“I wrote this for the mamas that’s still going crazy,
and to the dads who get up and go to work on the daily.
I wrote this for the grandmas thats missin their babies,
and for the babies thats missin their old ladies…”
Isa ibn Wali has barely faded into frame as he peacefully presents the words above. Each word flows out of his being, in a calm and conversational tone, almost as if someone has just asked him “Who did you write this for?”
Behind him is a colorful scene of graffiti, with bold lettering, colors, and creative intentions. The camera pans in slowly, fixing on Isa’s focused face for a moment before taking us back again, to a wider shot.
Upon first watching this visual, a rush of recognition shot through me . The lack of music behind Isa’s words allowed me to soak them in like a freshly baked vegan cookie in a glass of cold oat milk. There was Isa, there was the graffiti behind him, and there were his words. So, I didn’t just hear his words. I felt them.
His familiar facial expression, I knew all too well, because I had held the same one, time and time again. I call it a charge. Sometimes if feels more like an affliction, but it is far from a curse. It is a need. It is a call that must be answered. It is a light that must shine. Much like myself, Isa has been called to share a message through his words. Namely, through his music. The power of the pen is such a force, and many times, people say you should “focus on your why.” Isa took it a step further and wrote a whole song about it. And I certainly needed to hear it.
“…I wrote this for the days when it feels like living sucks.
I wrote this for the ones who feel stuck,
and for those who feel like they couldn’t have better luck.”
Shot by Deellan Alvarez of DLENS Production, this acapella visual offers a 60 second snippet of Isa’s track “It Was Written,” track 4 of his mixtape, Free The World Pt. 2, which he released in May of 2024. With smooth production from DJ Pain 1, the full song is great, however this stripped down version delivers the message straight, with no mixer or chaser, and we’re loving it! Shout out to Isa for the powerful message and Deellan for the camera work.
Click here to view this simple, yet stunning visual.
Check out more of Isa’s music here.
“When I dare to be powerful, to use my strength in the service of my vision, then it becomes less and less important whether I am afraid.”
— Audre Lorde