Nneka

Born in Nigeria and based in Germany, Nneka is a stylistically diverse, politically inclined English-language neo-soul singer reminiscent of Erykah Badu. Influenced by the towering legacies of Fela Kuti and Bob Marley as well as contemporary urban American artists such as Mos Def and Lauryn Hill, she made her recording debut in 2005 with The Uncomfortable Truth. The album spawned a series of singles ("The Uncomfortable Truth," "Beautiful," "God of Mercy," "Africans") and set the stage for her follow-up album, No Longer at Ease (2008), and its lead single, "Heartbeat," which became her first single to break into the German Top 50. ~ Jason Birchmeier