Drake Materre (Haki) is a multi-instrumentalist from Chicago, Illinois. He graduated in May 2023 from the University of Illinois Urbana Champaign with a Master in Public Health. Foremost, he is an educator, community organizer and policy researcher. He is the band leader of Haki N Dem as the guitarist, pianist, and lead singer. He is also the founder of Prodigy Saints LLC.
Deanna Nicole started singing at the age of 12, later becoming a dancer and choreographer. She is currently working on her B.A. in Human Development and Family Studies at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. She is the female vocalist in Haki N' Dem, having joined in December 2022.
Paul Mock is a DMA in jazz guitar performance and has worked as a gigging guitarist since 2015. He started off learning rock and metal then learned many styles of Black American music throughout college such as jazz, funk, R&B, gospel, and Neo-soul. As part of the University of Illinois Concert Jazz Band, he has performed at the Midwest Band Clinic and Jazz Education Network and has performed with Carl Allen, Brad Dutz, and Jim Snidero. He recently had an article published in the Rutgers Journal of Jazz Studies about the music and improvisation style of Mary Halvorson. He is the lead guitarist for Haki N’ Dem.
Michael Vignola (Mark Lasagna) was born in Chicago and raised in Champaign, Illinois. He played in school symphonic and jazz bands with trumpeter Sam Hankins and saxophonist John Curry. He played in the University of Illinois Chicago jazz band instructed by flautist Nicole Mitchell and trumpeter Orbert Davis, graduating in 2011 with a B.A. in Psychology. He is a cocktailer by trade and the trumpet player in Haki N' Dem.
Sarah Cramer is a self-taught bassist, producer and keyboard player from Urbana, Illinois. She fell in love with playing the bass at the age of 15. As an adult, she later became an endorsed artist for Devon bass and Nordstrand audio. Sarah is also a team member at Bass Players United and runs The Bass Link Instagram page. She plays bass, records mixes, and does booking for Haki N Dem.
DJ BJ Clark is originally from Macomb, Illinois and grew up in Tulsa, Oklahoma, and currently resides in Champaign-Urbana. He is the Station Manager of 104.5FM-WRFU, and a Professional Runner for the USA Track and Field Master Team becoming the 2023 USATF Illinois Men's 5000 Meter Champion. He is the drummer and manager for Haki n’ Dem.