Seductive vocals, lyrical prowess and a strong exuberant nature are just a few words to describe the royalty that is Princess Nyah. Hailing from Harlesden, this bright young star has fast been making a name for herself as a multi-talented artist. With the titles rapper and singer/song-writer under her belt Princess Nyah undoubtedly possesses an entrepreneurial spirit that is nothing short of inspiring.Since her early days starting out with rap enthusiasts G-Fam, Nyah has been wowing audiences with her talent as well as raising the eyebrows of some well known music producers. With guest appearances on shows such as DJ Cameo’s UKG 1Xtra show the buzz around this young lady is steadily rising.
Now her latest achievement sees her teaming up with production duo and long time friends ILL Blu to record her debut single Frontline. This funky house anthem of 2008 is set to do even bigger things for 2009 and is establishing Princess Nyah as a cut above the rest. It seems the future is definitely bright for Nyah and with such a positive spirit as she possesses it’s no wonder that for her only the sky’s the limit.
Flavour caught up with Princess Nyah to talk music, entrepreneurialism and Paula Abdul.
You originally started out as a rapper when you were making a name for yourself with G-fam. How did you turn your hand to singing and song-writing?
Well song-writing has always been part of what I do even when rapping. I wrote my own lyrics so writing was always a part of me! The singing came with time after singing a few hook’s on the G*Fam album I became more confident as a vocalist.
Tell us a bit about your musical background and influences?
I grew up with 80’s pop and revival music, so Janet Jackson and Paula Abdul are some of my earliest influences. However when I started buying my own music as a teenager I had a real passion for rap and followed Lil Kim very closely as well as rap greats such as Jay-Z and Nas, so my influence’s are varied.
Your current single Frontline is proving to be a huge success on the club scene. Do you feel you’ve found your niche within the funky house genre?
I don’t think it’s a niche, I just think Funky house is relevant in the music scene at the moment and it’s what people wanna hear when they are out! I think I just gave birth to something that fitted in with the current scene.
Do you feel you are an all rounded musical artist and why?
To me all rounded means that you can do a bit of everything; I write my own songs and have influence at the production stage. I self manage and look after myself as an artist, from my image, to rehearsals to collaborations. So yeah I would say I am an all rounded musical artist!
Your debut single Frontline has proved a popular dance-floor filler on the party islands. Are you surprised at the success it’s had over there?
I think that it proved well on the party islands as it was a new track, and with the club scene momentum is everything. New material especially from a new artist takes time to sink in, so I still think there is room for Frontline to do even better this summer than it did last.
How do you feel about the support you’ve had back home from Radio stations and Clubs?
Support is everything, I had Marcus Ramsey a key DJ on the underground back Frontline from the beginning without him I wouldn’t have been able to meet all the other DJ’s that are a huge support. That’s underground and over ground. The UK scene is very supportive and are willing to assist the project where they can.
ILL Blu produced the track Frontline with you. How did this collaboration come about?
Ill Blu are made up of DEF1 and J-Reel. J-Reel produced all the G-Fam album and DEF1 was a key member in the group. So working together wasn’t new, it was just us messing around doing something different. Frontline was the first ever funky track we done!
Are you signed to record label at the moment?
I’m independent at the moment! No signings to any majors. Frontline is gonna be released under Nuevo Records which is our own label.
What projects do you have coming up and what can we expect from you in 2009?
I have a remix out featuring cold steps a really big MC on the funky scene, and I have nearly finished my album so the second single will be pushed out in march just after the release of Frontline.
When is your debut single Frontline due to be released and is there anywhere we can check out some more of your material?
The track is out digitally on the 2 March 2009, to check some sneaky bits from the album go to www.princessnyah.com If you’re a DJ and wanna be signed up to my mailing lists then just email me at dj@princessnyah.com.
Words By Daina Anderson
Photography by Saira Awan
