The potent mixture of influences from the visceral energy of Hamburg to the raw tradition of Nigeria have helped shape the distinct voice of hip-hop spitfire Nneka and she is taking that voice and all the power behind it on tour this year in support of her new album Soul is Heavy.
Nneka has fused rich soul vocals with unshakable hip-hop sensibilities to create a memorable delivery and spitfire tenacity. While touring with acts such as Nas, Damian Marley, and Lenny Kravitz she has been turning heads and getting people talking. Last year she was named one of the 10 acts not to miss at the Lollapalooza festival.
What sets Nneka apart are her words. A great deal of her work is about the life and plight of her native Nigeria and the political corruptness that has it in a stranglehold. She has managed to take this issue which is close to her heart and deliver it to her audience without losing them to nervous apathy as so many political artists tend to do. Her on stage delivery is powerful because one minute she is serving up truth with a hip-hop directness and then she will wrap her voice around a soul number so sweet and honest; it is easy to forget it is the same artist. This video showcases the spectrum well:
Nneka’s tour will kick off in Vancouver and then make its way through North America before hopping back across the pond to Europe. Don’t miss it. Real music like this must be seen live.
Words by: Jennie Orton
