Hey Nikki

posted in: Artist Features • Rock • Urban

Dubbed the Queen of Englewood by Lupe Fiasco himself, there’s no doubt Nikki Lynette‘s got Chi-town clout. But even Lupe knows that big talent finds its way past city limits. To date, Lynette’s opened for KRS 1, Gym Class Heroes and The Game, played SXSW and CMJ Music Festival and had her songs placed in ads for McDonald’s and Marlboro. Her allure lies in her chameleonic tastes, artfully blended into cool music for fun, cool people. With musical interests as diverse as Pink Floyd and OutKast, the singer/rapper/songwriter/producer leads listeners on a colorblind, genreless dance juggernaut through hip hop, rock and Motown. Loveless is a campy preachfest that leans and bobs to tribal street rhythms. Need a Man is a vintage jitterbug, sung straight and flirty, whereas the electro-grind of Don’t Say No, with its tachycardia beats is more forward-thinking. But it’s Now That I’m Fine that will really get the pulses racing. Hand claps and electric guitar plus Tony Basil’s Hey Mickey equals an insistent, grrrl power anthem that will keep the masses moving. Fans of Missy Elliott, Santigold, even Roger Waters will find something to dig. Long live the Queen.