Cleveland’s Nnena Adigwe has been dropping singles for the past couple years, locking in writing sessions with Beyoncé, Rihanna, and Normani. The screenwriter-turned-rapper got drawn into making her own music as a result of needing to soundtrack projects while opting out of paying licensing fees. Turns out her music is really good, deserving of its own playtime on and off the silver screen. Her influences range from Otis Redding and Queen Latifah to Miriam Makeba and Kendrick Lamar (but, she’s emphasized, “Lauryn Hill, she molded me the most”).
She’s the first musical artist to sign to Loud Robot, the record label from J.J. Abrams’ Bad Robot Productions. Her latest track “Rewind” is a popping, smooth R&B track that features warped doo-wop-y vocals and shimmering production elements. The low bumping bass and snapping drum hits create catchy pockets for Nnena to effortlessly switch from a crisp flow to velvety coos. The accompanying video is a quirky, funny play on reality TV shows; she’s cooking one minute and then showing us rare dinosaur eggs in a nod to MTV Cribs the next.
Watch “Rewind” below.
