By Robert Sangbey
Whilst on her trip to the UK we were fortunate to have a sit down with multi-talented Nesha Nycee.
I don’t know you personally, but I feel your energy and unique vibe. What allows you to keep it so high and maintained?
Honesty I’m a spiritual person so I can’t even take credit for who I am because I didn’t make me. I have to give it to God, to the higher power that’s where I continue to pull my source of energy. God is the highest source for me in my life. I continue to pull from my creativity, my struggles different things that I’ve been through and then I’m able to look at that and say wow I’m still here, I’m still standing. Even when I’m tired let me pull this energy out of my pinkie toe if I need to. I’m on a mission!
If you could bring a piece of Atlanta to London or a piece of London to Atlanta, what would you bring and why?
I would bring the culture from London to Atlanta. There’s a lot of borrowed culture in Atlanta and I feel like we’re taking things from the States, pulling it from history that ain’t really ours, history that’s been edited and audited. I can pride you guys in knowing where you come from. Your roots, if I could pull that I would bring that back to the States and give my people some clarity on who we are because we not just from a state. It’s more than that! Roots wise we need to get to the bottom of it, so I would bring that. If I could bring anything from Atlanta here imma bring the food. I love the food here but a lot of places I’m like where is the seasoningggg. You feel me! I enjoy the Caribbean spots!
In Mimosa your recent track, you say black culture makes the world go round. We’re called It’s Culture – so I was wondering what culture means to you? How would you define it?
Culture is so enriching; culture makes me proud of who I am. Culture makes me thrive. Black culture without a doubt makes the world go round – period bottom line! Wait a minute, Imma get deep when we take it back to Ancient Kemet and when we look at the earliest teachings, we can bring that back to the moors to the black culture without melanin nothing would exist, period. It’s beyond the colour black, me saying black makes it a relatable thing for my people to sing along with. Melanin just by itself we have it in our eyes, ears our hair all of us no matter what race we are. Without the substance of melanin nothing would exist and that’s what I’m speaking to in simpler term in mimosa we make the world go up and down and we going to continue to bring it round town baby!
You have a unique sound. I wanted to know if there are any artists you draw inspiration from. For example Sa Roc?
Yessss! I’ve opened up for her either 16 or 2017. Shoutout to Sa Roc. We are reflections of one another so just from one Goddess to the next I absolutely look up to her, she’s a wordsmith like none other, she continues to make me challenge my opinion, sharpen my opinion and I love being able to be inspired. It’s not about how can I be like this person it’s about how I can be inspired. I’m always inspired by people like Tierrawhack, Kamaiyah even people out here Ladyleshurr, Littlesimz it goes on and on and on. I’m inspired by a lot of female artists. I’m inspired by people like Nipsey even when you take it back to Pac. The list could go on and on.
If I was to put you under some pressure and say, you have to choose one UK artist to collab with in the near future, who would it be?
I would say Dave, I’m new to his movement but just to see how he’s been taking over seeing how powerful the music is. I’ve been on his page I’ve listened to his music – I’m just like wow! This guy is nothing to play with. I’m inspired and anybody I’m inspired by I’m like mmm I would love to get next to this king to work with him to rub shoulders, even share energy. That would be a dart that I’m shooting on the board. Yo Dave whatup, what we doing?
Touching on your career what point did you think yeah this music thing is for me?
I remember my mum saying if I’m going to do this, I need to do it with conviction. So, by the time I was 12 people were asking me am I writing this stuff. To me that was a huge compliment they don’t even think I’m writing this stuff, but I was so to me that was huge compliment. There’s been plenty of times. At 16 I was the freestyle champ at the biggest radio station in Atlanta battling against guys twice my age. It was go time right there in the moment and being recognised by legends in the city like Outcast the list goes on. I’ve had a lot of aha moments like aha this is what I’m supposed to be doing but I can take it back to the earliest years at 12 when I knew this is the real deal. This is what I’m supposed to be doing.
If you had a message to the music scene, what would you say?
I would say honesty I am music. I am love. I’m holding realness in my music, you are going to be inspired by my music, you are going to be empowered, you not gon feel like omg I’m broke. No. Nesha Nycee told me I’m beautiful, she told me I’m a millionaire she told me to look into the mirror and realise it, you are going to feel like you can do it after listening to my music. Follow your heart, follow your purpose, follow your passion do it with grace. My name will be ringing from bell to bell from sate to state from country to country from hut to hut! Until the world gets enough, I’m not stopping, I’m just getting stated Nesha Nycee say it twice! The queen baby. Let’s keep being powerful.
Any advice for artists that haven’t had any breakthroughs yet?
Yes, patience is a virtue! Patience, patience, patience it’s not an overnight thing although sometimes social media may make it look like that. Social media may make it look like things happen instantly and quickly. That’s the way people perceive things on social media now, but it took a lot. It took a lot for you to see the gold that’s glittering, it was muddy at one point. It had thorns on it, it had wires on it, had dirt on it. Before you get to the glitter and the gold you have to go through the trenches, you cannot think that something that you want is going to be easy.
It doesn’t even have to be music. You can say I want to be the best the interior designer, you’re still going to go through trials and tribulations to be absolute best you. Don’t rush the process you cannot skip the journey. Be patient, give yourself grace and stop looking at what somebody else is doing and then comparing it to what you not doing. That person is totally different from you and you totally different from that person. Motivate yourself!
Whatever you do, you have to pour into self because we live in a society that is constantly trying to tear us down tryna tell us we ain’t good enough or we ain’t pretty enough. Do the work, pour into yourself so you can be the best you. No shortcuts baby, it might be a hike, a long climb up the hill, but it will be worth it by the time you get to the top of the mountain.
Talk to me about your fashion you got a unique style where does it come from?
It’s a mixture. A mixture of me just being confident of who I am at all times and just being free flowing with whatever I want to wear has always helped me since a young child. I would wear two different shoes; I may have on one airforce and a Jordan on the other foot just because I couldn’t decide which shoe I wanted to wear. Even though it got weird stares, I mean, I stepped out and that’s the worst y’all can do -look at me crazy.
Continuing to pull from who I am. At a young age its kinda hard to find yourself when all the kids are saying that’s not cool, but I had independence. Having a support system like my mum just supporting me even when she didn’t like it, she still let me spread my wings at such a young age that aways helped. Being creative in my clothing was an outlet for me even through the pain and hard times I went through I could still dress myself and be like a superstar that was always a safe haven for me.
Lastly, any upcoming projects or music you wanted to get out there?
Yeahh, right now I have out a single that I released out at the end of January, it’s called MIM it stands for mess in the message or message in the mess you can read it each way because you can’t spell message without the word mess.
There’s always gunna be something but you can still pull a message out of the mess. It highlights where I was at that point of time, I was invited to California to meet Erykah Badu it was such an experience. That song highlights the energy of meeting Erykah Badu and what I was transforming through, so definitely check that record out on all platforms – MIM Nesha Nycee.
My latest album Mimosa which is an acronym (massive inspiration motivation others success always). That’s who I am as an artist that’s what my music stands for its massive inspiration, it motivates others to know that they can be successful always. Definitely check out that album it’s a press play typa album you press play and you just let it play you don’t skip it you really enjoy it. Check that album out that’s everywhere; Apple music, Spotify, Tidal YouTube music wherever you stream music check me out everywhere on YouTube.
Get up to date on all of my visuals: the mimosa video, the record str8 video. Just check out everything Nesha Nycee check out the morning show flavour I am out here doing a podcast. Shoutout to my beautiful people at the soundbay the best studio in London. I done a great episode honouring Jamal Edwards even though I didn’t meet him his legacy speaks for itself. I’m not just only an artist, I am what art is. Tap in on Nesha Nycee because you’ve been missing out!
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