Newcomer Nnena Is Unapologetically Telling It Like It Is

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Issa Rae and J.J. Abrams. These Hollywood sign-offs are fitting for the Cleveland native, as she actually got her start crafting mellow musings on the pain and glory of relationships while writing scripts for film projects.

Nnena’s journey into music started unexpectedly as a student at Ohio HBCU Wilberforce University when a season of heartbreak and tragedy led the promising young college ballplayer to turn away from her beloved sport. “The guy I was dating [at the time] got married on me, and I remember my best friend passing away around the same time,” she shared. “So I wound up quitting.

I can remember me and my coach, we were just crying because I didn’t want to tell her what happened. [Partly because] I was embarrassed, but [also because] I didn’t have any control over this shit.”With stress and emotional turmoil rattling her focus and amplifying her aggression on the court, Nnena felt forced to step away from the sport and find another way to channel her feelings. “I needed something to direct this energy at, but not towards anybody,” she said. “I would just do funny-ass skits on Instagram and I would post them.

Then I got the opportunity to create a show through school,” she shared. “I’d never written a show before, so that was just new.