\/p>\n Musician Rakeem Lewis is now looking to help others from younger generations<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m far from some notorious gangster. I\u2019ve always wanted to take a legitimate path and serve others, helping them reach their full potential and operate in their purpose.\u201d<\/p>\n Adopted as a child, Rakeem is open about the emotional complexities this brought. While grateful for the family that raised him, he often felt marginalised and struggled with questions about his identity.<\/p>\n These internal conflicts caused friction during his young adult years and, at one point, led to his isolation from his family. This period of instability intensified when Rakeem found himself sofa-surfing and eventually living in a hostel. Yet even in hardship, he said he remained focused on his ambitions.<\/p>\n Through \u201cfaith and perseverance\u201d, Rakeem eventually secured his own apartment at Daniel House on Stanley Road in Bootle<\/a>. He said: \u201cIt felt like a big step up. There was a bar on the roof and a gym. I felt a bit boujie. I was there because there had been a breakdown in my family situation, and I couldn\u2019t just move back home.\u201d<\/p>\n At one point, Rakeem had a successful streak \u2014 creating businesses, running a club residency, and managing DJs through his agency. But during that time, he admits he wasn\u2019t always sensible.<\/p>\n Rakeem Lewis said his experiences have made him into who he is today<\/p>\n He added: \u201cI probably drank too much, indulged in substances, and didn\u2019t represent myself well, which left cracks in my business. I was also working in Huddersfield during the week, doing engine audits, so I had four jobs at the same time.<\/p>\n \u201cWithin a week, I lost most of those jobs. One of my friends couldn\u2019t go to Huddersfield, so we lost that contract. On top of that, my landlord told me I needed to move out. I didn\u2019t have the kind of family relationship at home to fall back on, so I was left without support.\u201d<\/p>\n Despite the setbacks, Rakeem\u2019s Bootle apartment became a creative turning point. Some of his most powerful music was written there, drawing directly from his lived experiences. One of these songs gained him the opportunity to work with James Nelson-Joyce<\/a> on Disney\u2019s Ryan Can\u2019t Read.<\/p>\n The film follows the story of a young boy who struggles with literacy and turns his life around with the help of an unlikely mentor. Rakeem\u2019s song Tell Ya X is featured, and he says it remains one of his most personal tracks, tackling themes such as work ethic, temptation, substance use, relationships, and the tension between legitimate living and risky choices.<\/p>\n Musician Rakeem Lewis at his Wirral studio(Image: Liverpool Echo)<\/p>\n![\"Musician](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/0_JS394425939.jpg\")
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