Today we’d like to introduce you to Rohaid Lakhani
Hi Rohaid, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I was born and raised in Texas. I was born into an Ismaili Muslim family. My parents are both from Pakistan and they came to the states at a very young age. Both begin working as soon as they possibly could. My mother took a position as a customer rep, and my father worked in a restaurant. Eventually, my father had enough of the standard living and working for someone else, so he chose to move forward and start up a business with one of my uncles. He wanted to live the ‘American Dream’ it was something he was so adamant and passionate about giving his family. I had always looked up to my parents; I specifically looked up to my father’s ambition and drive. It was like nothing I had ever seen before, not even in my games or in the movies.
I feel my life is my movie. With each passing chapter, I grow more as an individual, navigating my struggles, and chasing my dreams. I had known at the age of 8 what my dream was. I wanted to be a musician because I loved to entertain. I eventually discovered my Father had hopes of becoming a famous Pakistani singer and my brother was untouched in freestyle rapping. I begin to write Poetry all throughout my younger years for family, friends, and girls at school. Based on their reactions, I knew I had a gift, but what was I going to do with it? As I grew older, my skills developed and I was now writing full length songs. I wrote my first song at 16 for soundcloud, but professionally recorded my first song in 2019 titled “What’s The Move”. The song was dedicated to The University of Houston and all the amazing students apart of it. It had seen early on success and one of my favorite memories was when a random student in the elevator questioned if I was the Artist to that song they heard. They then went on to give good feedback and told me keep up the good music. Fast forward through numerous open mic performances, growing my audience, and being moments away from being able to perform at Frontier Fiesta but Covid 19 had other plans. The huge event went on to be cancelled for the year, and it was time to focus on graduating and applying for jobs. I graduated from the Conrad Hilton College of Hotel & Restaurant Management. I currently work in Operations for a popular Food Truck here in Houston called Blk Mkt Birria, and even have an implementation of tying the music and food social media content together.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Growing up, my family made sure my siblings and I had everything we NEEDED to survive and live comfortably. When it came to what I had WANTED, these are where life’s struggles shaped me into the man I am today. I learned nothing worth having comes easy, you must strive for it each day until it is yours. I reflect on my father as he sacrificed everything in order to live his ‘American Dream’. I reside in Houston, but I was born in Austin, TX. As a kid, I moved to Houston but we went back and forth between the cities due to a profitable gas station my parents had been owning/operating since before my mother was pregnant with me. I attended a few different elementary schools, and would always be forced to pick up and say goodbye to friends I’d already become close with. Once things finally got settled in Houston, I had a decision to make as I got older. I asked myself things like what route I would take in life, and would I be like my older brother or father. I admired the two, so I had hoped so, but one of my biggest struggles in this life till this day would be becoming my own man and doing things best for Myself. Although I love the men my father and brother are, I know they have things about them I’d never wish for myself or my future family. I didn’t want to work myself to death with crazy hours or develop bad habits that would prevent me from one day accomplishing my dream. I strived to be a healthy and patient young man. My father developed diabetes and other health issues as the years went on. My brother faced plenty of struggles and trouble when I was a kid and was eventually offered to move to California where he’d work for my self-employed uncle till the end of time. I was in a teenage rebellious phase, and was facing the same fate as my brother/father if I had kept it up. When I began to better understand what destiny was, I overcame my biggest struggle and still fight to this day. I am destined for greatness with this God gifted talent. I have a message to share to the world, and if I had chosen California, bad habits, or a different career path, I wouldn’t be sharing my music with the world. My father wanted to be a singer and my brother a rapper. I chase success each day in hopes I obtain it while I still have them both in my life. I will make both of them immensely proud.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I create Hip Hop/Rap & R&B music. My music is energetic, inspirational, and romantic. I specialize in story-telling music. I do not write nor speak about things that don’t truly express myself for who I am. I speak about my real life and the growth I’ve experienced. After 2 near death experiences, I spread the message to live and be Forever Young with my music. What that means is to always live in the moment and take the appropriate risks in order to live your destiny. I’m known for my extremely hard work ethic, instilled in me by my father. I’m most proud that I’m the one in the family that is actively chasing the dream to be a successful musician. Both my father and my brother had musical talent and wished to pursue them, but dreams didn’t pay the bills and they were forced to put it to the side. What I feel sets me apart from others is I’m currently carving a niche that feels fresh yet familiar. My niche blends introspective story telling with high energy anthems, reflecting about my journey through fraternity life, resilience from near-death experiences, and the hustle of working in the Hospitality/Service Industry.
Can you talk to us about how you think about risk?
From my perspective, risk taking is an essential part of the journey towards success. It is what separates the dreamers from the doers. Being too comfortable is the last thing anyone should be. Taking risks is how you take those leaps of faith in life. In my song ‘At Night’ I recite “If you ain’t taking risks, well you don’t know what you’re missing”. A risk I had taken when I was younger was probably the most important one in my life, and it really shaped me to be the man I am today. I had a choice to make when I was approaching high school. My brother had left Texas to work for our uncle. He is a very wealthy self employed business man who needed more individuals in order to sustain business. I had the opportunity on moving to California and starting a career path there with them. It was difficult because Texas was my everything and I started to gain interest in the Hospitality industry. I knew the industry did very well in Texas and even had a well-respected program in Houston. In addition, I loved the music scene in Houston and even Texas in general. Everything from the type of lyrics, culture, and music production amazed me. I told myself I would make an impact in the city I’m from, and this is exactly what is starting to happen. I feel after taking so much initiative and sticking to my risky decision that I am solidifying my path as an Artist to watch in the Houston scene and beyond.
Contact Info:
- Website: Skyromusic.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/skyromusic713/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Skyromusic713/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@skyromusic713
- Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/skyromusic713
Image Credits
Brandon Duana
Samantha Garcia
