Women to Watch: Rapper, Wande Isola

A Nigerian by way of Austin, Texas, Wande Isola is a rising rapper who also A&Rs for Christian record label Reach Records. Wande uses her faith to inspire people of all ages to believe in the power that is within them and to raise above the noise of the world. Read below to learn more about her.

Where are you from?

I was born in Nigeria and raised in Austin, Texas.

What is your ethnicity?

I am African.

Do you speak other languages?

I speak Yoruba which is a Nigerian language

How did you get into rapping?

I actually stumbled upon it due to my biology class. My teacher presented the option to create a rap about cellular transport instead of writing an essay or doing a PowerPoint. I showed my friends and the rap had them in awe. I’ve been rapping ever since.

What inspires you?

I get inspired by people who are great at what they do and are living out their passion. When I hear something or see something executed at a great level, it inspires me to get up and do the same.

What book are you reading right now?

I try to be a reader but I have to live the audio book life. Besides The Bible, I am currently reading The One Thing by Gary Keller and Jay Papasan.

What do you do when you are not working?

Music consumes most of my day from my job to outside of my job. In the moments when I step away from it, it still finds me as I enjoy dancing or making videos which often tie in music. You can also find me doing arts and crafts (to relax). I am also active in my church, Victory World Church.

What is one thing you hope for your people?

I hope for people to gain confidence to do and live in the way they truly want to live. I believe we all have a purpose on Earth, however fear often holds us back. Once we are able to discover and walk in our purpose and passion I think we can truly make a large impact on Earth and we can begin to find joy in each day.

What would you say is the largest part of your identity?

My relationship with God. It drives every decision I make in my life…(it) has shaped me (into) who I am today. I have found peace and confidence in the midst of the crazy world we live in. I really had a journey where I had to learn to love myself. Honestly, I love all aspects of my identity and couldn’t find myself choosing one. If I took away my gender, ethnicity, skin tone, hair texture, body type, personality, or faith I wouldn’t be the same Wande that I am today.

What artist do you look up to the most and why?

It’s constantly changing, however, one artist who helped me level up and not give up in a season when I felt like quitting is Big Sean. He has an album titled I Decided. That body of work truly helped me get the confidence to stick to the plan God sent before me and to never give up on my dreams.

Do you have an alter ego, and does it help you do what you do?

When you look at rapper Wande and normal Wande, we are completely different people. I think that’s one of the things that drew me to rapping. It was out of my comfort zone and I felt that on a song I could be completely free and express an inner confidence and boldness that I don’t necessarily bring out in everyday conversations. “Everyday Wande” is confident but in a more subtle, chill way…when I’m rapping, I have no chill and I like to do it big.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BuSIIMogxA6/?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet

Describe the first time you realized that language/words had power?

I realized language and words had power when I discovered that I could rap. People who would never pay attention to me would be silent and give their full attention to me. In those moments, I would be shook and be like “whoa, this is kind of powerful.” It was from that that I decided to use my words when rapping to uplift people and to share my faith (because) in those moments that I had their attention, I could impact their life.

How can people follow your work?

On all social media platforms @OMGitsWande or OMGitsWande.com. They can also find my latest single “I gotta live” on all streaming platforms such as Spotify and Apple music by looking up Wande.