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Nikki NTU – “Muse”

New York City, one of the cultural epicenters of the world, is brimming over with young talented artists. For example, break out lyricist Nikki NTU is a facet of talent that represents this frontier of musicians. Her instrument of choice is her voice. NTU’s A History Of Dreams EP makes me think of one word, synesthesia, the neurological phenomenon that scrabbles the sensory pathways. NTU spits hourglass shaped rhymes that are delivered with X-chromosome femcee flows. A conceptual EP that is both aggressively feminist and feminine, yet the revolutionary content is not limited to the female gender, as it is more of an uplifting representation of the Millennial generation.

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AS: Like the proverbial saying proclaims, it aint where you from, it’s where you at. Plus, we are very much interested in where you are going. So, where are some of the places you would like your art to take you? Why?

On a physical level, I’d love to be traveling and touring as much as possible. I don’t only make music; I also give lectures and facilitate workshops so I would love to incorporate that in with my travels. On a spiritual level I feel like my art and this process will take me to higher levels of tolerance, patience, and freedom. You can learn a lot from the challenges you face on this path so I pray that my art will take me to a place of self-mastery.

AS: Are you Haitian? As I can see you and your work is influenced by the Haitian voodou spirit of Ezili Dantò. The first track is an ode to her and you have a tattoo of her veve (sacred symbol) on your chest.

No, I am not Haitian. But I would say that I have a deep connection to “circles”, chanting, and mysticism. I got the tattoo a full year before I even knew who Ezili was. I researched Mary, Mother of Jesus and came across the famous image of the Immaculate Heart of Mary. I thought the symbolism was so “me” that I got the piece shortly after. A year later, I was on the phone with my boy (MEGA) and he told me I had a bluish light about me, that reminded him of his mom whom voodou priestesses said, had an aura of Ezili. I quickly researched Ezili and up pops her symbol; my tat. It was a chilling sign.

AS: Your reference to Ezili is very dope. Especially since she is said to be the inspiration behind the Haitian Revolution in 1791. As the story goes, Ezili’s spirit was invoked at a ceremony that was the precursor for the first revolts that lead Haiti to be the first Black independent nation in the Western Hemisphere. BUCK BUCK! =) What an illustrious legacy young Black women have to proclaim. With that being said, how would you define the new generation of womens movement that is comprised of young artists such as your self? Please elaborate in detail.

I can’t define it. Not yet. Maybe that’s a good thing…definitions keep us locked into a box when we are all so unique. I think it is taking us more time to get an authentic sense of ourselves than a woman who accepts the identity she is presented with by the media or what have you. This new generation of girls are strong and passionate, but we are still trying to come to terms with who we are in a culture that was not created by us. It makes us want to fight but the fight should not define us. This speaks to the plight of the whole Black Diaspora, but black women have our own unique struggle, in that we are told that sex is our greatest weapon and our only real asset. This belief could have us so boxed we couldn’t explore the range of possibilities available for each unique individual. But struggle is good. It is the first step toward revelation. And I truly believe that in this spirit, Ezili Danto rises up from the Black, out of the cries and wail of our foremothers, and jumps into us like possession. That’s the fire we feel when we rip a stage. That’s the heat we feel when we spit a sixteen. That’s the reason we shed a tear when we’re writing and don’t know where the words are coming from. Why when we dance our soul remembers moves our bodies have never done before. The Holy Ghost is really the feminine energy. The Catholics say, “Father, Son, Holy Ghost” and we say, “Man, Woman, Child.” That is the true holy trinity.

AS: In your opinion which is the ideal couple: The Huxtables, Beyonce and Jay-Z or Barack and Michelle Obama. And why? (Notwithstanding the fact that the Huxtables are a fictional couple. lol)

Honestly, it wouldn’t be right unless I said the Huxtables. They were living the dream! They had successful/accomplished careers, mad children, lived in a Brownstone, and still found time to crack jokes and have sex. Plus they are the only couple out of the three that I ever got to see behind closed doors (never mind if they’re fictional, the others could certainly be too, lol).

AS: How important is the support and inspiration of Black men-platonic or otherwise in your life and work? What is their role in your definition of this new women’s movement?

Wow, black men play a huge role in my life and my work. I admire my brothas Melo, Quan, Claude, MEGA, Kesed, Dorjan, and the list goes on. I wouldn’t be doing half of what I am, at least in this capacity, if it were not for the love and support these brothas have shown. It’s powerful to know what it feels like for a man to truly love you. Sex/Romance aside. Just truly love you and wish for you the best. My boys treat me like a Queen, really. It is the type of support most of us black girls miss out on because many of us grew up without a male figure to give us that kind of support, love, and security. But true brothas are the men so that we can be the women. Again, it’s about creating that balance of male/female energy to keep everything in harmony. It frees up a lot of space so that I can go further.

AS: What are the laws/rules of self-development and preservation that you promote for young women?

To me, there are no rules. Each person is different. But what I can suggest is that we as young women continue to challenge ourselves. Not just as far as goals are concerned but quite literally, challenge the perceptions others or we have of us. I like to put myself in really uncomfortable situations. It’s practice. It teaches us humility. It challenges our ego and continues to make us ask, “What is identity?” I feel like once you define yourself with a set identity then stagnation sets in and the growth process slows down. Do your research, find a place in the world you’re really curious about, and commit to going. And if at all possible…go alone. That may sound crazy but you’ll be surprised at how many young girls are out there rollin’ dolo. I’d like to see the amount of young, female, travelers of color rise.

When I started to hang around a lot of men I realized how much more fantastical their imaginations were. I’d say that girls can sometimes limit their imagination to aesthetics and abandon the sciences, philosophy, spirituality, etc. Traveling is a great way to get all these things wrapped up in one adventure. Self-exploration is a big thing to me. I would also suggest that young women explore the images of the female. I literally collect pleasing images of female archetypes and look at them everyday. I’ve got ancient images, native images, goddess images, etc. It’s a great way to create positive visualization.

AS: If you could transcribe all of the emotion and ideas of your EP into one color, what would that be? Why?

Indigo! It is the third eye chakra, which represents higher communication and intuition. It is a mixture of electric blue and Royal Purple; very high vibratory colors that together create a great portal through which information is uploaded and downloaded.

AS: What color is it that you would like your future projects to represent? Why?

I am mostly a purple and blue sorta girl but I must admit that I do love yellow on odd days. It is very much an “identity” color. But I would have to say that much like my fellow female artist, Lichiban, who was the director of art design for the project, turquoise is a mesmerizing shade. I can’t say what tone the future projects will be or whether they will be just one. I like to take folks through the whole system.

AS: This space in the interview is for you to leave your final thoughts. You can leave us with a quote, question, or the rhyme scheme of your silence. The choice is yours.

Hmmmm, I can say anything huh? I’d really like to touch on the support I’ve received in these past few days following my EP release. I want to thank everyone for braving the rain to pack out the release party. I want to thank the folks who supported and helped spread the word about A History of Dreams. I appreciate the fact that people are listening to the music, researching information I spoke about, and asking questions. Even the fact that people have been really on me to perform inspires me to get over whatever hesitations I have and do it. Sometimes it’s bigger than we imagine and when we release what we create it’s not ours anymore. Thanx, Janine for the wonderful questions! Everyone should keep a look out for live shows this summer!

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Linkage:

Nikki NTU Blog // Twitter // Myspace

Download –> A History of Dreams

Photo credit: Melo-X