| Yewande Dees, a Nigerian-born rapper who performs as Wande, was the first female artist to sign with Reach Records. The label, co-founded by Lecrae and Ben Washer, brought her on when she was just 23 years old. Even now, five years later, Wande is one of the few women on the Christian hip-hop scene.
Being a pioneer in a male-dominated industry and a successful recording artist may seem like quite enough for someone in their twenties. But in a recent CT interview, Wande shared that, soon enough, she won’t be going by Wande anymore.
"My name aligns with the Muslim faith and with reincarnation, and I love Jesus!" she said. "I never really thought about my name in that way when I was younger, but God brought it to my mind earlier this year and put it on my heart, like, ‘Hey, I want you to change that up.’"
So, when her new single "Pray for Me" drops in the next few weeks, it will feature her new name: Anike, which she explained means "someone you cherish and don’t take for granted."
May Anike’s example encourage us to remember that we serve a God who continually renews us, and who gives us the courage to enter uncharted waters. |
