Most of you are familiar with the singer/songwriter Nicolet Aleta Heaton, known by her stage name as Niykee Heaton. If not, you must be living under a rock. She’s a brilliant artist with lyrics that tie into her childhood, relationships, and the underlying struggles she faces. Maybe some of you write her off, or don’t take her seriously because you think she is just something to look at, but I’m going to tell you why you shouldn’t jump to conclusions. I too was once skeptical when I saw her pictures all over Instagram, but after learning more about her over the past few years, I have learned that she is a strong, brave woman setting new standards for women in fame and the music industry.
Heaton was born in 1994 in South Africa where her mother is from. She was raised in a small town outside of Chicago with her older sister and brother. Her home life was not easy -- her father was an alcoholic. She began writing music when she was 5 years old and knew how to play the guitar by 9 years old. Early on, she realized that music would be an outlet for her for the rest of her life. Her love of music only grew, and her family’s inability to afford formal music education for Heaton didn’t stop her from teaching herself. She sang along to Diana Ross CDs to train her vocals and learn rhythm and harmony. She used music to vent her emotions from the bullying she received much through her school years.
Heaton is no stranger to adversity. In 2007, her older sister died of liver cancer. Her sister was a big part of her life, so she promised her sister that she would make a difference with her music. Her sister’s dying wish to Heaton’s father, to get clean from alcoholism, was later on the inspiration for Heaton’s single, “Sober,” a song she wrote through her father's perspective, wrought with emotion and the pain of giving up an addiction. Here are some of the lines: "Say goodnight / I'm still lying awake by your side / and even though I know I shouldn't I'm / feeding the monsters I'm afraid to fight / Leave every bottle as empty as my promises / just like the last time, I swore I would get sober for this."
Heaton was never popular in high school. She never went out, and spent most of her weekend nights in her bedroom practicing guitar and her vocals. She would drive to run-down bars and beg to be put on the open mic list. In 2011, she began uploading covers of rap and pop songs to her YouTube channel. She spent most of her high school years trying to get her music career started. She felt like it wasn’t going anywhere, but that didn’t stop her from trying. She promised her parents that if her music career didn’t work by the time she was 18 years old, then she would go to college instead.
It’s as if a miracle happened, because the night before Heaton’s eighteenth birthday, her cover of “Love Sosa” went viral on YouTube after WorldStarHipHop picked it up. She was getting flooded with record deals. Heaton’s music career was off to a big start.
Since then, Heaton has released several jaw-dropping songs, like her wildly-popular “Bad Intentions,” about her issues with letting someone in her life romantically, “Champagne,” “Rolling Stone,” “NBK,” and more. She is currently on her first tour and is working to bring out new music.
Niykee is notoriously known for posting pictures of herself on social media. At first glance, you might think this is vanity. To Heaton, however, it is a reminder to love herself and who she is, as she struggles with self-worth, like many girls do. She is showing the world that you don’t need to remain prim and proper, but that need to show the world who you are, raw and full of emotion. Heaton has inspired so many girls to be confident in themselves and will continue to influence the world of music, just like she promised her sister she would.
