About

“Neo-Praise.” What Soul artist, Akirah Renée, calls her sound - a blend of Neo-Soul and God-inspired lyrics.
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​Born and raised in Atlanta, GA, Akirah gained her love for performing through singing at family functions from an early age. “Music always surrounded me growing up. My dad is a professional musician and my mom is an advent lover of music. They always encouraged me to get in front of everyone and sing.” Her musical talents were cultivated at J.C. Young Middle and G.W. Carver High school (Atlanta), where she studied choral, musical theatre, classical, and jazz.

 “I discovered the joys of teaching as a peer math tutor in high school. So I put my two interests together and decided to become a Music Teacher. I loved performing; but all the glitz, glamour, and grind seemed too much for the highest reward of what, a Grammy?” In 2013, Akirah earned a Bachelor’s of Music in Music Education as a Vocal Principle from Berklee College of Music in Boston, MA and graduated with an understanding of the importance of music for child development. “I believe music is a way to develop students’ discipline and connect them to their history, all while captivating their creativity.” Upon graduation, Akirah began her career as a Music Educator in metro-Atlanta, teaching in traditional classrooms, as a private coach, and with several community organizations.

In 2014, Akirah's life took an unexpected pivot. "See, I was missing the music community I had in college and desperately needed an outlet. I decided to join the Youth Choir at my family church because it was free and I got to be around music every week (lol). At the time, I didn’t even consider myself a Christian. I was turned off from 'religion' for all the stereotypical reasons, though I did believe in a 'higher-power'. When I joined, I saw all these young people on fire for Christ. I had never seen this before. It sparked my curiosity. So I got more involved, learned more, and actually opened the Bible for myself and read." Akirah discovered Christianity is not "religion". Christianity is relationship. "The love, the power, the grace, and the understanding of God changed my life."

Her experiences with praise & worship grew her relationship with Christ and inspired her to use her musical gifts to glorify God. “The closer I grew to God and the more I sang in worship, I realized: Wow, this is what my voice is for. I found its purpose. My passion for God began to outweigh my apprehension for being an artist." Akirah released her first album, Iridescence, in 2017. "Once I answered the call, it’s like God opened door after door. It’s been amazing watching Him move through my gifts. I’m just following God step by step.” Akirah Renée plans to release her sophomore project, One Degree of Glory, in 2023.

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