Akeem Castro’s Grounded Rhythm

In late 2019, months before a global shutdown brought the entertainment capital of the world to an abrupt standstill, Akeem Castro did something that baffled his peers. Known across the valley as Upperhand Keem, he was thriving on the Las Vegas DJ circuit, commanding booths at busy venues and steadily growing his profile. Yet during an intentional season of prayer and reflection, an unmistakable conviction set in: step away from nightlife, get his hands into the dirt, and rediscover who he was beneath the noise.

Walking away from a lucrative momentum takes nerve, especially in a city that rewards relentless visibility. People questioned the pivot, but Castro stayed steady. He turned his attention toward the fundamentals of urban agriculture, studying how to coax vibrant green life out of unforgiving desert soil. What felt like an abrupt detour was actually the start of an intentional ecosystem.

Sowing Seeds in the Desert

Two years into the journey, Castro bought a home for his family—a major milestone that unlocked both agricultural and creative space. Before the move, music production happened wherever space allowed: cramped closets, outdoor porches, drafty sheds, and makeshift corners. Now, alongside garden beds, he had room for a proper studio.

That physical expansion anchored Uncle Keem’s Backyard, an initiative built around food sovereignty, urban farming, and youth education. In underserved pockets of Las Vegas where fresh produce can be scarce, Castro began sharing both harvest and know-how. Las Vegas was not just a backdrop for his career; it was his childhood home, a community with generational roots that he felt called to nourish.

As the garden flourished, the music evolved too. Instead of returning to late-night club residencies, Castro began translating his nostalgic, soulful musical instincts into digital archives.

Stepping Past Hesitation

For a long time, the barrier wasn’t talent—it was hesitation. Putting original ideas online felt vulnerable, and Castro spent years keeping his creative archives private. The breakthrough came with a subtle mindset shift: viewing social platforms not as stages for validation, but simply as living journals where he could document where his mind was at.

"Telling myself you are good enough," he notes, was the smallest action that altered the trajectory of his work.

When he finally posted, the resonance was immediate. Rooted in warmth, golden-era culture, and effortless charisma, his clips struck a chord far beyond Nevada. When hip-hop royalty Snoop Dogg reposted one of his videos, the validation confirmed what Castro had suspected all along: genuine connection outlasts manufactured hype. That digital footprint quickly grew into an audience of hundreds of thousands, bringing him full circle back to his mission of mentoring youth and building shared spaces.

Redefining What It Means to Win

Early in any creative hustle, the markers of success tend to be loud. In a city driven by spectacle, it is easy to chase table service, packed rooms, and digital vanity metrics. Over time, Castro’s definition of winning underwent a total overhaul.

"Success is to have more than I need and to be able to give to whoever is in need, whether that be through the passing of knowledge or monetarily," he reflects. Today, victory looks less like the glow of nightclub neon and more like acreage, livestock, and unhurried afternoons with his wife and children. Being on time for his daughters’ activities and watching his son grow take absolute priority over any booking fee.

He draws inspiration from the resilient examples set by his parents, as well as early local mentors like Bullethead and Randle Denson, who offered guidance when Castro was still learning how to navigate the regional creative landscape.

Building the Powerhouse

From his earliest beats crafted on Fruity Loops inside his mother's upstairs closet to producing for a global audience, Castro’s trajectory has been defined by trusting the timing of his life. He encourages anyone standing on the edge of a new venture to stop waiting for permission. "Whatever it is that makes you happy and want to share it with someone, that is the gift that makes you. Put it out to the world and never look back."

Now, the roadmap ahead is expansive. Castro is assembling the Upperhand Keem brand into a fully integrated powerhouse encompassing original music releases, live community gatherings, hospitality ventures, and expanded agricultural programming. By anchoring his creative drive in service, faith, and family, Castro is proving that the most sustainable way to move Las Vegas forward is to keep your feet firmly planted in the soil.