Nina Sky | |
---|---|
Background information | |
Born | Nicole Albino Natalie Albino March 13, 1984 Puerto Rico |
Origin | Astoria, Queens, New York City, New York, U.S. |
Genres | |
Years active | 2003 | –present
Labels |
|
Members |
|
Website | ninaskyhigh |
External audio | |
---|---|
Listen to Nina Sky's "Move Ya Body" here | |
Listen to Nina Sky's "Play That Song" here |
Nina Sky is a Puerto Rican-born musical duo based in the United States, consisting of identical twins Nicole and Natalie Albino. Their debut single "Move Ya Body", released from their self-titled debut album in 2004, was a success, reaching number four on the Billboard Hot 100. Their most recent album, Nicole and Natalie , was released in July 2012. [3]
The Albino sisters were born on March 13, 1984 [4] in Puerto Rico, with Natalie being the older twin. Their parents later moved to New York City and divorced when the girls were young. The sisters grew up in Astoria, Queens in the Marine Terrace area. As a result of their stepfather working as a DJ, the twins were influenced by different types of music at an early age. By the age of 7, the twins had already written their first song, titled "Sisters". By 10, they knew that they wanted to become singers. [5] When they were 13, they learned how to DJ and two years later were playing concerts in many clubs.
The sisters wanted to devise a band name of their own, so they used the first two syllables of their names ("Ni" and "Na"), to come up with Nina. They then added Sky, which for them represented "independent twins". [6]
In 2003, The Jettsonz (Elijah Wells & Lionel Bermingham) introduced the girls to Cipha Sounds, a hip hop DJ under the Star Trak label owned by the Neptunes (Pharrell and Chad Hugo). Cipha Sounds was impressed when he heard the duo sing and suggested that they use the "Coolie Dance" riddim. The duo then proceeded to write "Move Ya Body" (alongside the Jettsonz Elijah Wells & Lionel Bermingham, who also produced the record), mixing Caribbean, R&B, and pop rhythms. Eventually, a demo of the song was made. The demo fell into the hands of Eddie O'Loughlin, the president of Next Plateau Entertainment (which is a division of Universal Records). O'Loughlin signed the twins to a contract and they started working on their debut album. On March 18, 2004, they had their first concert under their current name at Club Demara.
The single "Move Ya Body" was released on April 27, 2004 and reached number four on the Billboard Hot 100, and number 22 on the Billboard Year-End chart. [7] Urban music and rhythmic top 40 stations quickly added the song to their play lists, sending the song up the charts. On June 22, 2004 they released their first self-titled album, featuring Jabba and Betty Wright. [8] The album charted at #44 on the US Billboard 200 and number four on the U.S. R&B chart. Another single from the album, titled "Turnin' Me On," was released on November 30, 2004. It did not achieve the same success as "Move Ya Body", but charted at #5 on Billboard's Bubbling Under Hot 100 chart and was a minor success in France.
Nina Sky continued to work and promote their music. They have contributed to the reggaeton movement with songs such as "Oye Mi Canto", and "Más Maíz" with artist and producer N.O.R.E. They were also a featured artist on Sean Paul's song "Connection" from his album The Trinity .
On October 25, 2005, they released their second mixtape called La Conexión , influenced by Latin music. The album contained the single "Ladies Night" (released April 17, 2006 and featuring Ivy Queen), released with the songs "Loving You" and "Your Time". It also contained Kassanova's remix of their single "Turnin' Me On". The album features artists such as Pitbull, N.O.R.E., Notch, Richie Rivera, Mackie, and Yaga. It also includes Tony Touch's hit "Play That Song", featuring Nina Sky and B-Real, released one month before the mixtape's release. In August 2006, Nina Sky were first featured on the cover of the publication The FADER, in its 39th issue. [9] In 2006, their third mixtape 80's Babies was released.
Nina Sky collaborated with French singer Kenza Farah for the song "Celle Qu'Il Te Faut", and was released in both French and English versions. The video was shot in New York. Nina Sky recorded their second studio album, Starting Today. The album was originally due on July 27, 2007. Producers include Stereotypes, Bruno & Phil, Neo da Matrix, Ryan Leslie, Salaam Remi, and more. Guests include Rick Ross and others that have yet to be announced. In late 2007, Nina Sky left their label, Universal, and signed with Polo Grounds Music/J Records.
Nina Sky have also put together remixes of popular songs including J. Holiday's "Bed", Elliott Yamin's "Wait for You", Cassidy's "My Drink n My 2 Step", and The-Dream's "I Love Your Girl". They have also worked with Brooklyn MC Red Cafe on his street album The Co-Op, and The Alchemist on his song "Key to the City". In 2008, Nina Sky released two singles, from Starting Today: "Curtain Call" (featuring Rick Ross) and "On Some Bulls**t"; both were not a big success. On December 19, 2008, Nina Sky released their first holiday album, an EP titled Christmas.
Nina Sky appeared on Major Lazer's album, Guns Don't Kill People... Lazers Do . They were in a battle with their record company Polo Grounds over the release of their album Starting Today. They said they wanted to be released from their contract with the label due to the label not supporting them. [10] In 2010, Nicole Albino revealed she is lesbian and married female fashion designer, Erin Magee. [11] The couple had been dating since 2009. In an interview with Inked Magazine, Magee revealed that she had her last name legally changed to Nicole's and had gotten a tattoo of the name across her right breast. [11] With a new masculine style, the duo independently released an eight-song EP for digital download in August 2010, entitled The Other Side , which features production from DJ Yonny, Salaam Remi, Kidz in the Hall and many more. [12] A video for the lead single, "You Ain't Got It (Funk That)" was also released. In early 2011, they worked with Creep on their song "You". On May 16, they released the music video on their official website. [13]
On February 2, 2012, Nina Sky released the lead single from their upcoming third studio album, Nicole and Natalie . The single, entitled "Day Dreaming", was produced by Beau Vallis. The video for the song, directed by Adam Sauermilch, was released on February 28. On June 14, the band released "Heartbeat", the second single from the new album. A month later, on July 27, the video for "Heartbeat" was released. Concerning the video, the band stated: "We knew we wanted it to be more about the feeling of the song and less about the story. The colors, environment, and everyone dancing in their own element creates this surreal feeling of freedom. It’s just about listening to the rhythm inside you and letting that rhythm guide you." [14] On July 31, the album was released. [15] [16] Songs on the album contain electro, house, pop and R&B elements. The album failed to chart because of its independent release. On October 14, 2012, Nina Sky released third and final single from the album, "Comatose". In 2012, they finally signed out from the label Polo Grounds/J Records.
On June 9, 2012, Nina Sky performed at OUT/LOUD Queer Women's Music Festival in Eugene, Oregon along with artists such as Krudas Cubensi, Tender Forever and Andrea Gibson. Later, on November 15, Nina Sky hosted Women in Business' fourth annual "Dress for Success" fashion show at Baruch College. On March 11, 2013, group released their sixth mixtape, titled Valentine's Day, hosted by Miss KL. On December 12, group released their new promotional single titled "Overtime" for digital download. The song was produced by Slimmy Neutron, who produced their album Nicole and Natalie, released in 2012.
On March 9, 2014, Natalie Albino gave birth to her son, Max. In the same month, Nicole released her first solo project, a mixtape album titled Currently Vol. 1 which contains her remixes of many popular songs by singers such as Madonna, Beyoncé, R. Kelly, Mariah Carey, etc. On April 17, they announced a new single via their official Facebook site. One day later, their new song "Stoners", featuring Smoke DZA was released; this had better success than the previous one, released in 2013. The official music video for the single was released on July 25, via their official profiles. The extended remix for the song, made by Trayze, was also released. After the music video was released, they announced more new music and new projects coming in 2015. On October 22, 2014, Nina Sky featured on Lady Bee's single "Do It All Again" from the album What Is a Jeffree? together with a music video. [17] After finishing their European Tour in May 2015, on June 2, their Vito Fun and Spaceplant-produced electropop single titled "Forever" was released. "We wanted something that was smooth but also had a bounce," Nina Sky told The FADER in an email. "Spaceplant finessed the verses with a modern '90s freestyle beat pattern and built up the hook just enough that the song still has its original sweet vibe but if you drop it at the right time in a club, it will still go off!" the twins added. [18] A new album title Brightest Gold was announced in 2015, but was never released. In 2016, the twins signed a recording contract with Warner Music Group's independent recording label Tommy Boy Entertainment.
John David Jackson, better known by his stage name Fabolous, is an American rapper. Raised in Brooklyn, he first gained recognition for his ability upon performing live on DJ Clue's Hot 97 radio show. Jackson then signed to Clue's record label Desert Storm Records, in a joint venture with Elektra Records. He rose to further prominence with his debut studio album Ghetto Fabolous (2001), which spawned the hit singles "Can't Deny It" and "Young'n ." Adopting a further commercially-oriented approach, his second album, Street Dreams (2003), was supported by the singles "Can't Let You Go" and "Into You" —both of which peaked at number four on the Billboard Hot 100.
Nina Sky is the debut studio album by Puerto Rican girl group Nina Sky. The album was released on June 22, 2004, in the United States and a week later worldwide. It debuted at number 44 on the US Billboard 200 and sold 341,000 copies according to Nielsen Soundscan. The lead single "Move Ya Body" received a Gold Certification from Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). The second single was "Turnin' Me On", but did not match the success of "Move Ya Body".
Hakeem Temidayo Seriki, better known by his stage name Chamillionaire, is an American rapper. He began his career with locally-tailored releases in the early 2000s, and signed with Houston's Paid in Full Entertainment to release the collaborative album Get Ya Mind Correct (2002) with labelmate and hometown native Paul Wall. He signed with Universal Records in 2005 and released his debut studio album, The Sound of Revenge in November of that year to commercial success. It was supported by the singles "Ridin'" —which peaked atop the Billboard Hot 100 and won a Grammy Award for Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group—and "Turn It Up". His second album, Ultimate Victory (2007) was met with continued success; it became notable for its lack of profanity and lead single "Hip Hop Police" —as well as its accompanying music video. His pop rap 2009 single, "Good Morning" peaked within the top 40 of the Billboard Hot 100 was intended to lead his third album Venom, which was ultimately never released.
Lavell William Crump, better known by his stage name David Banner, is an American rapper, record producer, and actor.
Shareese Renée Ballard, known professionally as Res, is an American singer from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
"Oye Mi Canto" is a reggaeton single by N.O.R.E. The song was originally released in 2004 as the lead single from the album 1 Fan a Day, which was heretofore unreleased. It is his second biggest hit, peaking at number 12 on the Billboard Hot 100. It was later included on the 2006 album N.O.R.E. y la Familia...Ya Tú Sabe. The song features Nina Sky and reggaeton artists Gem Star, Daddy Yankee and Big Mato. The song originally featured Tego Calderón in place of Daddy Yankee but was later changed for the video. However, the Tego version was released by famous reggaeton label Planet Records Italy, instead of Island Def Jam, N.O.R.E.'s original label. It's N.O.R.E.'s first venture into the increasingly popular Latin genre reggaeton.
"Move Ya Body" is a song by American musical duo Nina Sky. It was released on April 12, 2004, as the lead single from their self-titled debut album (2004). The song became the duo's only solo single to reach the top 40 of the Billboard Hot 100. The song was ranked at number 250 on Blender's "500 Greatest Songs Since You Were Born" and is well known for the use of the recurring ostinato on the bongos known as the "Coolie Dance" riddim. This has been the subject and musical motif of many musical samples.
"Play That Song" is a song by Puerto Rican-American rapper and record producer Tony Touch from his debut Spanish-language reggaetón album and third overall studio album The ReggaeTony Album (2005). It features guest vocals from Puerto Rican-American female duo Nina Sky and American rapper B-Real. The track was written by Natalie Albino, Nicole Albino, Vladimir Felix, Louis Freeze, Stephen Hague, Joseph Hernandez, Malcolm McLaren, Ronald Larkins, Robert Andrews and Tyrone Price. It was released digitally on September 25, 2005 as the lead single from the album, preceding "Saca La Semilla" with Ivy Queen and Gran Omar.
"Hold You Down" is a song by American hip hop musician The Alchemist featuring fellow rappers Prodigy and Illa Ghee and musical duo Nina Sky. It was released on October 19, 2004 via Koch Records as the lead single from the Alchemist's debut studio album 1st Infantry. Recording sessions took place at The Lab in New York City. Production was handled by the Alchemist himself, who utilised a sample from Al Kooper's "Love Theme". The music video was directed by Estevan Oriol.
Algernod Lanier Washington, better known by his stage name Plies, is an American rapper. Born in Fort Myers, Florida, Plies was a wide receiver on the Miami Redskins football team of Miami University in Ohio for two years in 1995 before embarking on a musical career. After a brief transfer to University of Central Florida, he dropped out and signed with the South Florida-based record label Slip-n-Slide Records in 2004; after four mixtapes, he signed a joint venture with Atlantic Records two years later.
"Turnin' Me On" is the second single from duo Nina Sky's debut album. It was written by Nicole Albino, Natalie Albino, David Shayman, Cipha Sounds and Dwayne Chin-Quee. The song uses Black Chiney's Kopa riddim. The single was released on 30 November 2004 for digital download and CD. It was released as the second and final single from their self-titled debut album. It was a minor hit in France and the United States, failing to chart on the US Billboard Hot 100. "Turnin' Me On" served as the final release by Nina Sky through Universal Records, before the label got defunct in 2005 and the duo moved to Polo Grounds Music.
Antoine Franklin McColister, known professionally Ace Hood, is an American rapper. Born in Port St. Lucie and raised in Deerfield Beach, Florida, he was discovered by DJ Khaled and became the first act to sign with his record label, We the Best Music Group in 2008. Released in a joint venture with Def Jam Recordings, his debut studio album, Gutta (2008) was met with mild critical and commercial reception, but yielded his first Billboard Hot 100 entry, "Ride".
Bobby Ray Simmons Jr., known professionally as B.o.B, is an American rapper, singer, and record producer. Raised in Decatur, Georgia, Simmons signed with producer Jim Jonsin through his Rebel Rock Entertainment label in 2006. Two years later, he signed a joint venture recording contract with fellow Georgia rapper T.I.'s Grand Hustle Records, an imprint of Atlantic Records. Following his major-label deal, Simmons quickly achieved commercial success when his 2009 debut single, "Nothin' on You", peaked the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 chart and received three nominations—Record of the Year, Best Rap Song, and Best Rap/Sung Collaboration—at the 53rd Grammy Awards.
Far East Movement is an American hip hop and electronic music group based in Los Angeles, composed of Kev Nish, Prohgress, J-Splif, Jon Street, Ray Ro, DJ Virman, and Jerm Beats. They signed with Martin Kierszenbaum's Cherrytree Records, an imprint of Interscope Records to release their 2010 single, "Like a G6" which peaked at #1 on the Billboard Hot 100, making them the first Asian American group to reach number one on the chart. Their follow up single, "Rocketeer", peaked at number seven and led their third album and major label debut, Free Wired (2010). It performed moderately on the Billboard 200, while their fourth album, Dirty Bass (2012) saw a steep commercial decline, although its lead single, "Live My Life" reached number 24 on the Billboard Hot 100.
Locnville is a South African electro hop music duo. Identical twin brothers Andrew and Brian Chaplin formed Locnville in Cape Town, South Africa, in 2009. The twins are singer-songwriters, song producers and musicians, in addition to being guitarists, drummers and business entrepreneurs.
"You Ain't Got It (Funk That)" (also titled as "You Ain't Got It" and stylized as "YOU AIN'T GOT IT!") is a song by American pop duo Nina Sky. It was released as the main single from their second EP The Other Side on July 8, 2010. The song samples Sagat's 1994 minor-hit "Funk Dat". On their EP, there is a remix, featuring MeLo-X. The song was one of the first songs recorded for album.
Nicole and Natalie is the second studio album by the New York City-based duo Nina Sky. It was released on July 31, 2012. Three singles were released from the album: "Day Dreaming", "Heartbeat" and "Comatose". One of the most known songs from the album is the opening track "Starting Today". The song was recorded in 2007 for their unreleased album with the same name. On February 2, 2012, Nina Sky released the lead single from their upcoming second studio album, Nicole and Natalie. The single, entitled "Day Dreaming", was produced by Beau Vallis. The video for the song, directed by Adam Sauermilch, was released on February 28. On June 14, the band released "Heartbeat", the second single from the new album. A month later, on July 27, the video for "Heartbeat" was released. Concerning the video, the band stated: "We knew we wanted it to be more about the feeling of the song and less about the story. The colors, environment, and everyone dancing in their own element creates this surreal feeling of freedom. It’s just about listening to the rhythm inside you and letting that rhythm guide you." On July 31 the album was released. On June 9, 2012, Nina Sky also performed at OUT/LOUD Queer Women's Music Festival in Eugene, Oregon alongside artists such as Krudas Cubensi, Tender Forever and Andrea Gibson.
La Conexión is a mixtape recorded by Puerto Rican-American girl group Nina Sky. It was released on October 21, 2005, in United States and four days later worldwide through La Conexión Music and Traffic Records, one year after their debut self-titled studio album. It features appearances by musicians such as N.O.R.E., Tony Touch, B-Real, Ivy Queen, Pitbull, Lil Jon, Richie Rivera, Yaga & Mackie, Aventura and Notch. Special edition of the album was also released in October 2005. It contained one bonus track and an exclusive bonus DVD. The duo said that they gave the album title La Conexión because they feel connection to Latin music and culture, Puerto Rican food, Spanish language etc. while embracing their Puerto Rican roots. La Conexión failed to chart anywhere, but its lead single "Play That Song" was success. La Conexión was produced by twins themselves, Mysto & Pizzi, DJ Sonic and DJ Blass.
Durk Devontay Banks, known professionally as Lil Durk, is an American rapper. Regarded as a preeminent artist in the Chicago-based hip hop subgenre drill music, Banks has been cited as one of its pioneers. He initially garnered local success with the release of his Signed to the Streets mixtape series (2013–2014), which led to him to sign with Def Jam Recordings. The label released his debut studio album, Remember My Name (2015), and its follow-up, Lil Durk 2X (2016), to moderate commercial reception before parting ways with the rapper in 2018.
Kimetrius Christopher Foose, known by his stage name Lil Skies, is an American rapper and singer-songwriter from Waynesboro, Pennsylvania. He signed with Atlantic Records in 2017 to release the hit singles "I", "Nowadays", and "Red Roses." The songs peaked at numbers 39, 55, and 69 respectively on the Billboard Hot 100. His major label debut mixtape, Life of a Dark Rose (2018) peaked at number ten on the Billboard 200 chart and received platinum certification by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). His debut studio album Shelby (2019) and its follow up Unbothered (2021) followed thereafter, peaking respectively at numbers five and 50 on the chart.
{{cite AV media notes}}
: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)