I go by the name of D-Rootz first name is Dola
When you see me in a suit I'm on my job as a lawyer
African is the blood that's running through my veins
The UK is the country I was born and raised.
Dola "D-Rootz" Akinola
From the ages of 7 to 15 I lived in the above council estate in North West London (the window highlighted in purple was my bedroom). This is where I fell in love with hip hop music. I went to an after school club and we were taught to dance to the latest hip hop songs. We were taught to do the wop, the running man, the snake, the shuffle and a variety of other dances. We were also encouraged to freestyle and create our own dance moves. At home my neighbour would regularly blast the latest hip hop songs from his window keeping us entertained. Whilst living in the estate I observed how easy it was for young people to get caught up by the negative aspects of their environment so I aspired to become a criminal defence lawyer to help to make a difference.
After graduating from law school in 2002, I founded a non profit organisation called Aspire High to encourage people from the inner city to have goals and aspirations that they actively work towards. A song by Bounty Killer inspired me to start writing socially conscious poetry which I would perform at a variety of different events. I qualified as a New York Attorney in 2007 and I run a non profit organisation called Street Diamondz which provides mentoring to ex-offenders.
