Interview with JODA Hawkrad and his new single “New Kid”

IAK: How did you come up with your artist name?

JODA: The name, JODA Hawkrad, came straight from my actual name, Josh Darkwah. “JO” are the first two letters in my first name, and “DA” are the first two in my last name. “Hawkrad” is Darkwah backwards (’cause JODA is a backwards me, if that makes sense).

IAK:What do you enjoy most about being an artist/ what do you hate?

JODA: Honestly, I feel like I’ve been an artist my whole life. I love being able to create beautiful chords and notes, and exercise my passion. Most of all, I enjoy being able to share, not only my stories with the world, but other people’s stories as well. Being an artist I can express myself and touch people from every background, and that’s a beautiful thing. I would say that the only thing I hate about being an artist is that I find it hard to appreciate my work. I’m always hungry, I’m always looking for the perfect sound, always envisioning something better to add and/or take out. I listen to my songs for hours repeatedly before I put them out, and though I’ve realized that perfection is an asymptote, I can’t help but go past the point of content.

IAK: How would you describe your sound?

JODA: Generally, my sound is eclectic. I try to be as versatile and as flexible as possible, hoping that my music can stand out from what I usually hear everyday. At the same time, my sound is “undefined” because I’m still searching to perfect it.

IAK: Which artist or producer would you like to collaborate with next?

JODA: Frank Ocean, J Cole, John Cunningham, and Ludwig Göransson, I can’t pick one. Because of the wisdom and creativity they all possess, I would undoubtedly learn a ton from each of them and ultimately grow and develop as an artist.

IAK: Do you have plans for any up and coming releases/ any shows coming up you would like to tell your fans about?

JODA: I do have a song called “Percolate Part 1” coming out soon and a potential mixtape in the summer. And to my fans, I don’t have any shows coming up as of now but stay tuned, I’ll be on a stage in no time.

IAK: What got you into music?

JODA: I give all the credit to my parents. My dad would always be playing reggae songs or Ghanian gospel music through his Bose speakers, or even put, way back when, KidsBop on repeat in the car. Months before Michael Jackson died, he bought the dvd for his greatest hits album “Number Ones”, and I’ve been hooked ever since. My mom recently told me that she used to blast Beethoven and Mozart on repeat when I was a baby, so I guess I was destined to be attracted to music.

IAK: If you had one message to give to your fans, what would it be?

JODA: Focus on developing, first and foremost, yourself, so that you can have the self esteem to eradicate negativity and bring positivity to the lives of others.

IAK: What do you feel is the best song you’ve released and why?

JODA: If you’re asking if I feel like I’ve released my best song yet, that is a definite no. Though, I will say that my song, “Quid Pro Quo”, is my most creative work out right now. I say this because I based it on a number of movies and songs including Tarantino’s “Pulp Fiction”, XXXTentacion’s “I spoke to the devil in Miami, he said everything would be fine”, and J Cole’s “ATM”. I put a lot of work into it, you can even see it in it’s length, but it’s nowhere near what I’m capable of.

IAK: What’s the weirdest or funniest thing you’ve ever been asked in an interview?

JODA: Well, this question’s pretty funny ’cause this is actually my first interview as an artist. I’m just grateful I get to be asked to reflect on myself and my music for the first time, I appreciate the opportunity Katie and the rest of United Kulture.

IAK: As an artist, who are some of your greatest influencers?

JODA: The artists I admire the most are the ones that influenced me the most. They are the ones that have deeply touched me emotionally, intellectually, and on countless other levels. The list is a long one, but here goes my top 10 (not in order of course)… Michael Jackson, Prince, James Brown, Sade, Kendrick Lamar, Bob Marley, Tame Impala, Childish Gambino, Tyler the Creator, and Jimi Hendrix.