DMV Artist Limelight: Dej Nicole

Right now, we are in an era of breeding brand new artists, talents, and creatives across the DMV. When I say “DMV”, I do not just mean DC, Prince George’s County, or Northern Virginia, I mean the whole entire DMV from Norfolk to DC to Baltimore to the Eastern Shore.

Today I would like to introduce you all to Deja Nicole, an R&B Singer & Songwriter from Newport News, VA. Growing up Deja was sung in her church/school choir and participate in local talent shows throughout her years in grade school. Her inspiration, love, and passion for much we’re influenced by no other than Alicia Keys. Deja had the pleasure of speaking with us as we learned more about her and talked about her latest single “Work On Me“.

Q: Who inspired you to make music?

Deja Nicole: Alicia Keys is my inspiration for music. Her beautiful singing mixed with her piano skills is what opened my eyes to music.

Q:  How would you describe the music that you typically create?

Deja Nicole: The music I make is about real-life situations. They mainly come from my own experience or others, dealing with relationships, childhood trauma, and the pain I’ve encountered.

Q:  Can you tell us about your latest project and talk about the inspiration and meaning behind it?

Deja Nicole: I am currently working on my EP that will be coming soon. My inspiration and meaning behind it are I know love may hurt but you have to know your worth and focus on yourself.

Q:  What is your creative process like?

Deja Nicole: I like a quiet room to set the mood for the preparation of the song. I sing different melodies and harmonies as the beat plays to get a feel of the song and what it’s going to be about. Once I get a topic I start writing and analyze my lyrics as I go.

Q:  Tell us about the first song you have ever written?

Deja Nicole: The first song I ever wrote was in 9th grade about a boy I had a crush on.

Q:  Who would you most like to collaborate with?

Deja Nicole: I would love to collaborate with Jhene Aiko

Q:  Tell us about to new single “Work On Me”?

Deja Nicole: “Work On Me” is about a boy that’s not happy but he wants a relationship with his girl but is a distraction to her and she just wants to focus on herself. She is tired of all the lies and cheating so she’s fed up.

Q:  What is one message you would give to your fans?

Deja Nicole: Go after what you want in life. Don’t let others hold you back from getting where you want to be in life. Focus on your dreams and goals, have faith, and work hard.

Q:  What would you be doing right now, if it wasn’t for your music career?

Deja Nicole: I am currently working a full-time job with side hustles to be able to leave my job and focus on my career.

Q:  Where have you performed?

Deja Nicole: I have performed at a nightclub in my city called Charmed Lounge and I also have performed at a community event.

Q:  Which famous musician(s) do you admire?

Deja Nicole: Jhene Aiko, Tink, and Alicia Keys

Q:  What challenges have you encounter since being a music artist and how have you overcome them?

Deja Nicole: Perusing music production is the main key to your music. If production doesn’t work, nothing does. Starting off my music wasn’t flowing fast enough for me. I had to re-record the same songs over and over. We had to go through different producers until we found the one for me. All producers don’t work with singers so when we found Thomas (my engineer) my music started coming out faster.

Q:  What is the best advice you’ve been given?

Deja Nicole: The best advice given to me has been to just chase your dreams no matter how big or small they are. Of course, you will have haters along the way but that means your doing something right. Don’t let anyone discourage you, be who you want to be.

Q:  What’s next for you?

Deja Nicole: Well, I will continue to push my EP out, and then after that, I will jump into Album mode. I’m ready to grow my following and give the world relatable music to vibe to. I will be shooting two more videos one for my EP and one for a single I have coming out. I will also be working on two tracks for Shiino Production films.

Be sure to check out Deja Nicole’s new video for her single “Work On Me“, the first single off her upcoming EP.