Wande

Ireoluwa-Anike Dees (born Mutiat Yewande Isola), known professionally as Anike (formerly known as Wande), is a Nigerian-American rapper, actress and former journalist and A&R administrator from Austin, Texas, United States. She signed to the Christian hip hop label Reach Records in 2019, where she had worked as an A&R administrator. Prior to that, as an independent artist, from 2013 through 2018 she released multiple singles and made numerous featured appearances on various songs, as well as worked as a music journalist. She is the first woman signed to Reach. Her debut extended play (EP), Exit, was released on April 24, 2020, followed by a mini-EP The Decision on December 4, 2020.

Biography Early life Anike was born in Nigeria but raised in Round Rock, Texas and then Austin, Texas, United States. Most of her family members were Muslims, except for her mother, who was Christian. At first she was not allowed to go to church, and then started having to get up at 5 A.M. to read the Bible and go with her mother to work so that she could get picked up to go to church. Anike said in April 2020 that she used to joke "that I'd go to Mosque and church". While at the camp, she also saw a performance by the Christian hip hop collective 116 Clique, which at that time consisted of Lecrae, Trip Lee, Tedashii, and Sho Baraka. Despite this, she initially continued in studying health and sciences, even acquiring a license to be a nurse's aid. and Sigma Phi Lambda sororities, the National Association of Black Journalists, IGotSole Dance Company, and the Texas Orange Jackets. Her first released record was a feature on the song "B.I.G." by D-Flow on their 2013 album Quarter to Vinci. 2017, and 2018. She did some A&R work for Ace Harris, and 2017, while still pursuing her university education, she began an internship at Reach Records. Shortly before her graduation in 2018 she was hired as an administrator for the label's A&R.

Reach Records (2018—present) The following year, after five months after her hire as A&R, she was signed as a recording artist to Reach. She released her debut single on the label, "Blessed Up", in April. The single would be listed the next year on Michelle Obama's playlist. Wande is the first woman signed to the label. She has expressed a hope that her signing will make it easier for other women rappers to pursue a career in the highly male-dominated Christian hip hop genre. "I think it'll show other labels that you shouldn't be afraid to sign females. I hear a lot of excuses like, 'Oh it's expensive' or 'Oh, we don't know how the market will react to a woman.' 'Will they buy her music?' Obviously, a lot of Christian companies don't have the money to just casually experiment with a Christian artist because you have to make sure they are profitable. So a lot of women get the short end of the stick because they don't want to gamble on a woman." She said that it initially took a while for her music to be released because of resistance that she encountered in the music industry because her abilities were undervalued on account of her being a woman. For example, she recounts that "I would fly somewhere, write a whole album, and would ask for the beat and the person wouldn't send the song. I learned a lot about how people value you." and the single "Happy" was released April 3, 2020. "Be the Light", featuring Evan and Eris, followed as a single on April 17, 2020. Exit was released on April 24, 2020. Wande also has released music has part of 116 (formerly 116 Clique). She said in an April 2020 interview that her father and her have made peace over her conversion and her decision to pursue a hip-hop music career. but descriptions of it by news sources call it an EP. |name=|group=note

Name change In July 2024, she changed her stage name from Wande to Anike,

Discography

Albums + List of albums with selected details Title Details Exit Released: April 24, 2020 Label: Reach Formats: Digital download, streaming

EPs + List of EPs with selected details Title Details The Decision Released: December 4, 2020 Label: Reach Formats: Digital download, streaming The Rap Pack Released: March 28, 2025 Label: Reach Formats: Digital download, streaming

Singles

As lead artist +List of singles as lead artist showing year released and album nameTitleReleasedAlbum"No Flex" 2016 "They Didn't Know" "Hiatus Freestyle" 2017"Elevated" 2018"Fuego" "Fuego" (remix) "I Gotta Live" "Blessed Up" Summer Nineteen"BAND$" "No Limits" "Happy" Summer Twenty"Last" The Decision"Blessed Up" (remix) 2021"Don't Worry 'Bout It" Summer Twenty-One"Big God" 2022rowspan="2" "They Didn't Know II"

As featured artist

Guest appearances

Music videos

As lead artist

As featured artist + List of music video appearances as a featured artist with the associated album, directors, and other performersTitleYearOther artist(s)"The Last One" 2020Marty

Filmography