Recently I went to go see The Roots last show @ The High Line Ballroom. Needless to say the atmosphere was buzzing with excitement, and me being a Roots fan for so long and never seeing them live I could hardly contain myself. Like any headliner The Roots needed an opening act, an artist that could set the tone for what was going to be in my opinion an incredible night. So who did they look to? It was none other then NNEKA! When she first got on stage I said to myself “who’s this?” Then she proceeded to adjust her mic without saying a word. The band was already set up and ready to go… Looking around I could see that I wasn’t the only clueless spectator. I heard people saying “who’s that” and “I wonder what shes gonna do.” All of a sudden the band starts playing and she goes into her first song! Let’s just say that those “clueless spectators” instantly became NNEKA fans.

Here are some videos from that night taken by yours truly…

Born in Nigeria, Nneka relocated some 10,000 miles to Hamburg, Germany, at the age of nineteen to pursue a career in singing along side a degree in Anthropology. Having landed in the German port, the singer hooked up with DJ and Hip-Hop beatmaker DJ Farhot and ever since, their strong musical relationship has been the backbone of Nneka’s success. Her influences reflect her younger days in Nigeria as well as her time in the Western world. The distance she has travels shines through in her voice as does her diverse musical influences. She cites famous compatriot Fela Kuti and legend Bob Marley as well as contemporary rappers Mos Def, Talib Kweli, Mobb Deep and Lauryn Hill as key influences in her pursuit of musical recognition.