After relocating to Hamburg in 2003, Nneka has been working closely with the hip hop beatmaker DJ Farhot. As a young singer she first gained public attention in 2004 while performing as an opening act for dancehall reggae star Sean Paul at Hamburg Stadtpark. After much acclaim, Nneka released her debut EP The Uncomfortable Truth with the music label Yo Mama's Recording Company after which she performed on her first tour with Patrice, playing shows in Germany, Austria and Switzerland.
She finished recording her first album in the autumn of 2005. Entitled Victim of Truth. Garnering rave reviews from the media, the UK's Sunday Times later declared it “the year’s most criminally overlooked album”, comparing it favourably to 'The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill'.
In February 2008, she released her second album, No Longer at Ease. The title of the album is taken from a novel of the same name by Chinua Achebe and reflects the lyrical content of the record. Most of the songs are political, talking about the plight of the Niger Delta and the corruption in Nneka’s homeland. “No Longer at Ease” combines the political and the personal in “a winning mix of soul, hip-hop an reggae”. The lead single from it, "Heartbeat", became her first song to break into the German Top 50.
In November 2009, Nneka staged her first concert tour of the United States where she performed shows in New York City, Vienna (Washington DC), Boston, Philadelphia, Los Angeles and San Francisco. Furthermore she was a special guest on The Roots Jam session. Her first US release Concrete Jungle was set for 2 February 2010.
Nneka recorded her last album Soul Is Heavy in Nigeria. She also co-founded a charity foundation called the "ROPE foundation" with Genda, Ahmed Nyei from Sierra Leone. She has worked extensively in charity and arts with the foundation in Sierra Leone. Nneka has also worked with Reebok and her track "Shinning" topped global charts in 2013.
Intro
Nneka Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Comin to you
I see you from a distance
I want to touch you
I want to know you babe
But you run away so fast
But it ain't enough for you to see
That I-I-I love you
That I-I-I give to you my inner most
My wheepin' heart
The things I see
Oh world, this heat
This will be my love for you, babe
This will be my love for you
Oh world
Accept if you need to
Accept if you need to
Oh world
This will be my love for you
My love for you
My boy, love you
'Cause word is due
To come on over you
This will be my love for you
The song "Intro" by Nneka is an emotional and introspective song in which the singer is expressing her deep feelings for someone. The first lines of the song, "Comin from nowhere, Comin to you," suggest that the singer has come from a distant place to be with this person. However, she is facing some resistance from the other person as they keep running away from her.
She tries her best to please them, but it seems that her efforts are not enough to win them over. She sings about how much she loves this person and is willing to give them her all, including her "inner most my wheeping heart and the things I see." She appeals to the world to accept her love and acknowledges that it might not be enough, but it is all she has to give.
The song is a beautiful expression of love, vulnerability, and the struggles of relationships. It showcases Nneka's soulful voice and her ability to create powerful lyrics that resonate with the listener's emotions. Overall, "Intro" is a heartfelt song with a message that anyone can relate to.
Line by Line Meaning
Comin from nowhere
I have no background or history that would explain who I am or where I am coming from.
Comin to you
Despite coming from nowhere, my destination is to get to you.
I see you from a distance
I can spot you from afar and I acknowledge your presence in my life.
I want to touch you
I long to have physical contact and intimacy with you.
I want to know you babe
Getting to know who you are is important to me as we build our relationship.
But you run away so fast
You are hesitant and reluctant to give me a chance and build intimacy due to past experiences and hurts.
I try my best to please you babe
I am committed to making you feel loved, appreciated and needed whenever possible
But it ain't enough for you to see
Even with my best efforts, it is hard for you to believe my sincerity towards you.
That I-I-I love you
I truly love you and care for your well-being genuinely.
That I-I-I give to you my inner most
I am willing to show you the most vulnerable and intimate parts of myself with openness and sincerity.
My wheepin' heart
I am transparent that in times of emotional difficulty, it is difficult for me to contain my thoughts, feelings, and emotions.
The things I see
As I walk this journey with you, I observe various things and try to make sense of everything around us.
Oh world, this heat
This world is heated and complex with all the different experiences and situations we encounter daily.
This will be my love for you, babe
Regardless of the heat present in the world, my love for you will persevere, and it won't be swayed by any worldly desires or distractions.
Oh world Accept if you need to
The world has many things going on, and it is easy to understand if it is challenging for you to accept my love for you
My boy, love you
Even amidst all that is going on, I still love you.
'Cause word is due, To come on over you
Indeed, my love will show up for you and overpower any negativity or resistance.
This will be my love for you
No matter what happens, my love for you will remain constant and never fade away.
Contributed by Elijah N. Suggest a correction in the comments below.