Lynisha Nicole ROCK & SOUL

Nikki, born, Lynisha Nicole Kynard grew up in the small town of Toledo, Ohio. Growing up around five brothers, four of them being older than her, molded her into the smart and respectful young woman she is today. Since the age of 5, Nikki knew she had a passion for music and wanted to be a singer. At this young age, she started participating in beauty pageants combining her beautifully natural physique with her incredible voice. For the next 3 years, Nikki held the title, “Wee Miss Lucas County.”Being around music her whole life helped her to get where she is today. Her brothers either sang or rapped and her mother, who was also a singer, formed a band with her sisters called, “The Craigs Sister,” and went on to be the opening acts for some of music’s hottest groups. Nikki continued to compete in pageants until the age of 10, when her mother pulled her out so she could concentrate on school. Despite focusing on her education and other activities, Nikki always kept her love for singing in the back of her mind. One day, she was going to be a star.Miss Kynard attended the University of Toledo, where she majored in Education and minored in Music Business. Nikki had no idea an opportunity would come knocking at her door two years shy of graduating from college. After completing four semesters at the University of Toledo, Nikki left school to pursue her singing career. She bumped into an artist from Young Money Entertainment, rapper Lil Wayne’s label, who recognized Nikki’s soulful voice right away. He wanted her to come to New Orleans to meet Lil Wayne. Nikki had a big decision to make. She knew she would lose her job if she went to New Orleans but decided to drive there anyway, and take the chance.It was in New Orleans where Nikki recorded her first track with Lil Wayne and from that point on she started to vibe with the Young Money crew. She moved to Miami Beach, Florida to be closer to the studio, Lil Wayne, and the rest of the recording artists. Nikki spent many long hours in the studio working with Lil Wayne and recording tracks. When she wasn’t in the studio, she spent the rest of her time on the road with the Young Money family. In early December, Nikki debuted her voice to the world on Lil Wayne’s fifth solo album, “Tha Carter II,” which successfully sold 200,000 copies the first week. She featured on two of the tracks, including “Weezy Baby” and “Get Over.” After the success of the album, Nikki continued to work hard, spending more long hours in the studio, only this time she was working on her solo album. While working on her album, Nikki stayed on the grind and recorded a track with local based Miami rapper “P.M.”Some of the artists that had an influence on Nikki were Oleta Adams, Gladys Knight, Stephanie Mills, Nate King Cole, to name a few. She hopes that one day she will be an inspiration to others, just like these artists were to her growing up. Nikki’s goal is to one day work with a major record label where her voice will be heard by many. She would also like to pursue modeling and acting as these talents comes naturally to her. Entertaining is an art and she has fully mastered the technique. I edited my profile with Thomas' Myspace Editor V4.4