Nessa Preppy is ending the year with purpose with her forthcoming debut album, “Art of Flex”.
The album, set to be released sometime in early December or January, promises to show a different side of Nessa, while simultaneously maintaining her signature sound and vibe.
We spoke to the “Doh Wah Love” songstress via Zoom in November where she gave some insight into what we can expect from her first album. The body of work, like Nessa, is an eclectic mix of sounds including R&B, soca, hip-hop, and dancehall and is mainly produced by London Future, who was also featured on one of the album’s tracks “So High” along with Boy Boy. Two other singles are also currently out including “Dollars” featuring Prince Swanny.
The album’s name is also a nod to her 2017 single by the same name, also produced by London Future. “It was the first song we produced together so we decided to name the album “Art of Flex” to commemorate this body of work we created together,” she explained.
“This album has been two years in the making, it’s dear to my heart and I really can’t wait for people to see this side of me,” she revealed. “The album is like what ‘Issa Snack‘ says, it’s a different kind of vibe; it’s a different side of Nessa Preppy but still has the authentic Nessa sound that fans love. I love my fans, I love them for always supporting the music, supporting the movement, supporting me.”
While she didn’t give too much away, she told us that the album is a story of her journey, an evolution of her sound and how she’s come into her own as a musical artist.
Indeed, Nessa has never fitted the industry mold of the what a soca should be and sound. Since the start of her career, her atypical sound has made her distinct from her counterparts. Critics, however, have knocked her for the way she speaks.
“I’ve been told to tone down at times,” she revealed. “People have said they wanted me to meet with someone to learn how to speak in interviews”. In bucking industry standards, she’s not owned her personality but her authenticity has also endeared her all the more to her fans. “Going into music, I never felt like I had to put on a show or not be myself.
“I think there are a lot of women that see themselves in me and resonate with who I am as a person and as an artist and I think they feel like people don’t cater to them as a demographic. This is why I chose to be myself, and, in interacting with fans, they always say that they can relate to me as a person.
“A lot of people say they have to find themselves, find their personality and find the thing about them that makes them different. I’ve always tried to be daring and I love to experiment a lot even with soca I patterned that same method for the album.”
Outside of her music, Nessa hinted at other potential business ventures. Notoriously open marijuana, she indicated that she’s interested in turning her love for marijuana into a business.
“It’s definitely been a thought, I have some discussions in the works right now. I believe once you have a love of something you can turn it into something beneficial for others. It’s a growing but booming industry in the Caribbean, and I think it will become one of the largest industries of all time.”
“Art of Flex” will be available on all streaming platforms. Follow Nessa Preppy on Instagram for updates and YouTube for more videos.
