Hakeem Lyon is a fictional character from the American musical drama Empire on FOX, played by Bryshere Y. Gray. Hakeem, one of the main characters within the series, is the youngest and once-favorite son of hip-hop mogul Lucious (Terrence Howard) and his wife Cookie Lyon (Taraji P. Henson). Hakeem has the star quality to become a superstar like his father, but lacks the discipline.
Storyline
Season 1 Hakeem Lyon was born to Lucious and Cookie Lyon. He grew up in a Philadelphia ghetto with his father, brothers, his cousin Bunkie Williams, and father's friend Vernon Turner. He was only a baby when his mother was arrested; she was helping his father sell drugs to pay for his music career. Hakeem becomes a successful rapper signed to his father's record company, Empire Entertainment. Lucious announces plans to take the company to the NYSE, and he wants to groom Hakeem into his successor and the future CEO. However, Hakeem's arrogance, and lack of wisdom inhibit Lucious from immediately giving him the position. Due to his laziness, Hakeem incessantly asks his older brother Jamal (Jussie Smollett) to help him write and compose melodies for his songs. Although Hakeem gives his brother credit, Lucious refuses to acknowledge Jamal's musical talent. Once their mother, Cookie, is released from prison, she takes control of Jamal's career. Cookie and Lucious pit Jamal and Hakeem against one another in a competition to see who is more talented and who should be Empire's CEO, with both having upcoming album release dates. Hakeem detests Cookie and repeatedly insults her when she visits him.
Hakeem's haughtiness reaches new heights when he makes a viral video condemning Barack Obama and insulting white people. Hakeem begins dating an R&B singer named Tiana Brown (Serayah McNeill), but has a much older lover named Camilla Marks (Naomi Campbell) whom he sees on the side. Hakeem's oldest brother Andre (Trai Byers) has his wife Rhonda (Kaitlin Doubleday) leak a video of Tiana making out with a female model to the internet. Although initially frustrated and disinterested in continuing his relationship with his bisexual girlfriend, Hakeem decides to pretend that he and Tiana are a couple because Lucious and Cookie believe that the two will sell better together as an act than apart.
Andre sees some of Hakeem's gangster associates during a recording of his new music video "Drip Drop", and has them rob Jamal during one of his recording sessions while pinning the blame on Hakeem, though the robbery fails due to the intervention of the studio engineer. An angry Jamal believes that Hakeem set him up, and punches him in the stomach. The two later make amends after a duo performance during a concert hosted by Empire, after which Lucious informs his family that he has ALS. When Andre only expresses concern about the company's IPO and not his father, Hakeem indignantly tries to fight him, only to be restrained by Jamal. Hakeem begins to improve his relationship with Cookie, but she tries to end his relationship with Camilla because she views it as an unhealthy psychological desire to fill the void as a mother that she left behind when she was imprisoned.
Hakeem goes to church to pray for an improvement in Lucious' condition. Meanwhile, his father pays off his lover Camilla to leave the country and Hakeem behind because he believes that she is greedy and only out for Hakeem's money. When Hakeem discovers this, he insults his father during a concert. An angry and disappointed Lucious punches Hakeem, finally deeming him unworthy to inherit the company. Once Lucious gives the company to Jamal, Andre and Hakeem plot to overthrow him. Hakeem tries to sign to Billy Beretti's (Judd Nelson) company, but Jamal coerces Beretti into letting him out of his contract. Hakeem then sleeps with Lucious' ex-fiance Anika Calhoun (Grace Gealey), and he and Andre team with her and his mother to obtain Empire for themselves. Andre tells Hakeem about Lucious' murder of their cousin Bunkie, and the two inform the police. As Lucious is arrested, he realizes that Andre and Hakeem had a hand in his arrest.
Season 2 After spoiling the hostile takeover attempt, Hakeem leaves the company with Cookie and Andre to start a new label—Lyon Dynasty. Hakeem hooks up with Valentina, (Becky G) -- the singer he has chosen to lead his girl group Mirage a Trois. With Jamal promising to bury his album, Hakeem leaks his music online and Jamal threatens to sue him sending Andre back to Empire. With Cookie's assistance, Hakeem quickly prepares the girls for their debut on Sway's radio show. Hakeem is furious when Lucious buys the radio station to keep Lyon Dynasty off the air and signs Valentina to Empire. When both Empire and Lyon Dynasty are investigated by the FBI due to Vernon's recent disappearance, Hakeem once again questions if Lucious killed Bunkie. To present a united front in public, Jamal and Hakeem team up to do a video shoot for "Ain't About The Money" during which Lucious tries to lure him back to Empire. Hakeem gets jealous of his father's constant praising of Jamal and slashes a painting of Jamal. The brothers then get into a fight and Hakeem walks off set. Hakeem later sees the talented singer Laura (Jamila Velazquez) performing and chooses her to replace Valentina. However, plans go awry when Laura rejects his romantic advances. Hakeem tracks her down and agrees to keep the relationship strictly professional. While working out, Hakeem is kidnapped. After the kidnapping and his rap battle against Freda Gatz, when Lucious' job as CEO and Chairman of Empire is jeopardized, Hakeem, spurned on by Camilla (back from England after marrying Mimi Whiteman), votes against Lucious, causing him to be kicked out of Empire. Being named CEO of Empire, he's urged by Camilla to get rid of his girlfriend Laura. He does by going to Lyon Dynasty while Mirage A Trois is rehearsing, drunk and insults the girls causing them to storm off. He realize he really does love Laura and reconciles with her, promising her to really be together. Later, Hakeem meets with Lucious at the spot where Lucious killed Bunkie, tells him he really killed his uncle, gives him a gun and gives him two options: kill him or spare him and next time he sees Hakeem, he'll do his best to kill him. He turns back and urges Hakeem to point the gun to his head and pull the trigger. Hakeem puts the gun to his head but throws the gun to the ground and walks away. Lucious warns him to watch his back telling him that he keeps his promises. He manages to get rid of Camilla from Empire but he also loses his spot as CEO when Lucious questions his vision at a conference. Anika tells the Lyons that she is pregnant and that Hakeem is the father. Hakeem decides that he wants to be involved in the child's upbringing. He also proposes to Laura and they have their wedding on the last episode but Laura ditches Hakeem at the altar when Shyne Johnson (Xzibit), an uninvited guest, starts a fight at the wedding.
Season 3 In Season 3, Hakeem drunkenly goes to see Tiana after the failure of his wedding and states that it was always her he loved. He doesn't know that Anika is in the hospital giving birth to his daughter, Bella. Lucious, angry with Hakeem's behaviour, puts his name of the certificate as a legal guardian instead of Hakeem as he is married to Anika. Hakeem tries to get over his wedding humiliation by making music but is interrupted by Shyne and his sister, Nessa (Sierra McClain). Shyne offers to produce for Hakeem. Hakeem eventually agrees to this. He gets involved in a beef with another rapper, Gram (Romeo Miller), who starts dating Tiana and they kiss in front of a surprised Hakeem during a performance. Hakeem responds by recording a diss track to both of them. He begins to develop feelings for Nessa but she is interested in Andre. Hakeem eventually finds out about this from Lucious whilst performing with Jamal in his house on Empire XStream, their streaming service. Hakeem responds by dissing both Andre and Jamal on the live stream, resulting in a huge argument and setting a feud with Andre. Hakeem also begins to develop a bond with his daughter, Bella. When Tiana is set up by Andre and Nessa during a modelling session in which Nessa purposely burnt the dress she was supposed to wear, Hakeem figures out that Andre was responsible for this and confronts him. Nessa ends up taking Tiana's spot. Hakeem comforts Tiana afterwards and after their performance at the People's Ball, he kisses her and tells her he can't wait for her to meet Bella. They both start dating again and Hakeem supports Tiana after she gets in a fight with Nessa when they finish a performance at Leviticus. Hakeem celebrates his 21st birthday at Leviticus but it goes wrong when he lets in some strangers who helped him earlier. One of them assaults one of Tiana's friends and a fight breaks out. Andre shuts down Hakeem's XStream channel, telling him he needs to learn to take responsibilities while Jamal tells him he needs to "be a man." Tiana also chastises him for being selfish. He goes to Lucious to collect Bella so he can spend the rest of his birthday with her and this pleases Lucious. Hakeem, with encouragement from Jamal and Cookie, apologises to Tiana's friend via music through Jamal's XStream channel. Hakeem introduces Tiana to Bella and they both bond immediately. When Empire is to take residency in Las Vegas, Hakeem and Tiana have the last laugh over Andre and Nessa when Tory Ash (Rumer Willis) gets Nessa's spot. Whilst at home, Hakeem does an insightful piece on family via his XStream channel. This pleases Lucious and he decides to include Hakeem's name on Bella's certificate. However, Bella is taken away by social services, courtesy of Diana DuBois (Phylicia Rashad). This sends Hakeem into a panic. He follows Anika to the DuBois house and he finds Bella. However, Diana DuBois tells Hakeem that she wants something from him in return.
Season 4