Rising Stars: Meet Nique

Today we’d like to introduce you to Nique.

Hi Nique, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
I am a Los Angeles based singer/songwriter and Florida native. As a nine year old girl when I discovered my Dad’s “The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill” CD; I knew I wanted to sing songs like her. I started singing for as long as I can remember. When I got to middle school and joined the choir and won my school’s talent show; I received confirmation that I could actually sing. I always knew that making music and singing in front of an audience was where I always saw myself. Although I always knew all roads would lead me here, I took diffeent paths and decided to get my undergraduate degree. I was a full-time student/athlete and I always battled with the notion of giving it all up to begin my music journey. After completely my degree I decided it was time to go for it. Two years ago, I made the decision that I could no longer take detours to fulfill my purpose and had to start my journey. I started writing songs and recording music. I didn’t have any background in music, but the transistion came naturally. After making song after song, I finially released a single on Novemeber 19th, 2020 called “The First.” I haven’t blown up overnight yet; but I look forward to the journey ahead. I’ve already completed the EP that accompanies the new single and listeners can look out for it at the beginning of 2021. I’m excited to reveal more of my talents and abilities as an artist in other upcoming projects this year. Right now I’m gearing up to release my first music video to accompany my single, “The First” on January 8th, 2021. I am excited to see what 2021 has to offer and the responses from supporters and new fans on the upcoming music and content.

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
It has not been an easy path. Coming from being a full-time student athlete, I had no knowledge of how the music industry worked. There wasn’t any shortcuts, no deals on the table, and I had no connections. I had to reinvent myself and start from ground zero. I had no guidance, no mentors, and no one giving me anything for free. I started doing my research and making a plan. First thing first, was to actually start making music. I had songs from when I was 14 years old that I never released and I’ve never written a song after that time period. So now that I was beginning this journey I had to start making music and creating content. The biggest struggle was just not having a rubric. I’ve learned that anything can yield a profitable opportunity but you have to be consistent and do everything with purpose and intention. When you’re starting out in anything creating support for what you do and getting people to believe in you as much as you believe in yourself takes consistency and good quality. Nonetheless, I’ve leaned on the support system and try not to loose sight of why I chose this passion. My belief in myself is unyeilding. Remaining passionate about my music and the stories I want to tell; keep me hungry and able to remain true to myself.

Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I channel my emotions, my fears, and my desires into the artform of songs. I share my stories and perspectives in song form. I might have a verse and then a melody in my head and if it feels good I record it over a beat thats already completed or work with a producer to make a beat from scratch. My goal is to create relatable musical experiecnes like H.E.R or Summer Walker or Ari Lennox. I released my first single called “The First” and it’s a track that is a refective tale about a love that was lost. The sinlge is one out of a few songs on my upcoming EP that take a retrospective approach to describing significant instances in love that’ve shapped who I am today. It’s based on my real life. Every lyric is honest and vulnerable. My EP is going to introduce listeners to my love stories but also ignite a lot of emotions about love and loss. What sets me apart is I’m not following any guidelines. I’ve never been formally trained. What I write, the beats I chose, and the delivery just comes from what I feel. I took a lot of roads to lead me here and I believe I have a refreshing musical style in the areana of rnb.

What matters most to you? Why?
What matters most to me are my family, my supporters, and the small wins I’m beginning to experience. I believe in myself but the support from others drives me to keep pursuing my passion and confirms that I’m doing exactly what I’m supposed to. It brings me joy when someone relates to my lyrics or my story. I look forward to the future and where consistency and dedication can lead me.

Contact Info:

• Email: [email protected]
• Website: https://linktr.ee/niquemusic
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/moniqueyyy_/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NiqueMusicOfficial
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XymO5zmWbBE
• SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/moniqueyyy/the-first-prod-jaydot

Image Credits
Summer Strong (6 images) Jamal Reeves (1 image)