The MissEducation.com Chats with Nneka

Nneka is such a fresh face to so many here in the United States but she has a strong following in Europe and other parts of the world because while she is new to the U.S. she is not new to the world of music. Hailing from Warri, Nigeria and then at the age of 19 relocating to Hamburg, Germany; where she developed her singing and studied Anthropology. Nneka released her EP ‘The Uncomfortable Truth’, went on to tour Europe and in 2006 she released her album ‘Victim of truth’ which garnered critical acclaim. In 2008 she released “No Longer at Ease”. Nneka has a strong message of love, a deep love of her native Nigeria and the African continent overall that she wants to convey to the U.S. with her latest release Concrete Jungle.

Concrete Jungle again has garnered a lot of press and critical acclaim. The Miss Education was fortunate to catch Nneka in the middle of her current U.S. tour, Nneka talks about ‘Concrete Jungle’, what the term Africanize means, her influences and whether or not a Nneka the MC album is on the horizon.

TME: First off, thank you for doing this interview, I know you’re busy on tour…we’ve definitely been a fan and I know you were on tour here in the states late last year; How has touring been the second time around?

Nneka: Positive I must say ummm dispite the fact the audience is very skeptical in the beginning when you come up on stage. Eventually they are quite attentive to what you have to say. I think it’s positive.

TME: We’re familiar with your work but a lot of people are just hearing about you. What can we expect from Concrete Jungle?

Nneka: Simplicity, authtencity, you know realness just me how I am. It’s a part of my life. Everything that is on that album is my truth. I don’t do songs for people, I do it for myself and then eventually give it out to the world. I think this is the time to offer it to America and I hope that people are positively moved and connected to the message…which is love. That is the major message of almost all my songs.

TME: Sounds wonderful, so you’ve said you want to Africanize America; what does that mean?

Nneka: When I say Africanize America, I am African…everything that I have achieved is because of the way I grew up. What has been my music, mentality, my lifestyle you know I grew up in Nigeria so basically when I say Africanize America. I am coming the way I am. It has a political motive but at the same time also a spiritual motive. Political in the sense that so much that connects Africa to America that many people do not know but not just America but the western world in general. You know when we look at economics our history, slavery times up to religion, basically when you look at the mineral resources. Everything America needs to stand comes from Africa, most of it comes from Africa and then of course the spiritual battle. America is what they consider as civilized, what they consider as high tech. New World Order anyway I’m coming with the simplicity of Africa trying to inspire people that you can live without these material things you can be happy without material things, you can have little and be satisfied,you can suffer and smile at the same time. Also remove the picture that most American have about Africa. They think it’s just poverty and AIDS, primitive people living in huts, there is much more than that, we have way, far, far more than that. I’m trying to bring the positivity. There are people who live? Yeah in abject poverty but they still know how it is, to connect to nature and to God and other human beings…this is what I’m talking about.

TME: Yeahhhh…that’s definitely nice. Well said.

TME: There is a mixtape that has been circulating on the web you have with J.Period, how did that come about?

Nneka: I met J. Period on the last tour, that was in November when I was performing in New York at aaaahhhh Joe’s Pub. He came to see the show, I think had been following my work for a while, he wanted to get to know me. I definitely heard about him but I had never done a mixtape before and you know he came up with this idea and I saw that he was very passionate about it that’s what triggered me in doing it. He’s focused and he’s very discipled. Most of the Dj’s you meet are very drowsy, smoke weed, they are laid back and whatever I don’t know how to put it. This guy is very fast, swift and clear in his head and I was like yeah I think I would like to work with this guy. What came out, the outcome? I think is very positive. The fact that he got all those people together for features, Talib Kweli, Nas, M1 you know Electronica all these people. The way they did the remixes, I had the impression they all listened attentively. It’s not about the entertainment factor you know having a nice track, making it sound nice. You know the content which is the most important thing…in my music. I think J. Period was able to bring out that aspect very well.

TME: We’ve listened to the album and you go back and forth between rapping and singing, is there a chance we could see a Nneka MC album?

Nneka: (laughs) It’s funny there are a couple of tracks I have done back in the day where I just rap. maybe, maybe…it’s just I am always very scared to rap in front of men(laughs) you know when they live always like yeahhh you can do it. I have to stop thinking about what other people think and how I sound and just do what I feel. I might be doing more rap but I want it to sound different. You know I want to work with African beats or elements so it wouldn’t sound too American. My Accent is there I can’t remove it. That will make it sound different anyway. I’m definitely looking forward on improving my skills. I think it’s very difficult to write rap lyrics compared to lyrics that you sing. It’s a totally different ball game actually. Singing you can start by humming, oooohhhs and aaahhhs and eventually you find the words. With rap? It you make ONE mistake than everything that comes afterward…how do I say, it take a a lot of concentration to get a good rap out. It has to make sense! …I like Nas’ album, the last one. That is an educated MC. I like MC’s who are educated, intelligent.

TME: We do too(laughs)

TME: What are some of your influences or Who are some of your influences?

Nneka: Musically, I listen to a lot of Afrobeat, I listen to Fela…I listen to a lot of traditional music that as well that many people do not know…I’ve been listening to Michelle N’degellochello lately. Ummmm I like hip hop of course. I love Nas as I’ve already mentioned. Talib, a little bit not everything. I LOVE Mos Def, Mos def. That guy is off the hook, off the edge, in a different world. Female MC’s rah digga, Lauryn Hill.

TME: Okay…so what is one of your goals you want to accomplish here in the states since this is your first U.S. album release?

Nneka: For now the major issue is just to get the message out, the message of love out to the entire world. I’m trying to live in the present be happy with what’s happening now. I’m able to do all these interviews, it’s a blessing to get this sort of publicity. To be accepted here in the states, to release an album in the states? I never EVER thought I’d be able to fly to America. You know where I’m coming from in Warri, Nigeria it’s a serious ghetto, a village basically. Imagine me here now, you interview me, I’m sitting in this hotel room and I’m like why is all this happening? To be honest with you I am satisfied with what I have now and anything that God wants to happen or is coming so it shall be. If I was wishing the same thing now I wouldn’t stop. It has to be what the supreme being wants, if he does or she does not want me to go that far it so shall it be.

TME: Honestly I was going to say more but that was a wonderful summary to all of this. Thank you so much.

Nneka: Thank you for your time and your support as well.

“Concrete Jungle” is out Now!

www.myspace.com/nnekaworld

Interview by DeVon Thompson.
For more interviews and articles by DeVon visit www.urbandrop.net