Flipping through the CMJ guide, it’s often hard to decide who to see perform. Sometimes you have to rely on recommendations from fellow CMJ attendees and sometimes you just have to go on a gut feeling that the show is going to be awesome. There are also times when a name jumps out at you that you can’t resist! For me, that name was Nikki Jean.
I had seen Nikki Jean perform several times in 2008 as Lupe Fiasco promoted his second album The Cool. Nikki Jean created a buzz around her sultry voice featured on Lupe’s single Hip Hop Saved My Life. After the success of that song, I assumed Nikki Jean would soon follow-up with a solo project. As quickly as Lupe Fiasco moved on to other things, I almost forgot Nikki Jean’s name, until I came across The Nikki Jean Project video blog. Fans witnessed how much of a rollercoaster ride the music business can be from seeing Nikki perform, sign her first record contract, to finally releasing her debut album Pennies in a Jar on July 12, 2011. Although it was three-year creation, Pennies in a Jar proves how truly talented of a singer/songwriter Nikki Jean is.
Prior to Nikki Jean’s CMJ performance at SOBs Sol Village, the Minnesota native, talked exclusively with JohnSimonDaily about her album and her social media experience.
Check out Nikki jean in action at SOBs