A cut from ITEE’s latest EP, “Wake Up” is, at its core, a song about finding God, keeping God in one’s life and the love, beauty and positivity God can bring to even the most-downtrodden to help us awaken who we truly are meant to be. What happens in this world matters, yes. If you’re Christian, you believe that everything’s setting up for everlasting life once you’ve accepted God and have devoted your life to the teachings. What I really love about this song is that energy, the raw positivity and the fact that it reminds me of a Lauryn Hill song from a sonic standpoint. I also love that it states that traumas may’ve made ITEE into the person she is, but they will not define her (as she will heal properly from them).

This song features on ITEE’s PAPERS EP, which released in mid-June. The four tracks presented all showcase a different side of the young Nigerian-American wordsmith. If what I’ve said about “Wake Up” above has you interested, I recommend checking out the EP proper. It’s four songs full of what it means to be a young person in this country, especially if your skin’s of a darker hue than many in power. However, it’s not all doom and gloom. In fact, the overall positive nature of the project allows for us to see that life will work in our favor–especially if we work for it.

Check it all out below and support dope music in all its forms.