Today we’d like to introduce you to Neek Cannon.
Hi Neek, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
I come from Southside Jamaica Queens, NY where it’s the trenches, filled with poverty where we acquire skills at a young age to survive. This is evident in many neighborhoods but mines is a little different. I grew up at Lincoln Park which is now known as one of the top 5 basketball parks in NYC. Growing up everybody would be playing Basketball and I joined in sometimes but for the most part I use to be the only kid who would be walking around with a football . Me and Craig Days use to play football and mad tag on the playground everyday after school and all summer long. We both lived next to the park so we would walk to and from school at age 8 unless sometime his grandmother would take us. My Father passed away in 2000 when I was 5. So I always been just learning on my own with no real guidance. It’s always been a dream of mine to make it to the NFL. So when my big sister was getting ready to go off to college me, my mom and lil sister moved to North Carolina in 2008 this was disappointing to me because it was my freshman year in high school I was on the football team and wrestling team and was trying out for the basketball team. I Played one Year of Football in Jamaica High school where I started at cornerback. Once I moved to NC I pretty much stayed in the house and worked out. Doing push-ups everyday I was a skinny kid at 5’8 125lbs but after the push ups my weight started to get up. Two times in NYC I worked out til I passed out and the ambulance came and said I had Chronic Fatigue. I would literally try work out all day for 12 hours straight cause I was really dedicated. Sophomore year in NC I didn’t get to play football because of transportation. Still being broke in NC when I made the football team junior year I use to catch a ride from some seniors on my team. Junior year I didn’t get much playing time. Senior year I use to ride my little cousins bike miles all Summer to workouts until the bike broke then I used my little sisters razor scooter until that broke then that broke then I had to walk miles to workouts and 1 day before training camp coach called and said I wasn’t able play cuz of grades. One teacher said I passed but she suggested I take the class over because she don’t believe I learned the curriculum. After that I just worked out hoping I get into a college so I can play football again. After making it to Chowan University. Me and one of my new friends at Chowan, Wesley Bray From Lithonia, Georgia would go to the gym everyday after classes cause we had dreams of making it on the football team we would sit in the stands and watch the games freshman year saying we gonna make it in to that field one day the next year Wes made it on the team and the following year I made it on the team. To see all our hard work pay off let’s me know anything is possible. We had people from the team that we know go Pro David Fulton Played for the Green Bay Packers and Robert Fulton who is the division 2 record holder for receptions played in the CFL. I played College Football in North Carolina at Chowan University for 3 years. After my second year of playing I got a call saying Craig had been shot and killed 1 block away from the playground we grew up at. The saddest part is the footage that was on the news shows it was a passenger in his car who shot him then got out and walked away. Craig was a kind soul and one the first people to introduce me to football as well as my first best friend. Over the next year I would have multiple teammates at Chowan pass away. Willie Hickman would pass away due to a seizure, he was one of the best shut down corners I ever seen and Dominique Lennon was shot and killed he transferred to our school from ECU. Dom once seen me post my music on Instagram and told me “ like anything else if you wanna be good at it you gotta be consistent “ Another one of my friends who was my teammates brother Demarco Duncan who was also a student at Chowan was shot and killed at an off campus party. I still remember when he told me and Wes that he was proud of us, he said “y’all boys really made it on the team” he use to be in the Jenkins Center shooting the basketball and would always see us work out. My other friend and Chowan classmate who was my friend Za’s Cousin Dame passed away in 2019 in a motorcycle accident. So many young people we lost who had kids and bright futures, I just hope they rest easy and watch over us. It’s also a sign not to take this life and people for granted. Each loss hurt but Marco Rocked the Chowan Community because he was well loved by a lot of people. My first year on the team I didn’t get to play cuz of grades, but I got to practice and get better, my 5th practice I had one the the biggest hits of my football career, the slot receiver ran a out route while I was lined up over the number one receiver in a read concept on the number 2 receiver and I jumped it and as soon as he caught the ball I hit him and made him flip.
My second year I didn’t get to play either we had 130 players and only 60-70 get to make the travel squad but I was making plays in practice that had everybody chanting my Name. My Government Name is Neiko Radway but I wore number 33. So in comparison to Darelle Revis a for NFL cornerback who use to make plays and shut down one side of the field they called me 33rd and Radway as in a street sign. I was making big hits, blocking Field goals, making blocks on Kick Return that took people off there feet. And had everybody fired up waiting to see who I would lay out next, made a lot of pass breakups but dropped a lot of interceptions, I would drop a interception every practice sometimes 2 almost. Smh. My 3rd year I was getting a lot more playing time I started on all the special teams making tackles on NFL prospects even me and Wesley tackled a running back for the Lincoln University Lions together who was getting looked at by the Detroit Lions. Wes had him first then I came in with a big hit as they were going down. Approaching my final year I had a great spring ball I was making all types of plays and was looking to have a big year on the field until told I was unable to play in fall because of My NCAA Eligibility had ran out. This crushed me cause this was what worked for after years and years of hardwork. So for the fall semester I just helped out with coaching until I was finished in December 2017 but I was waiting for May 2018 so I can walk across the stage. By this time I was I was back home and got an opportunity to go to a HBCU Allstar GAME within 2 weeks notice and play in front of NFL and CFL scouts. All I need was $650 but I didn’t have the money and started a go fund me and asked friends and family but nothing turned up. After the bowl game passed I was crushed even worse cause I had another opportunity and was unable to take advantage of it. Then I ended up moving back to New York after applying to 30 Jobs because I now had Bachelors in Business Administration with a Major in Accounting and a Minor in Management. To no avail I didn’t get no accounting Jobs or even interviews this forced me back to the streets and I ended up getting locked up and sentenced for 2 & 1/2 years. I stayed focus on working out and potentially playing football again but I had know idea what was yet to come. So i started writing music more seriously. Being in Rikers Island watching people get 30 year sentences is mind blowing and a culture shock when I was just in 5 star Hotels and Restaurants playing college football traveling all over the Country. I seen people get cut in they face and beat up every single day there was never a break, I spent My birthday and a thanksgiving there before I went upstate and Rikers Island is all violence. When I was locked up I got the call Dame had passed away he was a happy soul me and him use to play dice and madden and he use to do all the new dance moves and turn up, and When we was walking campus we use to bag all the girls. I had 4 months left I was brought back to the city from upstate to be in a work release program. The first guy I met was Michael Buccino he slept in the neighboring bunk and he was already working at a Restaurant called Bubba Gump in Times Square and he got me a job there as a cook. So everyday I would have 2 hours to go to work and work a 8 hour shift and 2 hours to go to back to jail. It’s different anxiety and discipline to go back to jail everyday. And the jail Use to take a percentage of our check. Nonetheless it was better then previous months in a cell. Then Covid hit and they locked us down in the jail and said we couldn’t work no more. And Correction officers wouldn’t give inmates mask and they were the ones bringing the virus into the jail. And inmates ended up dying and we called channel 1 news and a reporter brought protestors/ demonstrators outside the jail to campaign for our release at Queensboro Correctional Facility after 1 inmate Leonard Carter who only had a month left to go home died due to the Covid 19 virus. Upon my release I was suppose to stay with family but due to their underlying medical conditions and the panic of the effects of the virus I ended up having to stay in a homeless shelter cause they was scared I was exposed. I felt like in one of my darkest moments when I needed people the most they turned they back on me. But my older sister who lived in Massachusetts who I couldn’t stay with cause I can’t leave the state while on parole made sure I had my phone and clothes and money in my pocket and she took care of all my food clothes financial and mental support needs while I was away. Along with Wes and My friends Tracey, Za, Tim, and Smoove and a few of my other friends. 2 months after I was released Wes passed away to Covid. Wes was a brother to me from making our dreams come true of playing college ball to the 3 summers we stayed on campus to get better and perfect our craft, surviving off noodles, pB& J and Pizza Rolls. He always supported my music and football dreams and was loved by everyone, full of laughter and jokes and could make you laugh all day. Wesley passing rocked the whole Chowan community as well he was a four year player in the football team real charismatic and knew everyone from teammates to teachers to staff to students and other sports teams student athletes to coach’s everyone had they own special story about Wes. My mother had a mental breakdown when I went to jail and she hasn’t been the same ever since, I just hope one day I when I accomplish my dreams I can buy her a house and give her happy moments for her making sacrifices always being there for us working two jobs to take care us until she is no longer physically able to work do to all the hardwork taking a toll on her body. I told her when I was 5 ima by her a house. I just wanna see it through. And find a specialist to help her really rather than other doctors just give her medication that makes her feel numb with no emotions and energy and just go to sleep. A week after being free I got two jobs and started working 80 hours a week a year later I got an apartment. Since then I have been focused on making music and I even put out 4 music videos. Last month I got a call that Michael Buccino Passed away, he had turned back to the streets after being released. I always felt like there was more we could’ve done for him as peers he even was suppose to meet me one time at work. I even put him onto my job but he ended up not doing it. I know he in a better place though, but he was really a good guy and told the funniest stories. I know life ain’t easy and I just hope all the things I been through can motivate someone else to keep going in there hard times. Whether jail or homelessness or feeling like my dreams was being snatched away from me I knew that I couldn’t fold and just gotta keep my head up no matter how hard life get.
I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey have been a fairly smooth road?
Not being able to play in a college Allstar game because of funds, going to jail for 2& 1/2 years. Being homeless for a year.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I make music I am a hip hop artist and I try to maintain versatility. I Go by Neek Cannon. I have two mixtapes out “No Love Lost” and “Against All Odds” and two EPS “You Know My Body” and “Dreams 2 Reality” featuring JacubRaus, kNOw Trace, WaveGodVee, King Dubaii, Jbaybee, Sparkle, And Shelly.
We’d be interested to hear your thoughts on luck and what role, if any, you feel it’s played for you?
I don’t believe in luck I believe in God he has watched over me taught me lessons and enabled me to tap into my potential when it comes to music and believing in myself.
Contact Info:
- Email: Neekcannon@gmail.com
- Instagram: @Neekcannon
- Twitter: @Neekcannon
- Youtube: https://youtube.com/channel/UCYcWGsGwfdlG76CKUgNzZVQ
- SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.app.goo.gl/9dJginK2QFnPLs5T8
