Using a combination of collaboration, consistency, and faith the winners’ circle is taking over Tik Tok and elevating Christian Hip Hop! Not only is she the first female artist signed to reach records, but Wande also makes music history as the first female artist in CHH to make a living off of it. 

With music featured on Michelle Obama’s playlist, on ESPN during March Madness, in Apple commercials, on Netflix shows, and by Ulta Beauty; she and business partner Erinn Knight are winning the game! 

Manager Erinn Knight explains, “Coming into this year we all just felt like there was something different.  Even the fall of last year.  We were prophesying over this year.  I can just feel that God is moving us.  We had some rough patches I would say communicational with the team in 2020.  Or 2021.  And then in 2022, I felt like our synergy and our connectedness really grew.  And every meeting we were praying for unity.  And praying that God would bring us together.”

“I think we all like each other as humans in general.  But there’s a personal synergy and that’s combined with a business alignment that’s just kinetic.”  Erinn continues about her Winners Circle family.  “it’s really easy to be on a team like that when everybody is aligned and focused in desire.”

Ace “In terms of team building…we can get up here and talk strategy talk brands and marketing aesthetic, but the fact that you are aligning on aligning on that front is so dope to me.”

Wande, “I think it’s such a blessing to be with people who legitimately love Jesus.  People who are legitimately intelligent.  And people who can actually execute.” 

Wande says she was told by God to rap and share the gospel at 16, but knew her family wouldn’t readily accept her career choice.  Expected to be a doctor by her parents, the Nigerian rapper chose to pursue journalism in college as a part of her strategy for coming out as an artist. 

Wande is a fan of Caleb Mitchell who Erinn manages/signed to label, used to do covers of his songs.  So, Erinn was familiar with her but wasn’t following her on social.  It wasn’t until Wande’s last year of school that the two would meet. 

Erin was trying to book a venue during the popular Southwest by Southwest festival but with no connections in Austin, she was unable to lock one in.  With hope and a prayer, she shot Wande a dm asking for help. Erinn says, “In 2 weeks she had a venue for me, she pulled up to the venue and faced timed me and she says ‘all I want is for you to put me on the show.’ So, I started telling everybody I don’t really like this chick’s music but we’re gonna work together one day.  She’ll probably work for me or we’ll start a business together because she’s a young mogul.”

As a Reach Records intern, Wande worked alongside Ace who was thoroughly impressed with her work ethic, “Wande was passing me beats, passing me artists.  This was my first post at reach as an A & R…after the internship was over, I was like I like this girl.  She’s talented…my thought was we need her in the building!”

But he wasn’t the only one who took notice.  “There was this dedication and consistency that was really impressive,” Marcus recalls.

When you run down Wande’s list of achievements you might think that she had it easy.  But to the contrary; while interning for Reach knowing God called her to rap, working for a record label but not being asked to be featured as a rapper during the internship was her trial by fire.  Working with Ace in A & R, she was required to seek out new talent including female rappers.

Feeling a strain on her mental health Wande says she went into deep fellowship with God.  “I had a conversation with God the day before I got signed.  I know you told me to rap.  But you didn’t say if it was going to be a label.  Whatever capacity you want to me rap in I’m totally fine with.”  It was at that point of submission she was called into the offices and offered her contract.

In our patriarchal society, Erinn has had to overcome many obstacles as a black woman navigating the industry.  Combatting stereotypes, and learning from those experiences, “I think in America, in the world black women have a plight to deal with that so many people don’t understand.  We’re the most educated group here but the most underpaid.  So, we’re fighting social norms just to get in the door, she explains.  “It’s society, its Christianity, it’s being black in America.”    

You can catch The 116 Life Tuesdays at 8 pm est. on Holy Culture Radio, Sirius XM, Channel 154. And if you not already following us on social media, you can find us on  Facebook, Instagram, Tik Tok and Twitter. Join the conversation. We want to hear from you!

Using a combination of collaboration, consistency, and faith the winners’ circle is taking over Tik Tok and elevating Christian Hip Hop! Not only is she the first female artist signed to reach records, but Wande also makes music history as the first female artist in CHH to make a living off of it. 

With music featured on Michelle Obama’s playlist, on ESPN during March Madness, in Apple commercials, on Netflix shows, and by Ulta Beauty; she and business partner Erinn Knight are winning the game! 

Manager Erinn Knight explains, “Coming into this year we all just felt like there was something different.  Even the fall of last year.  We were prophesying over this year.  I can just feel that God is moving us.  We had some rough patches I would say communicational with the team in 2020.  Or 2021.  And then in 2022, I felt like our synergy and our connectedness really grew.  And every meeting we were praying for unity.  And praying that God would bring us together.”

“I think we all like each other as humans in general.  But there’s a personal synergy and that’s combined with a business alignment that’s just kinetic.”  Erinn continues about her Winners Circle family.  “it’s really easy to be on a team like that when everybody is aligned and focused in desire.”

Ace “In terms of team building…we can get up here and talk strategy talk brands and marketing aesthetic, but the fact that you are aligning on aligning on that front is so dope to me.”

Wande, “I think it’s such a blessing to be with people who legitimately love Jesus.  People who are legitimately intelligent.  And people who can actually execute.” 

Wande says she was told by God to rap and share the gospel at 16, but knew her family wouldn’t readily accept her career choice.  Expected to be a doctor by her parents, the Nigerian rapper chose to pursue journalism in college as a part of her strategy for coming out as an artist. 

Wande is a fan of Caleb Mitchell who Erinn manages/signed to label, used to do covers of his songs.  So, Erinn was familiar with her but wasn’t following her on social.  It wasn’t until Wande’s last year of school that the two would meet. 

Erin was trying to book a venue during the popular Southwest by Southwest festival but with no connections in Austin, she was unable to lock one in.  With hope and a prayer, she shot Wande a dm asking for help. Erinn says, “In 2 weeks she had a venue for me, she pulled up to the venue and faced timed me and she says ‘all I want is for you to put me on the show.’ So, I started telling everybody I don’t really like this chick’s music but we’re gonna work together one day.  She’ll probably work for me or we’ll start a business together because she’s a young mogul.”

As a Reach Records intern, Wande worked alongside Ace who was thoroughly impressed with her work ethic, “Wande was passing me beats, passing me artists.  This was my first post at reach as an A & R…after the internship was over, I was like I like this girl.  She’s talented…my thought was we need her in the building!”

But he wasn’t the only one who took notice.  “There was this dedication and consistency that was really impressive,” Marcus recalls.

When you run down Wande’s list of achievements you might think that she had it easy.  But to the contrary; while interning for Reach knowing God called her to rap, working for a record label but not being asked to be featured as a rapper during the internship was her trial by fire.  Working with Ace in A & R, she was required to seek out new talent including female rappers.

Feeling a strain on her mental health Wande says she went into deep fellowship with God.  “I had a conversation with God the day before I got signed.  I know you told me to rap.  But you didn’t say if it was going to be a label.  Whatever capacity you want to me rap in I’m totally fine with.”  It was at that point of submission she was called into the offices and offered her contract.

In our patriarchal society, Erinn has had to overcome many obstacles as a black woman navigating the industry.  Combatting stereotypes, and learning from those experiences, “I think in America, in the world black women have a plight to deal with that so many people don’t understand.  We’re the most educated group here but the most underpaid.  So, we’re fighting social norms just to get in the door, she explains.  “It’s society, its Christianity, it’s being black in America.”    

You can catch The 116 Life Tuesdays at 8 pm est. on Holy Culture Radio, Sirius XM, Channel 154. And if you not already following us on social media, you can find us on  Facebook, Instagram, Tik Tok and Twitter. Join the conversation. We want to hear from you!

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