In conversation with Hak Baker News

London Met sat down with Hak Baker to discuss the Rising Star Scholarship and what it means to him, his influences, his upcoming show and his dreams of giving back to young people.

Date: 20 November 2025

Singer, songwriter and rapper Hak Baker is a man of the people in all senses of the word, creating music that speaks to his background, heritage and where he’s from, as well as social issues, community and friendship.  
 
More than that, warmth and personality exude out of him. Talking to him feels like talking to a friend, laughing and joking, and lint-rolling his clothes on the way to the studio.  
 
From learning guitar while serving time in prison to critically acclaimed mixtapes and debut album and performing at festivals across the country, Hak’s road to success isn’t linear, but one thing’s for sure, this three-island man is a force to be reckoned with. 
 
During the summer, London Met announced its Rising Star Scholarships, designed to support and empower talented and creative individuals under 21. Each scholarship is named in honour of a notable figure who has contributed to their field – and Hak Baker is one of them.  
 
Thrilled, Hak said: “I’m so pleased to support this scholarship. I mean it takes one to know one – I understand the stigma attached to someone who wants to “over-achieve” in reference to where they’re from. Breaking into the creative industries can feel impossible when you don’t have the right support or connections, especially when you’re working-class.  

“These scholarships break down barriers, and having my name attached to something I feel I’ve done, overrides the stereotypes and stigmas that are attached to being from such places. It’s another tick in the box to who I aspire to be, the man I see in my dreams, but it’s not about me, it’s about helping the right people at the right time and giving young people a chance to be seen, heard and show what they’re capable of.” 
 
Hak grew up on the Isle of Dogs, with Jamaican and Grenadian roots, aptly naming himself the three-island man. Music has always played a part in his life but growing up, he struggled, describing his youth as ‘turbulent’. It was while in prison, serving a two-year sentence for burglary, that things changed. He learnt to play guitar and would stare at the instrument in his cell, telling himself ‘one day’. He said: “Music changed my life. I’ve figured out a way to use my full potential, I want to bring people together, that’s my job.” 
 
He says it was his best friend dying while he was in prison that was the real change though: “I lost my best mate, I couldn’t go to his funeral, I couldn’t celebrate his life, I couldn’t do anything. I asked myself ‘What am I doing?’ ‘What is all this worth?’ I wanted to do something and try hard, represent my people and where I’m from and do better. It was really difficult when I came out of jail, but I’ve got some great friends who supported me and that was the moment I said, ‘Let’s get on with this’ and pursued music.”  

Coming from a working-class background, growing up in London and finding his worth in giving back to communities and people like him, highlighting social themes in his music is important to him – fan favourites like Windrush Baby look at race, class and colonialism – as well as resilience – and Telephones 4 Eyes explores the perils of modern technology. “My music is like a timestamp,” he said, “talking about where we are and what we’re going through. Everyone can feel the tenseness in the air, the difficulties and the struggles – and someone’s got to highlight it, and that someone is me right now.” 
 
On the other side, songs like Venezuela Riddum celebrate culture, diversity, community and friendship. In times that are so divisive, Hak believes it's equally important to celebrate the good sides of life, saying: “I’m an offspring of the Windrush generation, two generations after my grandmother, who had to fight for work. She was tough, and my mum is too. We’re the generation that can take the tenacity they had and that they’ve instilled in us and go out and make something of ourselves – a celebration of strength.” 
 
That strength and influence comes from his upbringing, naming his parents and grandmother as his biggest motivators, as well as the music he was brought up on and where he’s from: “Being the tri-island man that I am, I have a strong sense of belonging and identity. If you listen to the lyrics, beyond the hypnotic beats and drums of reggae root drop, it’s all about knowing oneself, knowing where one is from and knowing that we can do better – and it’s been drilled into me by my parents, who are avid reggae listeners, so that’s always subconsciously told me that my job being alive is to reach for the skies.” 
 
Reaching for the skies is exactly what he’s doing – with successful mixtapes and debut album under his belt and another on the way next year, performing at festivals like Glastonbury and iconic venues like the Royal Albert Hall. He’s also creating events to showcase new talent and bring people together.  
 
Returning to KOKO Amplify to headline centre stage at the end of November, he’s bringing his friends along to push forward the freshest wave of new talent. Hak Baker & Friends promises to be an unmissable night with a lot of fun and laughter thrown in – as Hak tells us: “I love to make people laugh so get ready for some giggles and some shiggles, and some music thrown in too.” 
 
With another opportunity to help people with his Rising Star Scholarship, his advice to anyone aspiring to make a difference through their art is to “be unashamed and be your own best friend. Don’t let social norms or others being scared stop you! We need togetherness, parties in the streets and being loud!” 
 
A real Londoner, man of the people and musician, we can’t wait to see what’s next for Hak Baker.