We recently had the chance to connect with Jehlad Hickson and have shared our conversation below.
Jehlad , really appreciate you sharing your stories and insights with us. The world would have so much more understanding and empathy if we all were a bit more open about our stories and how they have helped shaped our journey and worldview. Let’s jump in with a fun one: What battle are you avoiding?
I think the battle I sometimes avoid is slowing down. I’m always chasing the next goal, the next song, the next move, and it’s easy to forget that rest and being present are just as powerful as the hustle. It’s a battle I know I need to face head-on, because peace is part of greatness too. The battle I avoid sometimes is perfectionism. As an artist, you want every song, every performance, every move to be flawless — but art lives in imperfection. I’ve had to remind myself to let go, trust the music, and let people connect with the real me. The battle I avoid is playing small. Sometimes it’s easier to dim your light to make people comfortable, but I know my purpose is bigger than that. I’m learning to stop avoiding that battle and fully step into my vision as an artist and entrepreneur.
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
My name is Jehlad. I’m a soul and R&B artist who lives for making music that connects with people on a deep level. I’ve done over 500 live gigs, sold out shows across San Diego and beyond, and I’ve even sung the national anthem for major league baseball teams. What makes me unique is the way I merge gospel roots with soul, storytelling, and raw emotion — my music isn’t just songs, it’s experiences. Right now, I’m building my brand to not only release my own music but to eventually sign artists, create spaces for music therapy, and leave a legacy that’s bigger than me.
Okay, so here’s a deep one: Who were you before the world told you who you had to be?
Before the world told me who I had to be, I was just a kid who loved music for the way it made me feel free. I was curious, creative, and full of imagination, with no fear of dreaming big. I didn’t care about the boxes people try to put you in — I just wanted to sing, to connect, to make people feel something real. Over time, the world tries to tell you what’s realistic, what lane you should stay in, or what your limits are, and sometimes you start to carry that weight. But deep down, I’m still that same kid who believed anything was possible when he opened his mouth to sing. That’s who I was before the world tried to shape me — and honestly, that’s still who I am today. I’m just reclaiming it in a louder, stronger way now.
What have been the defining wounds of your life—and how have you healed them?
The defining wounds of my life have been tied to loss, doubt, and the weight of trying to find my place in the world. I’ve gone through moments where I felt unseen, moments where I questioned if I was good enough, and seasons where my own struggles with sleep, health, and bad habits made me feel like I was fighting myself more than anything else. Another wound was losing the music I had worked so hard to put out when it was taken down from stores — it felt like a piece of my identity was erased. Those wounds left scars, but they also gave me purpose.
I’ve healed — and continue to heal — by leaning into God, by turning pain into music, and by refusing to let those wounds define me. Music has been my therapy, my prayer, my way of transforming brokenness into something beautiful. And healing hasn’t meant forgetting the pain — it’s meant learning how to use it as fuel, as a reminder of who I am and what I’ve overcome. Those wounds shaped me, but they don’t own me. They made me resilient, and they gave me a voice that comes from a place of truth.
Alright, so if you are open to it, let’s explore some philosophical questions that touch on your values and worldview. What are the biggest lies your industry tells itself?
One of the biggest lies the music industry tells itself is that success only comes from fitting into a formula. There’s this idea that you have to chase trends, water down your sound, or compromise your identity just to be marketable. But the truth is, the artists who really last are the ones who dare to be themselves fully, even when it doesn’t fit what’s popular at the moment.
Another lie is that artists are disposable — that once the hype dies down, so does their worth. The industry often forgets that behind the streams, the charts, and the algorithms are real people with stories, struggles, and legacies.
And probably the deepest lie is that you can’t be both an artist and a business. They make it seem like you have to pick between creativity and ownership, when in reality, the most powerful thing you can do is learn the business, own your masters, and build something that outlives the moment.
I think the industry is waking up to these lies, slowly. Independent artists are proving every day that you don’t need to sell your soul to build a career. What makes this era exciting is that we’re redefining what success really looks like — and for me, that means creating music that’s timeless, building community, and having full ownership of my journey.
Okay, so before we go, let’s tackle one more area. What false labels are you still carrying?
The false labels I still carry are the ones that tell me I’m not enough or that I have to be perfect to deserve success. Growing up and even in my career, I’ve heard labels like ‘too ambitious,’ ‘too different,’ or ‘not mainstream enough.’ Those words stick to you in ways you don’t always notice, and sometimes you start believing them. Another false label I’ve carried is that as a Black man, my story has to fit a certain narrative — either struggle or stereotype — when in reality, my story is about faith, creativity, love, and vision.
I’m learning to let go of those labels by remembering that they’re not my truth. They’re just projections of other people’s limits. The real me is bigger than any box someone tries to put me in. Every time I step on a stage, every song I release, every dream I chase, I’m peeling off those labels one by one. And the beauty is, the more I live in my truth, the more those labels lose their power.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://linktr.ee/Jehlad
- Instagram: https://tr.ee/t_Etb2jvlT
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jehlad-akin-352434232
- Twitter: https://tr.ee/Np1LrRmxPn
- Facebook: https://tr.ee/DEOu34MIO5
- Youtube: https://tr.ee/iRTfo6Navc
