‘African Girl’ Neka Leslie; Cultural Spotlight

Neka Leslie joins forces with Legendary Reggae recording artiste Busy Signal for an empowering yet soulful jam titled ‘African Girl’. “This song is more than just a great melodic tune. This is a safe space for brown girls to feel celebrated. This is an ANTHEM for all colored girls and women! It was carefully crafted to feed your souls, to make you smile! This for all my African Girls! I love you!” – NL

Big Thank you to the Gorilla himself for bringing the flavor to this movement! As Busy Signal Says “You’re worth more than a BILLION dollars”. Based in Atlanta, Neka’s vibrant musical style blends pop, R&B, reggae, dancehall and afrobeat together to form a fresh, honest, and rhythmically addictive sound that reflects her Jamaican-American roots. Her newly released debut single ‘African Girl’, featuring mega musician Busy Signal produced by J. August Reid, is set to release November of 2020.

Born in Westmoreland, Jamaica, music chose Neka at the tender age of six – the same year that her mother, who introduced her to different music genres as a child, tragically passed away. Music became therapeutic for Neka, who used the craft as a tool to process her pain and loss. By the age of 10 Neka began songwriting, and by age 18, was a highly active performer, from music and theatre to dance and track. Since pursuing music, Neka has recorded and performed with a number of established artists like Busy Signal, Jah Cure, Jagged Edge, Christopher Martin, Konshens, Mavado, Octane, Romaine Virgo, Wayne Wonder, Sanchez and many more.

Creatively inspired by a mixture of artists, from Beyoncé, Vybz Kartel, Tiwa Savage and Burna Boy to country music icons like Kenny Rogers, Neka’s own artistic development is an exciting journey that shows no sign of slowing down. Currently, she’s self-managing her music career along with raising her daughter as a single mother and pursuing her professional goal of becoming a nurse practitioner. This fierce ability to hustle, achieve and thrive are powerful character traits that come alive in Neka’s music. The rising fusion artist says: “I feel this pull to live for my mother, to do the things she wanted to do. It’s so easy to get caught up in day-to-day life working for people and forget your own happiness. My dream is to feel fulfilled, to feel like I’ve really lived before I die.”

Neka, who is the director of her own independent record label, Neka Leslie Music Group, is highly driven — not just by achieving her dreams, but by motherhood. As a single parent, Neka cites her daughter as her main influence in everything she does, and her biggest inspiration for setting a good example in reaching her goals. Beyond music, as a cause close to her heart, Neka’s lifelong ambition is to open a non-profit charity for children without parents, whether they have passed away or been abandoned.