Meet Mansa Wakili (aka WAKIL) | Music Artist/Maker & Actor

We had the good fortune of connecting with Mansa Wakili (aka WAKIL) and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Mansa, what matters most to you?
A persons’s character matters to me the most I think. How someone is in certain situations tells you a lot about them.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I’ve always been an artist. Drawing was my first love and then music shortly after. I started making beats when I accidentally installed Fruity Loops into my computer. I was TRYING to play a video game, but…God‘s timing and sense of humor is top tier. I Went from making beats to meeting a couple rappers in high school and we became friends and formed a group. We all sharpened each other. My rap skills caught up to my producing skills and we became popular around the city (Kansas City, MO) doin shows and interviews all the things. After high school we began to split up and go our separate ways and that’s when I met Brian Kennedy (Multi Grammy winning producer, Also from KC) who took me under his wing and invited me to LA where everything started to change for me. Coming from Kansas City and getting even to this point is huge because I had big dreams and had no idea how I was going to start making those dreams a reality. There were no real outlets in KC at the time. I began songwriting and eventually signed to him and got to work with so many amazing artists we all know and love. I soon blossomed and started doing my own thing and fell into making music for film/TV/ad spaces and acting came soon after that. I look at myself as Donald Glover type in a way because I do so many things and would be going on and on if I really delved into my story. But it did come with its challenges, heart breaks, ups and downs and life lessons that I carry to this day. I’ve started fresh many times and had to learn to not expect yourself out of other people. But I also learned to not change who I am, but evolve. I found it important to show my little ones that on your way to success you get bumps along the way and you just gotta persevere. Not to let some person or situation change the heart that I have and keep going. That’s what makes me who I am. So I don’t change…I learn and evolve. It’s all definitely a journey and I can’t say how and I’m just so happy that things aligned the way they did. The good and the bad. The slightest thing could have altered EVERYTHING. I want people to know that it’s ok NOT to know sometimes and releasing control actually gives you control. We can only control what we do, so we gotta focus on that.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
I don’t know what each day would intel, but all I know is I’m a big kid and fun for me is probably unconventional to other people. I don’t really do the club and all that. We’re gonna do escape rooms or somethin like that, we’re going to the trading post, we’re definitely going to Disney Land (Avenger’s Campus here we come!), maybe we’ll see a comedy show or something. Have a whole experience. We’re gonna eat Ohana BBQ and Sushi at a few of my favorite spots. If they haven’t been to Roscoe’s before, I’ll introduce them to that. If we must, we’ll see the beach and call it a time. I only say that because I like the beach, but I hate the process of going to the beach. Hopefully that answers the question well enough.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
There are so many before and even after this person, but I have to say Brian Kennedy. He was the first person to give me a real chance. Working with him i grew as a songwriter and producer which only helped me as a self producing artist. He basically changed my life and I owe him much gratitude.

Website: https://Winkvillage.com

Instagram: https://Instagram.com/chiefwakil

Twitter: https://Twitter.com/chiefwakil

Image Credits
Images by Juanita Lai and one headshot image by Jonathan Stoddard