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I’ve Spent Years Telling Other People’s Stories — Now It’s Time I Told My Own

On my birthday, I’m inviting you to preorder my first book, Rainbow Soul.


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There’s something surreal about writing this.

Not because it’s my birthday (though it is), but because for years, people have asked me when I’d finally write my story. And for just as many years, I didn’t have a good answer.


My adopted mom — who you’ll meet in the book if you get it — always wanted me to write one. But that was back when I was still just trying to survive. Still sorting through the trauma. Still carrying the weight of my biological mother’s disappearance. Back then, it felt too soon. Too heavy. Too raw.


But more recently, friends like Nigel Porter and Tim Vincent invited me to speak at events that asked me to dig deeper — not into the news, or the music, or the headlines I cover — but into me. That’s when I realized: I’ve spent so much time giving voice to other people’s stories, I’d never actually written down my own.


So now, here you have it. Rainbow Soul.



📚 What the Book Is About


At its heart, Rainbow Soul is a testimony.

It’s about music, yes. But also memory.

It’s about what shaped me — the joy, the grief, the faith, and the fear.

It’s about who came before me — queer Black artists who paved the way.

And it’s about what I hope to leave behind — blueprints for others to rise.


Broken into three parts, the book unfolds like this:


  1. The Sound Before the Storm – exploring the legacy of Black queer expression in music

  2. What Was Almost Lost – navigating personal grief, trauma, and the search for identity

  3. Rooted to Rise – sharing hard-earned lessons on entrepreneurship, mentorship, and legacy-building


🎂 Why Now?

It’s my birthday. That used to mean parties, posts, and maybe a little escapism.

This year, it means presence. It means purpose.

It means finally offering something I’ve held close for too long: my story.


🛍️ Preorder

Rainbow Soul


Rainbow Soul will be released in full next year. But today, you can preorder it and become part of its journey.



Your presale support helps bring this story into the world the way it deserves — and helps keep the mission of Icon City and Icons Rising alive and growing.


Thanks for walking this path with me.

Here’s to another year, and a deeper kind of celebration.


— Anye


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