Imani

The pathway to musical genius can be quite elusive. But its hallmarks are unmistakable: an unparalleled artistic practice and the unique potential to change the course of music across genres. Vetted by the likes of Fred Jerkins III and decorated with a Grammy nomination – all by age 19, it’s an understatement to say that the young singer/ songwriter/ producer Imani (Imani Pressley) is a musical genius in the making. And with her effortlessly blends mellifluous elements of Pop and R&B, she is undoubtedly poised to make waves in the music industry. The North Carolina native began her musical journey as a child producing songs at the tender age of nine. As time went on, Imani found herself torn between this nascent hobby and what was ultimately her first love: basketball. “I played all day, all night,” she laughs. “My mom had to yell down the street to get me to come in the house.” Over time, Imani became enamored with her father’s pre production set up. “He had a drum machine,” she recalls. “I would watch him hook it up and ask about it. Eventually he showed me how to set it up.” With her parents’ experience as former members of a local R&B band, it seemed that a musical blueprint was embedded in Imani’s DNA. And over the course of the next few years, it became evident that she was destined to expand on that blueprint and make her own mark on the industry at large. With basketball on the backburner, Imani committed herself to learning the ins and outs of music production and songwriting. Spending time as a de facto apprentice in the recording studio of a relative and playing drums in her church buttressed the lessons learned from her parents. Her impressive breadth of knowledge gained during this period of incubation was evidenced when she released her debut album at age 14 entitled I Ain’t Ashamed To Praise God. The dynamic album, a menagerie of 10 original gospel and inspirational compositions infused with elements of hip hop lyricism, showcased Imani’s precocious engineering, nascent instrumentation, budding songwriting abilities, soulful vocal dexterity, and commendable music production skills. Received with critical acclaim, the album afforded Imani multiple opportunities to develop a live show via offers to perform at various churches in the region. It was clear that Imani had tapped into something special. “Everyone was impressed that I was able to sing, rap, produce, and play everything,” she recalls. “The album even sold out. To be honest, I didn’t know what I was doing. But it seemed to connect with everybody. That’s really where I got my start as an artist.” Imani soon set her sights on Atlanta, one of the South’s undeniable music meccas. Grammy & Dove Award-nominated producer | Artist/Songwriter. Visit http://iamimani.com for more information. SnapChat: imanichat