Namibian rapper and designer Karishma Isaacs has come out to play with her latest collaboration, a track she says came together almost instantly.
“I reached out to her (Lioness) with the idea and two minutes later I had a song with Lioness. It was quite magical,” she said. “Working together was seamless.”
The track, titled Choss, has been in the vault for some time she revealed and that she initially planned to release it two years ago, but chose to hold it back.
“I was supposed to release Choss two years ago, but I held it to make sure everything was perfect. At this stage of my career, collaborating with Lioness is an amazing opportunity and a real statement.”
For her, the collaboration goes beyond just music and reflects a bigger message about unity among women in the industry.
“We are more powerful when we work together. Choss is about boss energy and Namibian female artists showing what happens when we link up and support each other.” She said.That sense of clarity is also reflected in how she now approaches her sound. Karishma says her growth has come from understanding her audience better and leaning into her identity.
“I’ve learned to resonate with my audience through my tone, accent, and Namibian language references. That shift changed everything. I’m clearer on who I’m talking to and how I want them to hear me, and that’s where the confidence comes from.” She added.
While music remains her foundation, the multifaceted creative continues to build her fashion brand, Karnation Clothing, which she says is now growing into its own space.
“Music is where it all started, but fashion design really pushed boundaries and opened doors in alternative ways. They just make sense together, Karnation is finding its own identity now… moving into spaces like events, pageantry, and ready-to-wear.” She said.
Beyond her own career, she is also paying attention to the wider shift happening in the country, particularly the rise of women in leadership.
“Personally, I do believe that representation matters,”. Seeing women lead across industries makes it easier to picture yourself in those rooms.”
She added that the shift motivates her to keep pushing forward while creating space for others. “For me as an artist, it’s motivation to keep building and to make sure the doors stay open behind me.”
When asked about women empowerment, Karishma kept it practical.“It’s access and ownership. It’s women hiring other women, splitting publishing fairly, getting budgets for videos, and owning their masters and their brands.” She added.
She noted that her own journey required her to learn multiple roles along the way. “I’ve had to learn production, styling, and rollout because waiting on someone else to do it wasn’t an option. Empowerment is when we control the full pipeline — from idea to income — and bring others up as we go.
”At the centre of it all, she credits her family for keeping her grounded. “Family taught me work ethic before anything else. They didn’t always understand the vision, but they understood the hours I was putting in.”
Their support, she added , gave her the confidence to take risks, from launching Karnation in 2018 to funding her own work.
“They don’t even care to see the work sometimes as long as I’m happy — and that’s such a big blessing.” She ended.
With Choss finally out and her creative direction clearer than ever, Karishma Isaacs is not just releasing music, she’s defining her space in it.
