In her version of Jay-Z’s “Excuse Me Miss,” Nights brings us back to the turn of the millennium. Styled in an argyle sweater vest, glasses, box braids and skirt, she sits on bleachers at a park as she breaks a portable CD player out of her backpack. She then proceeds to spit lyrics about a lavish lifestyle over The Neptunes’ multi-platinum production.
Of all of the videos she’s posted so far, Nights’ version of DMX’s “How’s It Going Down” has garnered the most attention. With hundreds of thousands of views across multiple platforms, she clearly tapped into something that the people like.
“With the DMX freestyle,” says Nights during a recent call, “I kind of switched it up a little bit by incorporating more acting.” She says she was intentional about bringing more of “a cinematic feel” to the production.
The video opens with the instrumental thumping as the words “Oakland, CA 1998” appear on the screen. Nights, standing at a corner on the cusp of Oakland’s Chinatown, recites a verse full of clever cadences and nimble rhyme schemes. While the bars are one thing, the aesthetic of the video is where she wins: Donning big bamboo earrings and a pair of baggy jeans, she uses a pay phone to act as if the verse is a message to a man on the other end of the line. The music video is even shot with a darkened filter, creating moody lighting similar to that of the original video, directed by Hype Williams.
Nights was a baby when many of her reference tracks dropped, but through the guidance of her mother, she’s been set on the right path. And now with her own music, Nights is looking to be a continuation of that vibe.
“I just want to bring them back to a time that felt good for them,” Nights says, referring to folks who miss the music of the late ’90s and early ’00s. “Back when it wasn’t just about Instagram or social media in general, when it was just a fun time.”
A student of the game since she was a child, Nights looked up to Nicki Minaj’s music when she was in 5th grade . Aware of other women in the rap game — Lil Kim, Foxy Brown, Eve and others who predated Minaj — Nights fell in love with Nicki’s rhyme patterns and voice inflections.
In fact, Nights wrote her very first rap to the sound of “Dear Old Nicki,” off Minaj’s Pink Friday album.
Now 26, Nights sees that by paying homage to the people who influenced her she can explore another layer of her own artistry. And the listeners appreciate her doing so. “I found a way to kind of grab the audience’s attention,” says Nights, “by showing them another piece of me.”
After dropping her 2022 solo album of all original music, titled Thank Me Now, and putting out two mixtape projects in subsequent years (Full Package: Act I in 2023 and Full Package: Act II earlier this year), Nights is on the verge of dropping more tracks for her fans.
“We have another Full Package: Act III,” she says. “We don’t have a specific [release] date yet, but it’s done.“
As buzz around her name grows, Nights’ layers of talent continue to show. Earlier this year she performed her original song “From, Your Daughter” on the major music video platform On The Radar. A month later she was featured on the song and in the movie-like music video for DaBoyDame’s “Grand Finale” track, alongside E-40, Symba and Chippass.
