Meet our Jersey Muslim of the Month: Boshia Raejean
by Amatullah Shaw
According to the World Population Review, New Jersey is ranked 4th in the nation for having the most Muslims. And the number grows every day not only because of immigration and births, but also because of converts who bring their unique experiences, backgrounds, and talents to their communities. Boshia Raejean is one of them.
Boshia is a jack of all trades. She’s a poet, visual artist, art educator, and musician from Newark, New Jersey. But though she calls Newark home, she says, “I try my best to live like a traveling stranger and I’m based where ever Allah takes me.”
She’s also a growing force in the media, arts, and entertainment space as the COO of OPPYMCO, a Muslim futuristic creative consulting firm that works to put Muslim artists on greater platforms. Since its inception and under her strategic leadership, OPPYMCO has worked with brands like BET, Parsons New School, Pat Mcgrath, Warby Parker, Target, Bobbi Brown, Makeup By Mario, Revlon, and more.
After converting to Islam in 2015 and spending four years studying and practicing different spiritual paths, Boshia found it the right time to study Islamic Arts and sciences. So now, alongside her creative work, she’s working towards her goal of memorizing the entire Quran. She recalls, “Allah found me lost and called my heart to Islam and I’m grateful to be a Muslim. Alhamdulillah for Islam!”
In 2020, she started Shahadah Sessions & Stories, a community of sisters who started out as avid listeners to her podcast, Young Black Muslimah. Within the two years of starting the podcast, the virtual sisterhood has continued to evolve and it’s even been the catalyst for sisters converting to Islam. Once the podcast reaches 200 episodes, Boshia has committed to making the same sisters that enjoyed the podcast as listeners, eventual hosts.
But Boshia’s work is more than just making art for art’s sake. It serves a much deeper purpose. “Allah gave me the gift of words/speech, and visual artistic expression Alhamdulillah. Just as I was able to find the beauty in Islam this way, an artist [acts as a] spiritual guide to those who are searching to submit to the oneness of God.”
Placing her own importance on tazkiyah al-nafs, purification of the soul, she finds that healing herself is an art form within itself. “It was Allah who taught me this through hip-hop culture, and I’ve learned the practice of knowledge of self. In Islam, I have the structure and discipline to reach pure excellence through gratitude, patience, and submission.”
She continues, “My work is rooted and working on myself so that I can be a means for others. If I am not healed, then how can my artistic expression heal or how can my classroom be a space for my students to evolve themselves?”
Furthermore, Boshia states, “I stay firmly rooted in my creative practices by remembering that I must worship Allah with everything that I do. My poetry, artistic education, and creative expression refine as I grow and evolve by removing anything that does not please Allah from my heart and simply eradicating it before my soul leaves my body. What else is there but Allah?”
Despite the criticism she may face, she tries not to concern herself with their understanding of her work which, at its heart, is a form of healing for herself. “I know Allah understands me. After all, Al Khaliq (the Creator) is my one and only inspiration that manifests in his creation.”
Connect with Boshia over on her website at www.boshiaraejean.com or follow her at @boshiaraejan on her Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok pages. You can also invite her as a speaker or performer at boshiabookings@gmail.com.