Meet Anike, formerly known as Wande, a name synonymous with breaking barriers and reshaping the landscape of Christian music. As the first female rapper to gain major commercial success in the genre, she has made waves with her unique blend of hip-hop, R&B, and pop, all while staying true to her faith. From touring with icons like Lecrae to collaborating with TobyMac, as well as Grammy-nominated features, a Billboard #1 album The Mav Way, and nods from leaders like Michelle Obama and Kirk Franklin, Anike is definitely someone to keep an eye on.
But her reach doesn’t stop at music. Anike’s presence has graced ESPN and Apple commercials, and she’s performed at major events like the Essence Festival. As a host on TBNx’s “Girl Talk,” she empowers women on their spiritual journeys, blending life talks with fun content that resonates with many. In this exclusive interview, we dive deep with Anike to discuss her musical journey, her faith, her latest single “PRAY FOR ME,” and what’s next for the artist, so get ready to be inspired by a visionary who’s redefining how Christians engage with culture.
Who is Anike? For people who don’t know you, how would you describe yourself?
I’m a Christian rapper with a vibrant personality and a passion for empowering others through my music. As a Nigerian-American, I love blending my cultural roots with my faith to create uplifting and inspiring songs. Beyond music, I’m a Christian lifestyle influencer, sharing my love for modest fashion, beauty, and faith on social media. You’ll often find me posting Bible readings, motivational life talk videos, and comedy sketches. I’m here to inspire and encourage the besties on their journey.
How did your journey with music start?
I was in route to be a doctor and ironically God used my biology class to start my music journey. I decided to do the rap option instead of a PowerPoint for a project about cellular transport and my life changed forever. I did the rap for my friends and they were thoroughly impressed, to the point that I started getting massive amounts of attention from everyone at school. I used the attention for good and started creating music to encourage people and share the hope I had found in faith with others. It was a gradual process from talent shows, to student organization bookings, to an internship at a label, to finally having a full-time rap career.
Changing your name to Anike marks a significant transformation. Can you share more about the spiritual journey that led you to embrace this new identity?
Recently, I’ve been on a journey of letting go of the old and embracing the new hat God has for me. I had to let go of old relationships, and old people pleasing that was holding me back from being who I needed to be. By doing this I was finally able to have time to sit with myself and sit with God. During those moments of sitting with God and getting to know Him better and getting to know myself better, I was able to see myself how God sees me and grow a desire for things that please Him. From there, I felt that God said it’s time for a new season and a new name. My old name was linked to practices such as reincarnation, which doesn’t align with the current faith I profess to have in God. My new name singles out my story, and gives glory to God. A shortened version of my middle name “ireoluwa-anike” meaning the goodness of God – we have something to cherish and care for.
Christian rap is a genre traditionally dominated by male artists, a topic you’ve addressed in your work as well. Can you share your experiences navigating this male-dominated space and how it has shaped your journey as an artist?
I’ve had a lot of great experiences and a lot of annoying experiences LOL. I think the great times come from the support of my brothers in the space and just being able to have fun. I think the annoyance can come from people categorizing women as “other” and seeing them as second class artists or “good for a girl”. I think the annoyance can also come from men doing, “bro huddles” and excluding women from certain opportunities. In life, I’m always thankful for the good and I brush off the bad / keep it pushing because I know God will bless my life and he can use me to open the doors for other women in the meantime. I’ve also made a new habit of being more vocal in the moment whenever I do see people acting weird because I’ve noticed that often behavior continues if no one calls you out.
Overall, being a minority in this space has pushed me to be a better artist and pushed me to want to support others who come after me even more.
As the first female Christian rapper to tour with artists like Lecrae and collaborate with TobyMac, what have been some of the most impactful moments in your career so far?
I think meeting my supporters at my shows has been one of the most impactful moments of my career so far. Nothing beats hearing the stories of the lives that have been changed and impacted through the music. I’ve heard stories of people who were going to commit suicide, or give up on themselves be encouraged through my music and turn to God and choose life.
“It’s an honor to be a light in people’s lives pointing them to God.”
Collaborating with artists such as Lecrae and TobyMac have been some impactful moments as well. I think in those moments I realize how far I’ve come to be on songs with people I literally listened to as a teenager growing up.
The lyrics of “PRAY FOR ME” emphasize surrender and faith. What is the story behind the track? And can you share more about the personal experiences or moments that influenced these themes in your music?
Last year I went through depression and honestly didn’t recognize myself. I had allowed the comments and treatment of others to beat me down, and even found in moments of advocating for myself that I was met with no support. I felt I had no voice. This took a toll on me to the point where my body shut down and my jaw physically no longer opened.
In that moment, I had to make a decision to either drown in my sorrows and accept defeat or reclaim my victory. I’m so thankful for God, my friends, husband, and therapist who were able to encourage me in that season. I was able to hang onto a gleam of light and make it out of the darkness. The moment I mentally decided to win and see myself the way God saw me, my life changed forever. And not only did I decide to live, but I decided to live a life of love and forgiveness. Little by little I was able to reclaim my victory, confidence, and boldness. Physically I saw the results, too, of my jaw reopening. The prayers of my friends and family during that journey were tremendously helpful in restoring me to the glowing, gleaming version of myself I was meant to be.
Your upcoming self-titled album, Anike, is set to release on August 30th. What can fans expect from this album and how does it reflect your personal and musical evolution?
Fans can expect to laugh, cry, and believe in themselves again. They’ll see the evolution of me coming back to life and they’ll see my creative growth in rapping, singing, and musical production exploration. I think it’s a beautiful body of work that everyone will enjoy no matter what genre you like. There’s a lot of genre bending with Afrobeat, rap, and r&b.
Any key messages or themes you hope listeners take away from “Anike”?
I think surrender and freedom are key themes in this album. I think I’ve learned that you have to let go if you want to be the free version of yourself.
Holding onto things that you know you need to let go of only prolongs the process of getting to where you need to go.
I also want people to see what the joy and freedom of a life with God looks like. And also the expression what being a woman of God in a relationship looks like.
Your lyrics are deeply personal and rooted in faith. If you could have a conversation with your younger self, what lyrics from your songs would you share with her and why?
I think I’d share some lyrics from “PRAY FOR ME” that say:
“A different state of mind / it’s time to speak my mind / control my story when they try to pencil in the lies / they gonna be erased / I’m in a different place / I started loving, yeah that kind that conquers over hate / victory checking in / you know I’m made to win, / that’s why the enemy been plotting to delay me friend / that’s why we gotta pray / I’m still alive today / that means my story isn’t complete / my blessings on the way”
I chose the specific lyrics because I think they show that you have the power to control your story. You get the chance to make a decision every day of the life you wanna live and control your narrative. If someone lies on your name, it’s not permanent, you can erase that lie.
If you’re still alive, your story ain’t over. Every day that you’re alive is a new day to continue to live and change your story, your blessings are on the way.
Listen to “PRAY FOR ME” here.
Pre-save Anike here.
We thank Anike and Amethyst Collab for their time.