By: Maria Williams
Illumighani is a Pennsylvania kid. He tracks his origins to Chester, off Exit 6, which he calls “a place where the good die young and only the strongest survive.” He’s also the man behind Royal Wave, a rap sound that pairs hard beats and authentic rhymes about real-world hardships with music inspired by jazz, hip-hop, and the kind of future trends that Illumighani plans to create.
Living Through the Hard Times With a Gift of Faith
“One of my first, biggest challenges was leaving home at fourteen years young and surviving and graduating from the hard-knock life,” he says. Illumighani has many stories about that life, ready to tell about the time he fell 75 feet from an overpass, got hit by a car on the interstate, or was shot in the face, though he says, “You wouldn’t ever think so from the beautiful way God healed me.”
That’s just the surface. His rap gets so much deeper. It all comes from a place of faith, though, and that’s no idle line. To Illumighani, the gift that got him off the streets is part of a God-given plan. “I give all praise to the highest for allowing me to find my loophole out of the streets,” he says. “I survived great acts from all types of haters, but when God has something written for you, no matter how many hateful, harmful attempts against you, they will all fail if it’s not part of God’s plan.”
Royal Wave: Rap, Wisdom, and Hard-Learned Lessons
“I’ve been rapping since I was eight years young,” says Illumighani. “Throughout the years, I’ve learned more and more that it was more than rap–it was my gift.” It was a gift that shocked those who heard it, one born out of Illumighani’s own love of music, and it’s what would eventually become Royal Wave. “Royal Wave is my brand that I self-made,” he says.” It means to ‘Lead and guide,’ and I live up to that in my real life. Royal Wave represents me! Strength, guidance, leadership, loyalty, trust, and respect. Royal Wave will be my legacy.”
Illumighani’s tumultuous upbringing came with a lot of wisdom to share through his music, which are hard lessons he’s using to grow his platform. One of the most important lessons is “to learn thyself,” he says, “And until you do, you won’t and cannot activate your godly abilities.”
Other lessons include, “Certain decisions in your life should not be granted to do by no one but you,” and lessons of faith. “Believe in God, not just when you’re in a jam or a tight situation. Believe in Him every day that he opens your eyes to another day of paradise.”
Confidence for the Future
Believing that confidence will be rewarded and that the energy you put out is the energy you get back, Illumighani is taking up incredible ambitions. He plans to work with the big names he’s been watching in the industry, growing Royal Wave into a huge brand that people will see in commercials, movies, fashion shows, and designer products like watches and fragrances.
Illumighani is here to start something new and pave the way himself. Start watching him and Royal Wave now and see what it becomes. He’s planning to put on a great show with his ambitious life.
Published by: Nelly Chavez