Nyah’s desire to perform manifested itself at an early age. After winning a local dance competition when she was just six years old, Nyah’s mother recognised her daughter’s natural talent and encouraged her to develop it. ‘I think that’s the first time my Mum noticed that I was really into music. After I won the dance competition, I started going to classes at Sylvia Young Theatre School on the weekend. At school, I starred in every cabaret there was.’
As Nyah grew older, her passion for music developed alongside her other great love in life: fashion. ‘In school, I did art and textiles, because I wanted to be a fashion designer.’ But, eager to pursue a career path that would enable her to provide financial support her single mother, Nyah put aside her creative ambitions at college and chose to study media. ‘I wanted to do performing arts, but my mum didn’t think I’d be able to get a job. So I half-heartedly started a media course.’ But Princess Nyah is not a woman who does ‘half-hearted’ very well. With characteristic boldness, she soon made the decision to drop out of college and started working full-time.
Ironically, it was at this point that her creative streak re-emerged and she began to embrace music once again. With the help of UK producer Def1, Nyah ventured down the path of songwriting for the first time. Def1 was rapping and making Hip Hop music and he helped me to get started.’ At the same time, Nyah also rediscovered her natural gift for performing and became Def1’s on-stage hype girl.
Like any true music-lover, Nyah’s passion was never limited to just one genre. A life-long fan of Hip Hop, Nyah soon developed a real love for dance and house music and began taking regular summer holidays to the Mediterranean party islands. ‘I went to Ayia Napa one year with one of my best friends and I heard ‘Tell Me What It Is’ by DJ NG ft. Baby Katy (now known to the world as Katy B). As soon as we got off the plane, we just threw our stuff down and went to straight to a club and we could just hear this bassline. It was the first time I heard the song and I fell in love.’
Nyah returned to the UK determined to start making the kind of hypnotic club music that she had danced to in Ayia Napa. ‘When I came back, I knew I wanted to try something different. I was driving home from work one day and I just started singing this hook in my car. So I called Def1 straight away and said ‘I’ve got any idea.’
That idea was Frontline, a track that would become one of the biggest club hits of 2009. A relative novice to the ins and outs of the music industry, Nyah drew upon her innate business intuition to ensure that the track was played by the right DJs, in the right clubs, and on the right radio stations. ‘Initially, I burnt just five CDs. There was a big rave coming up where I knew Marcus Nasty from Rinse FM would be playing, so I went down there with my CDs and gave him one. It just had ‘Princess’ written on there with my telephone number. The next day he rang and told me he loved it. Thanks to Marcus, a lot of people started calling me for the track. He basically pioneered the record through hammering it in the clubs and on Rinse FM. I ended up recording over 100 specials for DJs on stations across the UK, and it went on the 1Xtra playlist.’
Buoyant from the success of Frontline, Princess Nyah wasted no time in throwing herself into her music, and released her self funded debut E.P. Diary Of A Princess, which included the follow up club smash Hooligans, with Ghettz and Griminal on the remix, and Butterflies.
Besides working with notable MCs such as Wretch 32 and Wiley, Nyah worked with one of the UK’s most prolific producers, Donaeo to help incite the clubs once again with the remix of Party Hard, another UK club anthem.
Fast forward just a year and Nyah has not only recorded an explosive official remix of Major Lazer’s party anthem Pon De Floor but is also adding the final touches to her first album, the aptly titled Patience and Persistence. Diverse, vibrant and bursting with energy, the album showcases the best of Princess Nyah’s music, as well as herself. ‘I grew up on Hip Hop so that’s been a really strong influence, due to my Jamaican heritage there are lots of dancehall influences on there, too.’
As well as working with long-time collaborators Ill Blu, Princess Nyah has teamed up with legendary UK House and Garage producer MJ Cole to create an album that ultimately ‘…reflects my love of house and dance. I wouldn’t describe it as dance music per se, it’s a more a reflection of my influences, the English club experience, which varies depending on where you come from.’ And with its thudding bassline and infectious, electro-tinged hook, the album’s first single Take Control more than delivers in that respect.
At the same time, Nyah has continued to develop her clothing store Binghi’s Boutique, as well as launching her label RoyleTease Records, designing her own RoyleTease merchandise, and mentoring young women interested in entering the music industry. It’s a lifestyle that many would find exhausting, but Princess Nyah sees it all as part of the bigger picture. ‘I think that it’s really important, not just as a female but as an artist, to understand what it is you’re doing and your main objective. You need to be in control of your own direction and destiny, it is very easy to get lost. I know where I’m going, I know where I’m headed. Patience and Persistence are the keys to success.’
Frontline
Princess Nyah Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
They laugh
Of our world
Stealing souls, grinding your bones
They teach you to obey
They are named poor
Looking for blood
They hunt the few who are still reaching food
One by one
They're forced to flee for a chance to survive
This is the price they paid
To stay alive
It's not time for sorrows (but)
Time when hate comes back again
Because of pain
And a common day
A random succeeded to run away
Fleeing from this thing called judgment day
To pray for them and swear
To come back soon and liberate
All the slaves who are full of hate.
A new era is beginning
Built by these poor masses
Human nature will lead us again
When it's not enough,
When it's not enough
To fight so hard to change society
Realize human is empty
By these hands, these bones and these brains
They will build their own
They will build their own
Kingdom
From now on your life's ours
And I just wanna say
Let'em burn
Let'em fucking burn
This is the way I live
This is the way I breathe
I'm rising for feeling free
This is the way we live
This is the way we breathe
This is how we are changing past
First: Put them in line
Extract their eyes to hear their screams until they slowly die
For the second part
You've always the choice:
To bury their cold flesh
Or let their corpse rotting the ground
Everybody's able
To use a chainsaw
You should learn this fable
If you care of natural law
You should look at these poor bastards
When they're hit again and again
By a crowd which roars its hunger
The judge condemned you to suffer
This time you'll collapse
Think about these sins you've done
Cause now you are alone
And you'll suffer on your own
So poor
They'll remember their names
So poor
When they'll burn in hell's flames
Follow
The white light when you close your eyes
And feel your life ripped by a knife.
In "Frontline," Princess Nyah brings attention to the struggles of oppressed people who are victimized by tyranny and corruption. The opening lines create a sense of separation between those in power and those they govern. The powerful individuals look down on the seemingly insignificant world beneath their towering position, and these people - the disempowered - become the target of the wicked ones. The chorus depicts a world where justice is scarce, making survival an everyday battle. The oppressed are forced to flee one by one, and occasionally, only one random person may be lucky enough to escape. The overall message of the song is that the oppressed must come together to build their own kingdom if they hope to survive.
Line by Line Meaning
Looking from their tower
Observing from a place of power and privilege
They laugh
They find it amusing to exploit and oppress others
Of our world
Of the marginalized and vulnerable people in society
Stealing souls, grinding your bones
Taking away people's humanity and dignity, forcing them into back-breaking labor
They teach you to obey
They use fear and manipulation to keep people in line
They are named poor
They are labeled as inferior and worthless by those in power
Hunted by those who feel stronger and feel good
Targeted and oppressed by those who believe they are superior and entitled
Looking for blood
Actively seeking out the destruction and harm of others
They hunt the few who are still reaching food
They try to take away even the basic necessities of survival from the most vulnerable
One by one
Individuals are targeted and persecuted
They're forced to flee for a chance to survive
People are driven away from their homes and communities due to the threat of harm and death
This is the price they paid
The cost of surviving in such conditions is high and often inhumane
To stay alive
People are forced to do whatever it takes to keep themselves and their loved ones alive
It's not time for sorrows (but)
Rather than mourning the past, it is time to take action
Time when hate comes back again
In times of extreme suffering and oppression, hate and anger are common reactions
Because of pain
The pain and trauma inflicted on people makes them desperate and angry
And a common day
On an ordinary day
A random succeeded to run away
Someone has managed to escape the oppressive system
Fleeing from this thing called judgment day
Running away from punishment and persecution
To pray for them and swear
To hope and promise to come back to help others like them
To come back soon and liberate
To return with the goal of freeing others from oppression
All the slaves who are full of hate.
Oppressed people who have been driven to anger and animosity
A new era is beginning
There is hope for a better future
Built by these poor masses
Constructed by the people who have been oppressed and marginalized
Human nature will lead us again
Despite everything, the inherent goodness in people will prevail
When it's not enough,
When the current systems and structures fail to provide for everyone
To fight so hard to change society
To struggle to bring about widespread change and equality
Realize human is empty
To recognize that humanity has been corrupted by greed and power
By these hands, these bones and these brains
Through the hard work and dedication of the people
They will build their own
They will construct a new society based on fairness and justice
Kingdom
A new world, built by the people for the people
From now on your life's ours
Those in power exert total control over the lives of others
And I just wanna say
A declaration of defiance and resistance
Let'em burn
A desire to see those in power be held accountable for their actions
This is the way I live
A statement of living life on one's own terms
This is the way I breathe
Living and breathing with the conviction to fight for change
I'm rising for feeling free
Strengthening oneself to combat oppression and fight for freedom
This is the way we live
A shared experience of living in a society of injustice and fighting for a better future
This is the way we breathe
The struggle to survive and persevere in the face of adversity
This is how we are changing past
Creating a new way of living that rejects the destructive policies of the past
First: Put them in line
Oppressors use violence and intimidation to control those they view as inferior
Extract their eyes to hear their screams until they slowly die
Horrifying acts of violence and torture are committed against people who are seen as powerless
For the second part
A second option is given
You've always the choice:
People always have a choice, even in oppressive circumstances
To bury their cold flesh
To dispose of the bodies of those who have been killed and oppressed
Or let their corpse rotting the ground
To leave the bodies of the oppressed to rot and decay, as an act of disrespect and hatred
Everybody's able
Everyone has the capacity to fight back against oppression
To use a chainsaw
To use any tool or means necessary to fight against the system
You should learn this fable
The lesson of fighting back against oppression through any means required
If you care of natural law
If you believe in the inherent goodness of humanity and the need for justice
You should look at these poor bastards
It is important to recognize the suffering and oppression of others
When they're hit again and again
When they are subjected to the same harm and abuse over and over
By a crowd which roars its hunger
By a group of people intent on exerting their dominance and control
The judge condemned you to suffer
No matter what you do, the system is stacked against you
This time you'll collapse
The weight of oppression and hardship will ultimately overpower you
Think about these sins you've done
Reflect on the actions you have taken to oppress and harm others
Cause now you are alone
When those in power lose their hold, they are exposed and vulnerable
And you'll suffer on your own
Actions have consequences, and those who have caused pain will feel the weight of their wrongs
So poor
Those who have been oppressed and abused
They'll remember their names
Despite attempts to erase their identities, those who have suffered will not be forgotten
When they'll burn in hell's flames
A desire to see those who have caused harm receive their comeuppance in a fiery punishment
Follow
An invitation to join in on the struggle for justice and liberation
The white light when you close your eyes
The hope for a future where justice, equity, and freedom prevail
And feel your life ripped by a knife.
The pain and trauma of oppression is visceral and agonizing
Writer(s): James Wesley Thomas Grant, Forde Darius Ellington, Nyah Jane Maskell
Contributed by Thomas C. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@2big2fail47
luv this so much
@EjnrTV
Funky house season needs to come back. Get everyone boogie
@Ashantiwarriorkaos
beattt dat
@bas5050
dat on The Sound Of BassLine 2 :P i got tha cds :D
@swiffty2k6
Lool, for real!
@purplenurps
ok:)
@rpdesign_
The way she dances makes me fucking laugh. HAHA
@purplenurps
alright whatever you say.
@swiffty2k6
Couldn't have said it better!
@deevine1000
cannot leave comment