Shakir was born in North Carolina and grew up in
Harlem. He attended
The New School and graduated in 2001. Before acting, Shakir was a barber. Shakir earned one of the lead roles in the short lived
Quarry and made a guest appearance on
Timeless. He had previously auditioned for the roles of
Black Lightning in the
eponymous television show and
M'Baku in
Black Panther, but failed to acquire either role. He was cast as
John McIver/Bushmaster in the
second season of
Luke Cage. In 2021, he starred in the
Netflix live-action adaptation of
Cowboy Bebop as Jet Black. Shakir is a strict
vegan. ==Filmography==