Niykee Heaton is a singer/songwriter who first gained popularity and acclaim for her acoustic covers of some of the biggest pop and hip-hop hits. Niykee tackled the likes of Taylor Swift, Lil Wayne, The Weeknd and 2 Chainz, among others, from her bedroom while she accompanied herself on guitar. Niykee soon found a steady following on Youtube.

Hollywood came knocking when Niykee's version of Chief Keef's "Love Sosa" was featured on the website, WorldStarHipHop, the day before the singer turned 18. Her cover caught the attention of Steve Rifkind and Russell Simmons, who signed Niykee to their Capitol affiliate All Def label. After the release of a six-song EP, "Bad Intentions," a slight fallout with All Def ensued.

After butting heads with her label, the 21-year-old decided to go it alone. She raised her profile via eye-popping Instagram posts and dropped an endless string of excellent demos and remixes on SoundCloud. Niykee’s smartest move, however, was taking fans along for the ride. She explained every step of her journey via social media, introduced us to her manager/BFF Lauren Pisciotta and spent hours meeting devoted disciples after stops on her sold-out Bedroom Tour.

The Bedroom Tour Playlist was an incredible result for a mixtape, comprised of stunning songs that let the listener into the world of this rising star who can go from spitting rhymes to crooning a love ballad in seconds . The Internet-breaking diva’s success offers an important lesson for the music industry. When it comes to breaking an artist, fan engagement is key. Check out her excellent debut mixtape. It is truly a masterpiece.