Five years ago, when Yewande Dees became the primary female artist with Reach Records, it was a milestone for the Christian hip-hop label and for all of Christian hip-hop. The 28-year-old Nigerian-born rapper, who currently performs as Wande, is certainly one of only a handful of ladies on the scene.
Wande began as a reporter covering Christian hip-hop online, then took a job in artist development for Reach, the independent label cofounded by Lecrae and Ben Washer.
In 2019, she signed a take care of the label, and since then, her lyricism, charisma, and energy have helped her carve a recent path that she hopes other women will find a way to follow. Reach recently signed author and artist Jackie Hill Perry, in one other move toward gender parity in a decidedly male-dominated segment of the music industry.
Now based in Atlanta, Wande is bringing her lyrical creativity and flow to collaborations with artists corresponding to Maverick City Music (“Firm Foundation (He’s Gonna Make a Way)”), Lecrae (“Blessed Up”), and TobyMac (“Found”). She has built a loyal following online, connecting with fans through comical send-ups of biblical characters and “prepare with me” videos.
She sees her job as a calling and her music as a possibility to steer people to worship. Tracks like “Found” showcase her ability to shift between melodic lines and rapped lyrics. Her latest single, “Send That,” featuring Lecrae, is an anthemic declaration of confidence in prayer and the facility of the Holy Spirit. It’s unapologetically victorious. “If God is for me, who can come against me? / Send them prayers up and watch him move,” she raps, leading into the primary chorus.
Wande spoke with CT about her childhood because the youngest kid in a multifaith immigrant family, her call to pursue a profession within the music industry, and the state of the Christian hip-hop scene.
You just released a recent single featuring Lecrae, and also you’re on the point of drop a recent album this summer. Does life feel busy?
Yes, and I even have a life update! I’m changing my name.
That’s a giant change. What made you select to do it?
I used to be born in Nigeria, and most of my family is either Muslim or in one other faith. My name aligns with the Muslim faith and with reincarnation, and I really like Jesus! I never really considered my name in that way after I was younger, but God brought it to my mind earlier this yr and put it on my heart, like, “Hey, I would like you to alter that up.”
So I’m releasing a recent single next month called “Pray for Me,” and that will probably be under my recent name, Anike. It means “someone you cherish and don’t take without any consideration.” It’s also the title of my recent album coming out later this summer. Probably early August.
It looks as if the multifaith story of your loved ones has deeply shaped your music and identity. What was it like growing up in a household with each Islam and Christianity?
My family emigrated to Texas after I was a baby. I had the immigrant life at home, after which in that college I had a completely American experience. And that’s all I knew. I knew that at home I eat different food after which at college this other food. Or at home they speak Yoruba to me, which is a Nigerian language, and at college we speak English.
I grew up with that duality, and I see it as a blessing because I feel prefer it opened my eyes to other cultures and gave me a heart to see beauty in those things.
My mom became a Christian as a young adult. Growing up, I believed it was normal to simply select whatever faith you would like. I encountered Jesus for myself after I was in middle school. I used to be actually allowed to go to church because my dad desired to be person. He didn’t want me to “get saved,” but he thought it was good for me to go for the moral stuff. But I noticed the opposite kids at all times got to go to summer camp. I used to be never allowed to try this, since it was seen as an excessive amount of beyond Sunday.
I ended up going to a camp in Columbus, Texas, and doing an internship program there, and I encountered Jesus. And that just radically modified my life. After that, all I desired to do was tell people about Jesus.
Was there any opposition to your conversion from your loved ones?
I got here home from camp super excited, like, “Dad, didn’t you hear about Jesus?” after which he’s like, “No, this is simply too much.” So he decided, “I can solve this, you simply won’t go to church anymore.”
There was about perhaps a yr of severe restriction where I couldn’t go to church, however it was also really cool because my mom became my advocate during that point. She was on her own personal journey as a wife and mother and determining, “How do I advocate for my children and for myself?” And eventually she was capable of get up for herself and for me as well.
It was a journey, but God’s been faithful.
So you experienced this powerful conversion in middle school. When did you begin to see music as a part of your identity?
I truthfully never anticipated being a rapper in any respect. I began playing music because our college had extracurricular activities. It began with middle school band, where it’s just, “pick an instrument,” and I selected the flute. I enjoyed it, and I used to be good at it.
I began rapping in highschool, but paradoxically it was for a ninth grade biology project. My teacher was like, “Hey, you may either do a PowerPoint presentation or you may do a rap,” and I used to be like, “Why would you not select the rap option?”
My life type of modified after that. I might do these freestyle circles at lunch, and I used to be attempting to tell people about Jesus in 30 seconds of rapping. Then I learned how you can record on YouTube and commenced making videos. It was all very small-scale. But things just evolved from there. I did some talent shows and a church convention in Dallas, and I began to sense God telling me he wanted me to do that as a profession.
It was terrifying and totally out of my comfort zone. My whole life to that time, I used to be on course to develop into a physician.
Were you plugged into the Christian hip-hop scene at that time?
Yeah, I listened to Lecrae and Trip Lee, which is crazy because we work together now. I remember getting on YouTube and on the lookout for, like, Christian remixes to Young Money or Lil Wayne, and I actually found some. Then I began finding real Christian rappers like Lecrae, and I ended up seeing him perform at a summer camp.
My freshman yr in college, I became a reporter for Rapzilla. I used to be really aware of the Christian hip-hop landscape, and I used to be keen about sharing it with other people.
I wanted to search out individuals who perhaps were like, “I really like God, but I just don’t have music that matches my vibes.” So I could say, “Here’s some Christian rap, there you go!”
Then, my junior yr of faculty, I got an internship at Reach Records and so they offered me a job in A&R [artists and repertoire] after my senior yr. After working there for six months, I got an artist contract.
It looks as if you were open to working within the industry even when it didn’t mean having a profession as a performer. Did you’re thinking that it was too far-fetched to expect to make it as a rapper?
At the time, I used to be pondering, “God, I believed you told me to develop into a rapper, why am I just working for rappers?” But now, I can see God was attempting to help me. He introduced me to all the several people I used to be going to work with in the long run. I got to see the back end of contracts and stuff like that, which was helpful after I was attempting to negotiate my contract. And he was developing humility in me.
I believe God needed to refine certain things in me, like, “Hey, even for those who’re not a rapper, are you continue to content with the life I provide you with?” So I actually had to come back to terms with that. What if my job was only to influence one person to get saved through rapping at a talent show? Would I be content if that’s how God wanted to make use of me?
But you ended up becoming the primary female artist signed to Reach Records. What has it been prefer to be the primary, and to attempt to help make it easier for other women in the long run?
I feel just like the oldest sibling. That’s how I describe it straight away. It seems like lots of trial and error. I even have to go to the Lord and be sure I never grow bitter. I would like to be sure I’m staying joyful. An enormous thing for me is holding people accountable but in addition giving grace.
I’ve needed to undergo a private journey as well regarding my femininity. This world is so male dominated. I went through a phase where I believed I needed to be hard or gangsta. But I believe I’ve develop into more comfortable in only saying that I like feminine things, I like pink. It doesn’t make me a weaker person. It’s just who God created me to be, and I’m leaning into that.
There have been some hard moments, though. There was one producer who made a record with me, then took all my beats and wouldn’t give them back when it was time to finalize and switch it in. So I had to start out throughout. No one at Reach had ever had that occur before. They don’t normally try guys like that.
And there are other little things, like hair and makeup. Our team has needed to learn that I would like time to do all that. On tour, they’re like, “Wake up! Brush teeth, Bible study onstage!” And I’m like, “Yeah, I really like Jesus, bro, but I would like a specific amount of time! I don’t need to look crazy.”
But truthfully, I believe we’re in a reasonably great place. We’re seeing more features on tracks, and girls are getting signed. Now we’d like people to support women by coming out to shows and supporting women doing their very own tours. To get to the following level, we’d like people coming out to shows and supporting these women in order that they can sustain a profession.
You’ve collaborated and performed with Maverick City Music on songs like “Firm Foundation.” How do you consider the connection between your performance and worship?
I believe lots of artists even have a heart for worship. I like having songs that reflect up and aren’t just giving glory to me. But it’s within the planning stages, you may have to take into consideration your choruses, what you may do to steer people into worship. That’s been something I’ve been really intentional about in my upcoming album.
And I believe this has to are available the early stages of writing and creating. Sometimes after I write, I’m desirous about my life and something I’m feeling or going through, but then after I get to a show, I realize, “Man, I actually wish I could have led people into worship right then.” Then you return to the studio and you consider what you could say to assist lead people into worship or create a certain atmosphere.
Reach Records is 20 years old this yr. The Christian hip-hop industry is growing. What makes you hopeful whenever you have a look at the scene and take into consideration its future?
I believe what makes me probably the most hopeful is that the artists really love Jesus.
You have artists who’re going to influence people for Christ, but on top of that, you’re gonna get quality music. They’re pushing the standard forward while being adamant about being outspoken about their faith.
This music has been an excellent entry point for people who find themselves open to exploring God but don’t feel “holy” enough to go on the lookout for Christian music. In a way, the music is discipling people by giving them a soundscape that they enjoy, that feels like what they’d normally take heed to, however the words discuss Jesus.
People can take heed to this music and never know they’re listening to a Christian song. And I believe it’s so cool, because this music can live in multiple spaces without feeling intrusive, but at the identical time, truth is being spoken.
