Singer/Songwriter

This 23-year-old songbird has been blessing Chicago with her magnanimous voice and bubbly personality for years now. I thank God for women like Rahkii who stand true to what they believe and make it look DOPE to love Jesus. A fun fact about this beauty is that she has a major obsession with superheroes. But get this; the reason why she's obsessed with them is because she compares the life of a superhero with that of a child of God. Simply put, by Jesus dying on the cross for our sins we are now made whole and have been commissioned to do even greater works than He did during His time here on earth. Through Jesus we have found our true identity and we know that we are not of this world, but instead we are called to minister to it. In other words, we can now put on our capes and take over the world. I'm quite convinced that she could preach an entire sermon on the topic of superheroes.

Back Story: It was not until recently that Rahkii and I officially met. We have been going to the same college for years, but never crossed paths. About a month ago I felt led to reach out to Rahkii and just let her know I was in her corner. I know that might sound kind of off the wall especially because we had never met before, but it honestly wasn’t. I have always admired Rahkii from a far, but because we were never in the same circles I never pursued the relationship. However, lately the Lord has been pushing me to start actively engaging in building community with women around me. In my heart it is no longer acceptable to watch other women run after their dreams without passionately supporting them in their pursuit. I don’t want to sit quietly and watch from the sidelines as they either succeed or fail. As women, our instinct should always be to cover one another in prayer and love each other into our next levels of influence. I hope you enjoy this letter! - Maureé

My friends like to think of me as the “quirky schoolgirl that tells great stories” which is a bit hilarious to me, but I honestly am a storyteller. I am very visual as well. I like to cater visually to my audience as well as give them something great to listen to. As an artist, I would not say that I am just a singer/songwriter; I am an all around entertainer who wants to inspire others through performance.

I'm a recent graduate of Columbia College Chicago and am now working as the youth leader at New Faith Baptist Church. I am also working on my first EP, which is very exciting! Through this journey as a new artist, I am facing a great amount of fear. It’s a bit nerve-wracking to think of how people will receive my “urban” music, being known in Chicago for doing gospel. I grew up in a traditional Baptist church. I was always surrounded by gospel music and to come out with an EP that isn’t so heavily grounded in the typical gospel sound is a bit terrifying for me. Although my music wouldn’t be categorized as the standard “Church” or gospel genre, it without a doubt obtains a Christian foundation. I want people to accept my sound.

Though I am confronting fear through this journey, I am realizing that fear is only an option. I don’t have to be scared of it or allow it to consume me. I know that God will have my back throughout this entirely. If God is for me there is no one or nothing that can be against me.

It was definitely an interesting adventure to find my individual voice and identity in music, and it wasn’t exactly the easiest thing. I was exposed to so many different genres and styles of music growing up, so I was open and eager to dabble around many different forms of music. It was hard for me to latch onto one particular genre due to the fact that I am truly in love with just about all of them. I knew I wanted to make music that felt good. I also wanted the overall message to be the same, no matter what style of music I wanted to take on. I knew that Jesus had to be the center of it and furthermore whatever I created had to uplift and empower people. My friends and I like to call it “Hybrid Music.”

Photography by Imaginat / Styled by Juiix — Photography by Imaginat / Styled by Juiix

I am honestly inspired by everyone and everything but as far as artistry goes and my individual identity, it sounds a bit cliché but Jesus is truly my biggest inspiration.

In the bible it was prophesied that the Messiah would come to earth and save His people. Everyone expected Him to arrive as this grand and royal God flying in like superman to come save the day when instead, He appeared common and identified to us. He didn’t even have some huge royal birth of any sort; he was born in a manger with animals. And though He didn’t have a luxurious lifestyle, He was still the greatest of all time, and is still the greatest superhero. He came to save our lives so we would take after Him and save others. I aspire to be a superhero just like Him.

One of the biggest lessons I have learned in womanhood is that females are equipped with just as much power as men are. We are so strong and we have authority. A lot of times (especially in media) we are depicted as being weak and needy instead of the strong and powerful heroes we truly are. We’re always shown as the ones that need to be saved and portrayed as the “damsel in distress”, but we are so much greater than that. I’ve learned that as a woman, I don’t need affirmation from a man to feel or do something superior. As a Christian woman I have everything I need inside of me to take on any problem and fulfill any dream!

I want women to know how valuable they are. Never underestimate who God has created you to be and never ever sell yourself short. Don’t be afraid to raise your voice and chase what you believe in, no matter how outrageous and risky it may seem. We all have a divine purpose in this world.

The bible says in Matthew 10:31, “So don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.”

We are so valuable and precious to God, so we shouldn’t walk in fear because we are fearfully and WONDERFULLY made.

Romans 8:37 also says , “Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.” We already have the victory so there is no need to fear, God has our back and he loves us.

Remember to remain true to who you are and never change your morals.

Rahkii's single "Beautiful" will be debuting this spring! Check back for more info.