Nadia Nakai Kandava Shines In The Diaspora

25/02/2020Last Updated: 25/02/2020

163 1 minute read

Real name Nadia Nakai Kandava, is a South African artists with a trace of Zimbabwean descent. She was born on 18 May 1990. Her love for hip-hop and rap music began when she was 16 years old.

She has since collaborated with popular artistes like Ice Prince and Kwesta.

Nadia burst onto the music scene in the early 2000s. She appeared on e.tv’s hip-hop show, Shiz Niz, and became the first female rapper to win the show’s Mixtape 101 competition.

She released her debut single, Like Me, in 2013 under Sid Records – a label owned by fellow musician Psyfo (now known as Sidwell).

Nadia released two more songs under the label before signing with Cassper Nyovest’s Family Tree. Cassper helped Nadia drop her biggest hit to date, Naaa Mean in 2017.

She has collaborated with artists such as Riky Rick, Gemini Major and Ice Prince.

Six years after releasing her first single, Nadia finally dropped her highly anticipated debut album, Nadia Naked in June 2019.

The offering features some of the biggest names in Africa including Khuli Chana, Ycee, Lady Zamar, Tshego, Sio and of course Casper Nyovest.

English rapper Stefflon Don also makes an appearance.

Nadia is often compared to Lil Kim and Nicki Minaj but she is adamant that she is not trying to imitate the American rappers, and instead is forging her own unique path in the industry.