Community Highlights: Meet Rakiem Walker of Walker Entertainment Group

Today we’d like to introduce you to Rakiem Walker. Them and their team share their story with us below:

Rakiem Walker is an accomplished saxophonist and musical director born in Brooklyn, New York, and raised in Harlem and the Bronx.

He started playing the saxophone at age 14 and has studied under jazz legends at Jazz mobile workshops in Harlem, New York including Max Roach, Donald Byrd, and Milt Hinton.

He has toured the world playing for independent band Bluesyde, R&B group Soul 4 Real (Uptown Records), and hip-hop group The Spooks (Sony Records). Rakiem has also recorded with legendary hip-hop rapper and producer the RZA as a saxophonist for several Wu-Tang Clan recordings including albums ‘Only Built 4 Cuban Linx’ (Raekwon) and ‘Tical 2000’ (Method Man). He was also a featured saxophonist appearing in televised commercials for the Olympic Games in 1996 and 2000, as well as, in the feature film ‘Friends with Benefits (2010). 

As a musical director, he has toured with Lisa Simone Kelly (daughter of legendary soul singer and songwriter Nina Simone). He was previously the musical director of Red Rooster Harlem and Ginny’s Supper Club owned by celebrity chef Marcus Samuelsson. In this capacity, he was responsible for booking and managing all weekly live music performances and concert events and has worked directly with local, independent, and major jazz, R&B, and legendary hit-making producers including DJ Premier, Patrick Adams, and Norman Connors, and the RZA and Wu-Tang Clan.

He is also the musical director for his band The Rakiem Walker Project (RWP) and the international Afro-beat band The Earthman Experience. Rakiem has worked/performed with legendary R&B recording artists Freddie Jackson, Melba Moore, Tito Jackson, Atlantic Starr; R&B/soul artist Eric Benet, UK soul singer/musician Omar Lye-Fook, producer legend Teddy Riley to Nashville singer-songwriter Maren Morris. He is also the main house band and music director for world-renowned chef Marcus Samuelsson and all of his major events and appearances. 

In summer of 2019, Rakiem released, with his band, the self-titled debut album The Rakiem Walker Project (RWP). Rakiem, as the album’s arranger and co-producer, created a listening experience seamlessly combining Hip-Hop, Jazz, and R&B featuring RWP frontwoman Gloria Ry’ann, rapper Christopher Swift, and popular Swedish recording artist Timbuktu. 

Rakiem Walker steadily works to broaden his horizons, from the studio to the stage, and now the screen. RWP is heard delivering an original remix to the classic Christmas carol “Deck the Halls” from the Lifetime Original Motion Picture Soundtrack for “Merry Liddle Christmas” starring Kelly Rowland, along with contributing music for the two other motion picture sequels, on the Lifetime Movie Series compilation album ‘It’s a Wonderful Lifetime: The Songs (Lifetime Television), “How High The Moon” for Swedish game developers (“Three Gates” in conjunction with Viacom), plus the RWP original arrangement of “Inside My Love” was featured on the Audible.com project ‘Our Harlem: Seven Days of Cooking, Music, and Soul at Red Rooster with acclaimed celebrity chef Marcus Samuelsson. 

The entertainment industry was impacted greatly due to the Covid shutdown. Rakiem rested for a while, became a member of the recording academy, but soon resumed working remotely creating music for two History Channel series ‘Great Escapes with Morgan Freeman’ (2021) and ‘Black Patriots: Heroes of the Civil War (2022) executive produced by Kareem Abdul-Jabaar.

In 2022, Rakim made his acting debut. After a three-year hiatus, RWP supported Timbuktu as a player and performer for his one-man show “A Drop of Midnight” produced by the performing art theater Harlem Stage. To learn more about Rakiem Walker and The Rakiem Walker Project visit linktr.ee/WalkerEntertainmentGroup. 

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way? Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
One of my greatest challenges has been keeping consistent, disciplined, and responsible personnel. 

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
Walker Entertainment Group, LLC has been licensed by the state of NY since 2016. My business is managing and booking live musical performances worldwide as well as distributing audio recordings (singles and albums). Walker Entertainment Group LLC is now distributed by Sony/Orchard. 

Before we let you go, we’ve got to ask if you have any advice for those who are just starting out.
My advice is to be an observant listener. To be the opposite of lazy and pay your staff on time. I learned at my own pace and am satisfied with that. 

Contact Info:

• Website: linktr.ee/WalkerEntertainmentGroup