After a four-year hiatus, New York artist, Keziah Niambi Ra John-Paul, artistically known as Niambi Ra, releases her debut album Stellar Nebula. Inspired from artists including Missy Elliott, Chaka Khan and A Tribe Called Quest, the album brings r&b, afro-pop, hip-hop and future soul into one project where Niambi Ra explores her emotions, self-love and even her experiences with cannabis.
The 30-year-old singer whose artistic name, Niambi translates to melody in Swahili, recorded the album alongside her band The Blackstarz and takes the listener on a ride through space without keeping track of time. But instead of literally exploring stars or planets, the experience explores her musical abilities and mind.
From the first track, “Simmer It Down,” Niambi Ra gives you access to her thoughts as she explains her frustration of mixed-signals in a relationship. She raps, “See Baby I can make you mine. But I need to know. So do I even cross your mind? So in the meantime baby back up, simmer it down. Why do you keep me around, if you don’t even like me? . . . We can just stop with all of the fighting.”
This individual has taken over Niambi Ra’s thoughts, but doesn’t know if the other person has her in their mind too. For Niambi Ra, this is the chosen person for her, but the person is still hard to read at times. It’s a cat and mouse game with an emotional roller coaster and she’s hoping the emotional ride ends soon. The track will have the listener nodding their head to the beat.
The rap continues in the fast-paced second tack, “C2B” where she spreads love to her haters, her fans, and the ultimate divine. She welcomes the listener into her spaceship, where there is only good vibes and a free entry to fly into the starlight.
The beat slowly changes in the third track, “Design” a more slow-ballad hip-hop track, Niambi Ra raps on craving someones touch and wanting to be held by this person, as she sings, “Where do I go when I want your body close to mine. I’m sure that I know that your design was made for me. Everybody, they wonder why I’m not around. What they don’t realize what we got ain’t on the ground.” This track is the sweet treat within the album.
The slow-ballad tracks continue in “Satellite,” with a more soulful beat and if you were Superman this track will be your weakness, with lyrics, “Our seeds will grow, as we rise. Signals from my satellite, green and black makes malachite, transmitting my solar light, come and taste this kryptonite.” Niambi Ra is signaling to her lover despite the distance apart. With the drum beat and synth sounds, the solar scene and satellite transmission in space keeps up the imagination.
After receiving the satellite signal, the lover may come back to Niambi Ra in “Guidance,” as she sings about wanting to be back with the special person, despite that person moving forward into a rebound relationship. Niambi Ra wants them to be around and is replaying their memories. She is yearning their presence with lyrics, “Come back baby, come back to me and tell the other one she’s temporary . . . Come back baby, come back and see ‘cause my heart is aching.” Their story is not finished and Niambi Ra is asking for guidance in this situation.
Despite the situation and final outcome in her relationships and experiences, self-love and reassurance is all that’s left for Niambi Ra. The sixth track, “I Say” is her freedom anthem in flying high and manifesting her future dreams. She does this by speaking, “I once was told that I can fly. An angel came right by my side. She said to lift your voice and sing. Who am I to disagree . . . filled with starlight. I am one. Cosmic journey to my own sun. I’m free to rule my mind.” She has found the answers within her own soul and nothing is going to break her down. This song is part of the metaphorical space journey where you discover something new and reach peak flow-state. It’s the song where you reach the area between the stars and reach the Stellar Nebula.
In the flowing tracks “Flowers,” and “Friday,” the space journey continues to be illuminated by the starlights. She expresses in searching for answers in the sky, in the music, in God and giving herself her flowers.
Traveling through space can be exhausting, so take a smoke break with Niambi Ra, while listening to the following track, "Mary." She takes you high with a Mary Jane and her vocal range, as she sings, "This ain't for the weak, gotta be strong if you wanna hit my bong . . . If you wanna ride with me, hotbox in my jeep . . . Wherever the smoke flow, you just follow." The song will make you feel more than an astronaut or a superstar roaming through space with wider eyes.
The last track, "Stuck In The Middle," is a reminder of needing a helping hand through the dark or if you get stuck in space. Niambi Ra sings, "Looking for a signal. Maybe just a little, So I can breathe." Along the piano, bass and drums, she also adds some freestyle rap in the track and speaks on the media, on survival and speaking her truth and her purpose within music.
The 10-track album will only let you explore a small part of space, but the trip isn't over as Niambi Ra may take you deeper in space with her next album.
Only way to find out is by keeping up with Niambi Ra:
