On โBad Intentionsโโa raw but smoldering R&B ballad whose lyric video shot to more than a million views soon after its January 2014 release, largely on the strength of her staggering social-media presenceโNiykeeโs near-lifelong devotion to sharpening her songwriting is more than evident. โI realized early on that the only way to make my voice heard and say what I wanted to was through music,โ says Niykee, whose older sister Rachel battled cancer for most of her life and died when Niykee was 12. โIt was less like a hobby for me and more like a lifesaver,โ she adds. Since her family couldnโt financially support her musical education, Niykee gave herself vocal training by singing along to a Diana Ross greatest-hits CD, and learned to play guitar by holing up in her room with an acoustic handed down to her by a family friend. And when it came to her songwriting, Niykee relied on a natural sense of rhythm she attributes both to her South African roots and passion for hip-hop, yet also drew a great deal of inspiration from the bare-bones authenticity of singer/songwriters like Bob Dylan and Tom Waits (two artists beloved by her sister and older brother).
In her early teens, Niykee began posting pop covers on YouTube while continuing to cultivate her songwriting. โOn Friday and Saturday nights when all the other kids were going out, I was staying home and writing songs or, when I got a little older, driving hours to some broke-down bar and begging them to let me get up and play,โ says Niykee, who struggled with bullying throughout her school years. โI was doing everything I could to move my music along, but nothing was working out at all.โ Having promised her sister that sheโd make an impact with her songs, Niykee told her parents that sheโd put songwriting aside and go to college if her music career hadnโt made any major strides by the time she turned 18. Then, the day before her 18th birthdayโand shortly after sheโd ditched the pop covers and started posting her acoustic takes on tracks by hip-hop artists like Chief Keef, A$AP Rocky, Lil Wayne, and Pusha TโNiykee wound up on WorldstarHipHop and found herself fielding interest from a flood of record labels. Instead of aligning herself with a label right away, she graduated high school six months early and self-financed the recording of a host of her own songs, eventually signing with Steve Rifkind and Russell Simmonsโ All Def Music and setting to work on her debut EP.
With her personal highlights so far including getting hand-picked by Snoop Dogg to accompany him onstage at the YouTube Brandcast in May 2013, Niykee has kept up a steady songwriting routine despite the whirlwind of recent years. Now a magnet for up-and-coming producers, she constantly combs through beats sent her way and finds that many end up sparking song ideas. โIโll know if a beatโs good after the first five seconds, and then Iโll get a song in my head and start writing immediately,โ she says. โI go out to my back porch with my guitar and the words just come, and usually itโs all done in under 30 minutes.โ As she continues develop as a lyricist, Niykee notes that the pain of her past serves as an endless source of unlikely inspiration. โEven when Iโm not writing literally about things that have happened to me, all the pain of my childhood and losing my sister ends up getting pushed into my music,โ she says. โIt shapes my songs and builds this deeper meaning under everything, which is one the most important things to meโI need to know that I could listen to any of my songs 20 years from now, and still be proud of what I had to say.โ
Nexus
Niykee Heaton Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
A criminal appetite for affection
I romanticize murder, know you sweating
And I think I got a thing for a felon
Sounds like heaven, what's the consensus?
Bring that girl over here, now the next chick
Now she all up in my ear but where her friend is?
Now they both hanging on me like a necklace
I don't wanna talk like a boss
But we both know you know who I am
And I know that the way it comes off
Might seem a little bit off hand
I don't wanna talk like a boss
But we both know you know who I am
And I know that the way it comes off
Might seem a little bit off hand
Now you're looking at the Nexus
Nothing better than the best, I'm the bestest
Look to your right, now your left, no precious
Yeah, I whip it so wild cause I'm reckless
I'm the, I'm the motherfucking Nexus
Nothing better than the best, I'm the bestest
Look to your right, now your left, no precious
Yeah, I whip it so wild cause I'm reckless
I'm the, I'm the, I'm the Nexus
Cynical about reality
Lyrical with criminal versatility
Out of principal, got minimal morality
I'll take your chick, just like it's a formality
Now you're mad at me
I don't wanna talk like a boss
But we both know you know who I am
And I know that the way it comes off
Might seem a little bit off hand
I don't wanna talk like a boss
But we both know you know who I am
And I know that the way it comes off
Might seem a little bit off hand
Now you're looking at the Nexus
Nothing better than the best, I'm the bestest
Look to your right, now your left, no precious
Yeah, I whip it so wild cause I'm reckless
I'm the, I'm the motherfucking Nexus
Nothing better than the best, I'm the bestest
Look to your right, now your left, no precious
Yeah, I whip it so wild cause I'm reckless
I'm the, I'm the, I'm the Nexus
Better than expected
Ultimately unaffected
I'm not worried 'bout the next bitch
Cause I'm the next bitch
Better than expected
Ultimately unaffected
I'm not worried 'bout the next bitch
Cause I'm the next bitch
And the next and the next bitch
I'm the Nexus
Nothing better than the best, I'm the bestest
Look to your right, now your left, no precious
Yeah, I whip it so wild cause I'm reckless
I'm the, I'm the motherfucking Nexus
Nothing better than the best, I'm the bestest
Look to your right, now your left, no precious
Yeah, I whip it so wild cause I'm reckless
I'm the, I'm the, I'm the Nexus
The lyrics of Niykee Heaton's song "Nexus" touch upon several themes and emotions, and it sounds like the artist is expressing different sides of herself through them. The song begins with "Au-automatic weapon," which suggests aggression, and as the song progresses, it becomes clear that she is talking about her "criminal appetite for affection" and how she romanticizes murder. It's almost as if she's confessing to having dark thoughts and perhaps even dangerous impulses. The lines "And I think I got a thing for a felon / Sounds like heaven, what's the consensus?" add to this idea.
As the song continues, it becomes clear that Niykee is also talking about her confidence in herself and her abilities. She says "I'm the motherfucking Nexus" and "Nothing better than the best, I'm the bestest." She seems to be asserting herself as a dominant force in whichever situation she finds herself in. These lines are also paired with the image of her "whipping it so wild" and being "reckless."
Ultimately, the song seems to juxtapose themes of dark impulses and confidence, and it appears that Niykee is using these lyrics to explore different sides of herself.
Line by Line Meaning
Au-automatic weapon
She's dangerous and armed
A criminal appetite for affection
She craves love from bad boys
I romanticize murder, know you sweating
She fantasizes about crime and it excites her admirers
And I think I got a thing for a felon
She is attracted to criminals
Sounds like heaven, what's the consensus?
She thinks this lifestyle is perfect, but wonders what others think
Bring that girl over here, now the next chick
She wants girls to come to her so she can take her pick
Now she all up in my ear but where her friend is?
One girl is interested, but she wants to see if her friend is too
Now they both hanging on me like a necklace
Both girls are trying to get with her
I'm ambidextrous
She can handle both girls at the same time
Cynical about reality
She doesn't believe in traditional values
Lyrical with criminal versatility
She can rap about bad things with ease
Out of principal, got minimal morality
She has standards, but they're low
I'll take your chick, just like it's a formality
She can easily steal someone's girlfriend
Now you're mad at me
The person who lost their girlfriend is now angry with her
Now you're looking at the Nexus
She is the center of attention
Nothing better than the best, I'm the bestest
She's the best and she knows it
Look to your right, now your left, no precious
There's no competition, she's the only one
Yeah, I whip it so wild cause I'm reckless
She's wild and doesn't care about consequences
I'm the, I'm the motherfucking Nexus
She's the one in charge
Better than expected
She exceeded expectations
Ultimately unaffected
She's not bothered by anything
I'm not worried 'bout the next bitch
She's not concerned about the next girl
Cause I'm the next bitch
She's already the top girl
And the next and the next bitch
She'll continue to dominate
Contributed by Lucy J. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@pastaslut1191
this deserves so much more attention
@pastaslut1191
@Kasey Kilian thank uu
@zorasbae7943
Fr tho shes a queen
@myownparadise1010
Im with u
@wappaman1784
You right on that one.
@clouty7138
Make a tiktok or sum idk
@paigesmith942
She is so under rated. She's totally amazing!
@LuMagazine
This song is fuck'in insane... Where does she come up with these lyrics? At the rate she's livin' I hope she lives to be the next big thing!
@miro115
Now she is THE Big thing!
Nobody had produced so gloomy sombre musicatmosphere.
Hope, there is no more cox.
She's unique, her voice unparalleled
@a.k-6903
when this blows up i can say that i've been knowing her for longer than FaKe fAns lmao