ISHA

Name: ISHA (Isha Pilipili)
Date of Birth: June 2, 1986
City: Woluwe-Saint-Lambert, Brussels
Country: Belgium
Genre: French Rap, Hip-Hop
Band/Group Members: Solo artist
Roles: Rapper, singer, songwriter

Bio:
Growing up in the multicultural hum of Brussels, with Congolese roots pulling from a family where his dad dove into theology and history while his mom fought for women's rights back home, ISHA found rap as a kid flipping through a classmate's rhyme notebook. It hit him like a quiet storm at 16, sparking those first bars under the name Psmaker, raw and full of that teenage fire. Early drops like the 2008 Vas-y Chante captured Brussels' street pulse, but life pulled him sideways—battling alcohol, working with refugees at Samu Social for six years, letting the mic gather dust until he was ready to own his voice for real.

Switching to just ISHA in 2016 felt like shedding old skin; his return with Passage à Niveau #1 rode the wave of Belgium's rap boom, all introspective flows over beats that echo the ache of immigrant stories and late-night doubts. The La Vie Augmente trilogy turned heads across French-speaking scenes, tracks like "Étage" or collabs with Caballero & JeanJass weaving humor into the heavy stuff, making you feel seen in the grind. Now 39, he's layered in projects like 2023's Bitume Caviar with Limsa d'Aulnay, his lyrics sharper, more lived-in, turning personal scars into something that sticks with you on a rainy walk home. It's that blend of grit and grace, straight from a city that's equal parts home and hustle, that makes his sound hit different—like a friend unpacking the weight over coffee, reminding you growth doesn't come clean. If you're chasing bars that feel honest, start there; they might just map your own quiet comebacks.