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Gaya

You hear some people speak and can instantly tell how grounded they are in their faith. Moyosolaoluwa Olowokure is one of those people. Moyosolaoluwa Olowokure is one of those people.

As the winner of the recently concluded Mic Drop spoken word competition, proof of her conviction in her faith was how openly she professed it throughout the competition. It was clear that she was not interested in separating who she is from what she creates. In an interview at the start of the competition, she literally wore a badge on her chest that read, <a href="https://www.instagram.com/reel/DZVHXULKUFw/?igsh=eDVlZWJzNWluZXp2&amp;igsi=eDVlZWJzNWluZXp2">“Ask me about Jesus.”&nbsp;</a>

Although Moyosola is popularly known for spoken word poetry, she can be described as a born creative. Possessing skills in visual arts and music, poetry is just one of her many creative expressions. And if you ever wondered where her stage name—"The Sun-kissed Poet"—came from, the answer, in her words, is, “Everything is a metaphor.”

While recording her earliest poetry videos during COVID, when she began to take it seriously, Moyosola would place her phone on her windowsill, where the sunlight would fall on her face. The sun-kissed glow became the initial inspiration for the name. But over time, the name took on a deeper meaning to her.

Afterwards, when she released her first poem, Cosmic Interlude, which was a track on her brother’s album and her first release on streaming platforms, it was about losing her father and the effect it had on her family. So, in the poem, she likened his absence to what happens when a sun is removed from a solar system. Today, the sun represents both her father and God.

“And so, I have begun to see the sun, when I call myself The Sun-kissed Poet, as a representation of my earthly father and God. I’m my father’s daughter and deeply loved,” she explains.

Moyosola’s relationship with poetry began before she fully understood what it could become.

“I grew up in Kaduna State. Went to the best secondary school in Kaduna State, Zamani College. And when I was in SS3, one of my English teachers, Miss Renee, recommended that I enter the Yasmin El-Rufai Foundation Poetry Contest. And the theme for that year was ‘Under the Orombo Tree', which means under the orange tree.

So, I decided to write a piece about my dad because I had lost him shortly before that competition. I just wrote this poem about being on my father's shoulders under the orombo tree. And honestly, I didn’t even consider whether it was good or not. It just felt very true. I submitted it, and a few months later, in 2020, I was announced as the winner of the competition, which was really, really surprising. It just felt like a stamp of confirmation, and it was such a healthy start. The fact that a poem about the thing that is most dear to my heart resonated with people and won me good money was all the validation I needed to make my craft a thing.”

That is why she sees poetry primarily as a channel to her own soul before it is a conduit to heal her audience, make them feel seen, and remind them of truth.

“I think that poetry, before being ministry from me to other people, was ministry from God to me in the sense that I had gone through so many major life changes that I could not navigate. So poetry was the way that I navigated and engaged with the grief that I experienced losing my dad and any other challenge that I may have faced.

My poetry is ministry. But it was first an expressive channel before it became a ministry. And you know, when we talk about ministry, ministry means to help, right? It is to heal, to strengthen a weak knee, to give, and just be a helper basically. And poetry helped me before I was able to use it to help others.”

Her understanding also explains how she was able to maintain confidence in her pieces and own the stage throughout the first edition of the <a href="https://youtube.com/@micdropoficiall?si=XZo1ZFpl4ayWRbI6">Mic Drop</a> spoken word competition, where she emerged as the overall winner after four weeks of consecutively delivering pieces that earned her judges’ saves and the massive support she received.

As “The Sun-kissed Poet", Moyosola is also one of those spoken word artists who believes that what makes her a good poet is neither her rhymes nor hopping on every trend that comes by. This is how she grounds herself in her identity as a storyteller.

When asked about the biggest misconception about spoken word and poetry, she says, “I think that there’s a lot of overemphasis on wordplay. The punchlines and puns are just elements in poetry. So, the way an artist emphasises different elements is what creates individual style, not what validates their work.”

And being herself as Moyosolaoluwa Olowokure is the best she believes she can be to change the narrative of spoken word.

She says, “I want to change the narrative by being myself. By creating very thoughtful, rich, and 100% poetic pieces that are not hyper-focused on the punchlines. So that those coming behind are exposed to other styles that challenge the narrative that spoken word is all about punchlines.”

Failed attempts at mimicking what everyone else expected to see, rather than who she was, led Moyosola to deepen her sense of self and opened her to audiences such as the <a href="https://aura.ng/culture/5-underrated-nigerian-events-that-instantly-feel-like-a-getaway">Ake Arts and Books Festival</a>...thanks to Lola Shoneyin, who had heard the real Moyosola and appreciated her unique performance style.

Moyosola is humble enough to accept that she has had to unlearn self-sufficiency on her journey towards becoming the best version of herself.

“I think the major lesson I have learned is to open my mouth and ask for help. So, the funny thing is, the way I started being serious with my craft was in a very isolated sense. I started with writing my poem, memorising it, recording it, posting it, and editing everything all by myself. And slowly, but surely, that started to build a false narrative of feeling like the beginning and the end of my craft.

So, as a creative, I advise that you open your mouth to ask for help. Not even just with the work itself, but in other aspects like stage delivery, style, costume, promotion strategy, etc. They’re all part of the ecosystem of being an artist. Granted, you are the front-facing piece of the puzzle. But you are just one piece.

Personally, I don’t know what my craft would be like without my manager, Khourage.”

Moyosola is actively building a community centred around wellness and poetry called the Sun-kissed Club. And on 29 August 2026, she will take that vision a step further with the second edition of <a href="http://vegazapp.com/events/the-sun-room-lagos">“The SunRoom”</a> in Lagos, Nigeria.

“The SunRoom is a space designed for people to explore themselves through poetry, with a guided workshop where attendees can write their own pieces, alongside performances and jam sessions woven into the event.”

Moyosola is committed to using her gifts and skills to give back to the world what poetry has given her, which she describes as “an opportunity to see and to navigate mental landscapes and for self-reflection".

Mic Drop winner Moyosola opens up about identity, creativity, ambition, and building a career on her own terms beyond the competition.

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