Riders on the StormIconika

Iconika

Iconika, born Elijah Finister, was born in Oakland, California on July 16th, 1991. She is of Portuguese and African descent.

As a child, Iconika’s upbringing was very reserved and traditional, she attended a small private Christian school as well as attending ballet classes at Hawthorn Dance Academy until a late age. Growing up, Iconika was banned from listening to secular music and she discovered her early tastes and passion for music through classical and gospel music. Iconika developed her distinctive vocal style at a young age due to her time spent in the choir at her grandfather’s church. The exposure to these styles helped Iconika develop her taste in music, with some of her earliest influences being Jerry Bock, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and Billie Holiday.

During her teenage years, she attended several high schools in the Los Angeles area due to relocation and her behavior. Eventually, she found herself working for Def Jam Recordings with some of their female proteges. However, her time working as a stylist for Def Jam was short lived as she believed lacked the “desperation” necessary to be successful in the profession.