Year 2018 has had a lot of new artists on the rise, one in particular is Queen Naija. I would be sitting pretty too after one AMAZING year!

At just 23 years old, the R&B singer continues to rise to stardom. With the release of her EP, self-entitled Queen Naija, she has already scored a major hit on the Billboard Hot 100  Charts with her first release of her single “Medicine”.  Truly a blessing. Not too often, do you put out your first song and it lands on the Billboard. Wow! According to billboard.com, the video has reached over 12 million views. And, it looks like nothing is stopping her as she has also released her second single, “Karma” in June of this year, which also is blowing up the airwaves all over. In fact, it was a fan-favorite, reaching #1, on the iTunes chart on its very 1st day!

However, Queen Naija did not always start out in music. In fact, she gives us clarity on how the history of her singing career began. Take a listen of our quick Q&A session we had post show after her performance here at the House of Blues Cleveland on Nakia’s Key to the Stars:

Queen Naija goes on to mention that when she first began, she did not always start with any music label. It wasn’t until April 2018 that she signed with Capitol Records.

Recently, Queen Naija had yet another successful moment this year when she performed at the 2018 Soul Train Music Awards, alongside the likes of Erykah Badu, Kelly Price, Luke James and BJ the Chicago Kid on the Soul Cypher. That is usually my most favorite part of the show. Artists get a chance to showcase their musical talents by putting a creative twist and style on their sultry R&B voices. Check out our girl Queen Naija singing us a sweet stylistic melody:

Ayee! Y’all still dancing like me? That just gave me all the VIBES…

If you are interested in seeing Queen Naija, her Birth of a Nation Tour is still going on right now. Next stops include Vegas and California! Congratulations on all of your success thus far and we look forward to that restaurant coming out soon (check out the clip above in our interview for details-4:58), don’t forget you said I am invited!

Did you know?

• Queen Naija always loved music at a very young age. She grew up singing in the church. And has a major love for God.
• is a Libra, born October 17- one day after my birthday, shout out to all the Libras!!
• She also first auditioned on American Idol, in 2014 and returned to audition for a second time at the age of 17. She advanced to the Hollywood round. However, even though things may not have worked out then, look at her now. Never stop following your dreams

Friday September 1, I had the privilege to do some behind the scenes work at this year’s Z107.9 Summer Jam. It was definitely one to remember. The day started with arriving to the Quicken Loans Arena (the Q) in beautiful downtown, Cleveland, Ohio to witness so many talented artists hit the stage!

From the time the Z107.9 van arrived it was all work from there. The day began at 12pm arriving to set up the red-carpet events for outside the arena, and inside included testing the sound-check, setting up the venue for guests and more. I was so excited because this was my first time attending Summer Jam.

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Well, I’m sure you are probably wondering what my job was at the event this year. Ok, I will not keep you waiting any longer. I had the wonderful opportunity to work in Promotions. A special thanks to the Z107.9 family for making me feel so at home.

I was in charge of telling each artists how many minutes til show time, directing them to their dressing rooms and walking them to the stage…definitely a great experience!

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It was a very long day, but definitely worth it! I am so thankful to have met so many of the artists at the show, especially my girl Cardi B- “Ow, Ow, you knooow what I’m sayin’!” I love her voice. Such a memorable experience to chat with the artists before their live performances. I even was a part of Ray Jr.’s prayer circle before hitting the stage. Congratulations to Z107.9 for a sold out show!!

If you missed this year’s Summer Jam, don’t worry, you know Nakia Key has you covered.

For more pics, videos, and interviews, please visit zhiphopcleveland.com.

Are you someone who loves fashion?

Well, you know that Nakia Key is ALWAYS on the go, for everything fashion, entertainment and celebrity news. This past week, I had the pleasure to meet with owner/founder of Lexie Steveinson Accessories, Lynsay Spratlen. Spratlen is a native of Cleveland, Ohio. She enjoys ballet dancing in her spare time. And has been in the jewelry business, working as an entrepreneur for 2 years now.

Over the previous 2 weekends, Spratlen hosted a Pop Up Shop which featured fun raffles, gifts and prizes. And, great offers as a first time client.  Check out the flyer!

Lexie Steveinson Accessories is a one-stop shop. If you are interested in making a statement, standing out and looking good, then you’ve come to the right place! It is custom-made jewelry great for gift ideas such as birthdays, holidays and special events.

To all young professionals out there and entrepreneurs it is never too late to go after your dreams! Put your best foot forward and continue to strive on.

Check out my latest interview with Lexie Steveinson here:

Basketball has to be one of the MOST competitive sports in history. In fact, it’s so competitive, that sometimes disagreements which could possibly lead to fights can transpire. Remember some of the greatest of all time always making news in the media for their outrageous antics; such as Charles Barkley, Dennis Rodman and Allen Iverson? And what about those rivals on the same team like Kobe vs. Shaq, or those always being compared to for their 3 point shot or cross-over, Kyrie vs. Steph? Those are all rivals we know of, BUT have you heard of the new rivalry of 2017? Ball vs. James?

Fox Sports news anchor, Chris Broussard recently did a podcast with Ball. He mentioned how he believes James’ children are under alot of pressure in basketball, due to their father’s success. Ball’s statement certainly struck a nerve in LBJ. According to ESPN, James was not in compliance to Ball’s opinions. He replied, “Keep my kids’ name out of your mouth. Keep my family out of your mouth. This is dad to dad, it’s a problem now.” Whoa. We have to keep watching in order to find out the outcome to this one.

Some background for those who are not familiar. Lavar Ball, father of NCAA basketball player of UCLA, Lonzo Ball is known for drawing widespread media attention. Upon his son’s rise to stardom, he made several comparisons of his son being better than NBA players like Steph Curry, Lebron James and Russell Westbrook. Ball even compared himself to thee one and only Michael Jordan. According to USA Today, Ball stated, “Back in my heyday, I would kill Michael Jordan in a one-on-one.” Really?

Now, I want to hear from you, take the poll and YOU decide. Do you agree with LBJ or Ball?

March has been coined Women’s History Month! It is an annual declared month that highlights the arts, culture, and contributions of women to events in history and present-time. Known figures such as Jane Addams, Susan B. Anthony, Josephine Baker, Helen Keller, Rosa Parks and Princess Diana to name a few are all contributing influences to this special month.

In addition, to it being Women’s History Month, one day in particular that had a positive impact was March 8th- International Women’s Day. On this day, women around the world, including celebrities such as Kerry Washington, Jane Fonda, Salma Hayek and many others were seen in RED, which was symbolic for a color of power, boldness and strength. Women were expected to be dominant by  doing something fun and exciting for themselves and celebrate who they are.

Did you know that many countries around the world also celebrate this day? Yep, it’s true. The focus of International Women’s Day is to celebrate respect, appreciation and love toward women for their many achievements especially in the working field. The main objective is to promote equality among women. This day also commemorates women’s rights. The earliest known holiday of any celebration of International Women’s Day began as early as February 1909 in New York.

Has much changed since then? Hillary Clinton thinks times have evolved, but there is STILL a strong need for change. After losing her presidency run for office in 2016 to current President Donald Trump, she encourages women all over the world to continue thriving. In a recent ceremony for an organization for young women, called Girl’s Inc., Clinton talked about never being afraid to run for office.

Remember, this time next year, mark your calendars in March for Women’s History month. Be bold, wear red, and be heard!