Today we’d like to introduce you to Destiny Wallace.
Destiny, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
When I was around twelve years old, me and my sisters were in our FIRST house fire. I don’t know where my dad was, I just know my mom was somewhere getting high and my big sis, who was sixteen years old at the time, was babysitting me and my other sisters. For some reason, we didn’t sleep in our bedroom that night, thank God, because it turns out that that very room caught on fire that same night. I remember waking up to a room filled with thick, black smoke. I got up, turned around, and saw the flames marching down the door just three feet above my sister’s head. I jumped on the bed and started shaking my little sisters while crying out “FIRE, FIRE”! They jumped up and together we ran for our lives out the front door.
We went back to our home the next day to find everything burned: clothes, pictures, toys, and books. I picked up a few things from the ground that had been destroyed (my melted Xbox was top priority). Everything was ruined. Then I remember uncovering a book that was buried beneath the ashes. I dusted it off and slowly read the printed words “HOLY BIBLE”. I ran my index finger around the burnt crisp edges, and with the book spine in my left palm, I hit a rapid page flip. I then opened the book right in the center, and to my surprise, the pages were pure, white, and clean… I could read every single word. Suddenly I asked myself, “If it’s just a book like they say, why didn’t it burn like the rest of em?” It was that very question that marked the beginning of my journey to not only finding the answer but also finding the truth.
Long before that house fire, and even long after, my upbringing and environment consisted of instability and toxicity. I’m talking domestic violence, homeless shelters, motels, prostitution, crack cocaine usage (smoking and selling), and your typical early morning drug bust. That’s right, FBI agents in all black, guns drawn on minors, the whole nine. Just know your girl got under the covers when them undercovers showed up and when they yelled “FREEZE” guess what I did… froze right on up ya heard.
Talk about childhood trauma. Life was like a never-ending emotional roller coaster. It mostly went up and down, high highs and looowww lows. Every now and then there were new loops and unexpected twists. Unfortunately, I was just a kid so this ride was not optional. I had to just buckle up and brace myself, but not without my handy dandy notebook.
See my notebook was always with me. That’s because each page was filled with lyrics and songs that were birthed from the pain I often kept inside. Initially, music was my outlet because of my mama’s drug addiction. I watched my mother turn into a stranger within seconds of a hit, so with every flick of the lighter and with every single high, my anger was kindled and then inflamed. To be honest, for long-time drugs were deemed evil in my sight, canceling out that possible outlet all together. And since there were no positive role models for me to look up to, my goal was to be nothing like my parents. Just as I am black and white, so was my thinking at the time. And so was the pen and paper that I would cling to.
Eventually, my notebook became my survival kit. No matter how I felt or where I was (a motel bathroom, a shelter, a car), I found myself turning my life or situation into a whole entire song. Believe it or not, it brought me a sense of peace in the midst of all the chaos. Who would of thought that my sorrowful lyrics and the tears of my painful past, would bring about so much hope and laughter later on in life. Ima be real (cuz that’s all I can be) I went soooo hard to myself. And trust and believe my sisters had no problem hyping me up! I even had my sister Infinity there to do the hooks! I can’t lie though; the writing process wasn’t always easy. Man did it hurt writing it, but the joy came in reciting it! It was in those moments of rhyming and releasing, that rap became more than an outlet for me, it became my best friend, my passion, my dream, my joy, my companion…my first love.
So yeah, music was my first love, but it certainly wasn’t my greatest. See after I found that indestructible, fire-resistant, nine-lives type of book (aka the bible), I began searching for truth. What I found, was more than I ever imagined. Not only did I find truth, I found healing, completion, freedom, and grace. I found Christ. My simple quest due to curiosity transformed into an unexplainable, uncontrollable, unstoppable (maybe a little over obsessive) love for God. And once I found God, I found me. I realized that my identity didn’t come from the roller coaster of my life, my mom’s addiction, my dad’s violence, the homelessness, or the brokenness. Instead, I realized that my identity came from my creator, the one who formed me in the womb and saved me from the flames. In other words, when I found Christ, I found Destiny. And I even found the true purpose of that old outlet of mine.
See My gift of music was never meant to be self-serving; it was meant to be God serving. And just like God used me to wake my sisters up that night of the fire, and save them, He is now using me and my music to wake up other souls so that they may be saved also. So that they may know and feel the love of God.
So here I am, a 29-year-old gospel gangsta rapper just trying to settle into Dallas and follow my father’s will. I made the scary choice to pick up and leave Little Rock, Arkansas in hopes of fulfilling my calling. My drive was long, my nerves were a mess, and my uncertainty was loud, but even through all of that chaos and noise, I still had my notebook right beside me to keep me still. The only difference is that now, I have another notebook that I can’t put down. A new notebook. A strong notebook. A divine notebook. One that has already been written in for me. One that I can hold in my palm and in my heart. But on top of all that, the most amazing thing about my new notebook is that even when everything else around it has turned to ashes and dust, this notebook will still live. And if you think that that’s incredible, well just wait until you meet the Author.
I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle-free, but so far would you say the journey has been a fairly smooth road?
It has definitely not been a smooth road. Fear has been my biggest obstacle. I am an “under the radar” kind of person. Anti-social somewhat. So, my fear was not failure but success! I would also say the cost of studio time and everything else that comes with a music career makes it very challenging. It’s expensive! Another struggle I faced was people saying God is not able to work through rap music. That was absurd to me because I know this is one of the gifts I have been blessed with. So, I just ignored it. Another challenge was judgment of my physical appearance but I’ve learned to not care what anyone thinks about me, other than God.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
Well, I am a female rap artist. It is already difficult for females in this line of work. Now add gospel or Christian to that! I’ve been told that I am going to have to work a hundred times harder than the guys will have to but I’m prepared to do what I got to do. I’m proud of myself altogether. I have grown so much and it has been beautiful to see. I’ve been through so much and I love how I still choose to be optimistic. I want to be a positive role model unlike what I had growing up. What sets me apart is that I have truly been gifted for this. It’s not something I seen out there and decided to bring in. No rap is in me and I’ve been chosen to pull what is in me, out of me, and into all of the world. I’m bringing something different to the table. My look, my sound, my positivity, and definitely my topic. I can’t help but stick out like a sore thumb.
Who else deserves credit in your story?
I have a lot of people in my life that deserve credit. Each person played a part in me becoming who I am. My parent’s Krystal and Dwight. Though life wasn’t perfect and they weren’t either, they loved me and taught me how to love and stick close to those I love. My sisters Kristian, Infinity, Heaven, Jai, and my bro Trevor have always been my biggest supporters and cheerleaders NO DOUBT! My favorite little cousin, Caleb, so young and so wise, taught me to always love myself the way he loves me, which is unconditionally. My Kindred, Koty, who not only helped me to believe in myself and my music but pushed me out of my comfort zone so I could actually grow. My Christian mentor, Ms. Ann (Laquinsa), has always been there for me, uplifting and encouraging me when I needed it the most. My first and last therapist (hopefully) lol she really helped me sort out some of the childhood trauma! I have so many other friends that have played a part by simply believing in me and the calling on my life. That alone means the world to me.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://linktr.ee/DestinyWallace1?utm_source=linktree_profile_share<sid=115bb6e4-c0bd-44f2-af54-f23ffbf2c509
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/destiny__wallace?r=nametag
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DestinysDivineMusic/
- Youtube: https://youtube.com/channel/UCS5uiMJcU8T6FA8TcdJZzdQ
- SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.app.goo.gl/W5LY78XZumQQWfTK8
- Other: https://open.spotify.com/artist/6OALN11XQG9IkctGNbtwLT?si=cQaHXiUGTamkz9zPcjxgbw https://vm.tiktok.com/ZTdpSquRp/
Image Credits
Elias Aviles
