Rakiyah

ABOUT RAKIYAH

American R&B singer-songwriter and music producer who rose to fame with the release of EPs including "Into the Cosmos," "Ready or Not," and "The Cosmic Queen." She gained notoriety for her Korean-English single, "Like You," which she released in 2020.

She studied industrial engineering and aerospace engineering at the New Jersey Institute of Technology before developing her fascination with Korean culture after being introduced to the popular drama series Boys Over Flowers by a coworker. She later went on to attend Hanyang University in Seoul, South Korea, after having received several scholarships to study abroad as an exchange student.

She gained recognition for sharing Korean study tips on her YouTube channel, Rakiyah in Space, which she launched in 2016. The channel earned her a reputation as an informal ambassador for Korean culture. After studying abroad in Korea for several semesters, she ultimately stepped away from school to pursue a career in music.

She was born Rakiyah Nadia Wright before changing her stage name to the mononym Rakiyah after the release of her third EP, "HIM." She has a total of eight siblings.

She has named artists such as Erykah Badu , SZA , and Jay Park as some of her musical influences.