‘Music put me on a new path’

Musician Hak Baker visits the NPR studios

Not much stops work in the NPR studios, but when musician Hak Baker agreed to come in and do a lyric writing workshop, production was put on pause for an afternoon. 

Hak Baker is a musician who describes his style as G-Folk, a ska-style blend of grime and spoken word with beautiful melodies. 

His first venture into the music industry was as part of the grime collective B.O.M.B. Squad, when he was 14. 

But everything changed after he learned to play the guitar… in HMP/YOI Portland.  

While serving his sentence there, he was selected, through a lottery system, to get guitar lessons. 

Hak says this was his turning point, “music put me on a new path”, he says.  

As well as delivering a workshop to the NPR team in Brixton, Hak has also shared his story with the Outside In team. 

This interview will be broadcast on National Prison Radio in September and you can hear him talk about his life before prison, his time in prison and how he turned his life around.  

Hak has performed all over the world. Just days before his HMP Brixton visit he was on stage with the Libertines, he’s performed at Glastonbury and earlier this year, he was nominated for a MOBO award. 

During Hak’s time with the NPR team, he played guitar, he sang, he talked through his writing process and he encouraged the NPR producers to get creative. 

Hak revealed to the team that not everyone was on board as his guitar playing skills became known and some people made fun of him. 

“I used to remember my mum saying to me ‘be your own man’”, he says. 

“I knew it was the times I hadn’t been my own man that had got me in trouble so I knew I had to keep going”. 

After the workshop, the NPR team reflected on the experience. 

I knew it was the times I hadn’t been my own man that had got me in trouble so I knew I had to keep going.

K said “meeting Hak was very inspirational. He showed us we can ‘keep it G’ while singing and putting our emotions out over instrumentals”. 

S reflected “I found today so refreshing. I felt very in tune with what he was talking about because I’ve had the same hills and mountains to climb in my life.” 

As well as featuring on NPR Talk, Hak will also appear on Free Flow with Lady Unchained to set the September prompt word. 

Free Flow is NPR’s weekly show where we play beats to help listeners write their lyrics.  

For the month of September, we’ll be calling on all Free Flow listeners to send in their bars written around Hak’s prompt. 

And for anyone who wants a little head start for this month’s Free Flow, Hak has set the word ‘contradiction’.  

Before leaving Hak told the workshop participants “my parting message is that you have to make a plan – and stick to it – no matter what!” 

You can hear Hak Baker on NPR Talk every day during the week commencing Monday 15th September.  

NPR Talk is on every weekday at 12 midday and 6pm.  

Free Flow is on every Saturday at 9pm, Thursday at 8am and Thursday at 3pm.

National Prison Radio is the world’s first national radio station for people in prison. It is available on in-cell TVs and Launchpad laptops in prisons across England and Wales.  

You can get involved with NPR by calling 0808 123 1234 and leaving a message. You can request a track, ask a question or share an inspirational story. We listen to every single message we receive.  

If NPR is not available in your prison, call us on 0808 123 1234 and leave a message telling us the prison you are in and how long it has been down for.