Vents MagaZine Music and Entertainment Magazine
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1. Hi Nzinga, welcome to VENTS! How have you been?
Hey Hey!! I’ve been great! Feeling blessed and highly favored. Happy to chat with you all.
2. Fans know you as Angela on Zatima and from Sistas. What inspired you to step into music now and introduce this new layer of yourself?
True, many fans first met me through acting on Zatima and Tyler Perry’s Sistas, but music has actually been one of my first loves for a long time. Singing has always been a part of who I am and the content I release. Music was just something I hadn’t shared with the world on this scale yet. Stepping into music now felt like the right moment creatively and spiritually. I’m in a season where I’m embracing every facet of who I am as an artist, and I didn’t want to limit myself to just one lane. Acting allows me to step into characters, but music lets people hear my own voice, my emotions, and my perspective. My debut single Drown really represents that shift. It’s sensual, emotional, and confident, and it felt like the perfect introduction to this new chapter. For me, this is about expanding the story and allowing people to experience more of who I am creatively.
3. “Drown” has a sultry, Afrobeats-inspired sound. How did your Caribbean roots shape the rhythm, tone, and energy of your debut single?
My Caribbean roots definitely influenced the rhythm and energy of “Drown”. My parents are from Guyana, so growing up there were always sounds rooted in rhythm and movement like dancehall, soca, reggae, and Afrobeats. That kind of music naturally lives in your body, so when I started creating my own, it felt authentic to lean into a groove that feels sensual, fluid, and easy to move to. With Drown, I wanted something that felt hypnotic and confident. I wanted something you could sway to without even realizing it. The Afrobeats-inspired sound allowed me to bring that Caribbean warmth and rhythm into the record while still telling a story. It felt like the perfect way to introduce this side of me as an artist.
4. You timed the release of the video around your birthday and Valentine’s Day. Was that like symbolic — a celebration of love, rebirth, or both?
Releasing the video for Drown around my birthday and Valentine’s Day was definitely intentional. My birthday (2/11) always feels like a personal reset for me. It is a time to reflect, celebrate growth, and step into a new version of myself. As an Aquarius, I tend to think about evolution and reinvention, so it felt like the perfect moment to introduce this new chapter of my artistry. Valentine’s Day added another layer to it because Drown really explores passion, connection, and vulnerability. So in a way it was both a celebration of love, but also a bit of a rebirth creatively.
5. The music video, directed by GawdsVision, is pretty vibrant and seductive, with some really standout choreography by Diddi Emah. How involved were you in shaping the visual narrative?
I’m very hands-on when it comes to anything that visually represents me, so I was deeply involved in shaping the entire vision for the video for Drown. While it was directed by Matthew Gibson aka GawdsVision (whom I love to collaborate with), I actually served as the creative director behind every choice. I selected the locations myself and was intentional about the overall mood, color palette, and composition so the visuals would match the sensual, hypnotic energy of the song.
Every outfit, hairstyle, and makeup look was also chosen and executed by me. I really believe visuals are an extension of the storytelling, so I wanted each element to feel deliberate and cohesive. Then bringing in the choreography by Diddi Emah, who I greatly admire and trust when it comes to understanding my vision as an artist, added that final layer of movement and attitude that helped bring the whole vision to life. For me, being involved in those details is important because it ensures everything truly reflects who I am as an artist.
6. As someone already established in fashion and as the founder of Nimani, how does your sense of style influence your presence as a music artist?
Fashion has always been a huge part of how I express myself creatively, so it naturally carries over into my work as a music artist. As the founder of NiMANi, I’m used to thinking about how style tells a story. I know colors, textures, and silhouettes can communicate confidence, mood, and personality before you even say a word. That same mindset influences how I approach visuals, performances, and even the overall aesthetic around my music.
For me, style is an extension of the music. Whether it’s a music video, a stage moment, or a photoshoot, I want the fashion to help amplify the emotion and energy of the record. It’s all part of building a full experience around the music and showing different facets of who I am creatively.
7. Acting requires you to embody a character. Singing — especially on a sensual track like “Drown” — feels more personal. Did stepping into music feel more vulnerable?
Absolutely. Acting and music are two very different kinds of vulnerability. When I’m acting on shows or films like Zatima, Tyler Perry’s Sistas, or Friend Zone, I’m stepping into the mindset and emotions of a character. There’s a layer of separation there because the audience is experiencing someone else’s story.With music, especially on a track like “Drown”, there is really nowhere to hide. It’s my voice, my energy, and my perspective. That definitely requires a different level of vulnerability, but it’s also incredibly freeing. It allows me to share parts of myself that people may not see through acting alone and connect with listeners in a more personal way.
8. Afrobeats carries global momentum right now. Did you feel pressure to follow trends, or did the sound come naturally from your identity?
Afrobeats definitely has incredible global momentum right now, but for me the sound came very naturally. Being Guyanese, I grew up around music and music rhythms of reggae, dancehall, soca, so leaning into that kind of groove on “Drown” didn’t feel like following a trend, it felt authentic to who I am. Of course I’m aware of what’s happening globally in music, but my goal was never to chase a moment. I wanted the song to feel sensual, rhythmic, and true to my cultural influences. If anything, it was about honoring those roots while introducing my own sound.
9. What did you learn about yourself creatively during the making of “Drown” that you didn’t know before?
Making Drown taught me that I don’t have to show everything all at once. As a vocalist, there can sometimes be this pressure to immediately prove your range or do vocal gymnastics on every track. But with this record, I realized it was more important to serve the mood and the vibe of the song rather than try to showcase my entire vocal ability right out of the gate. Drown is meant to feel sensual and hypnotic, so the delivery is more about tone and feeling than big runs or powerhouse moments. That was actually a really freeing realization for me creatively. I definitely have more up my sleeve vocally, but I’ve learned to appreciate letting the music lead and allowing those bigger moments to come when the song truly calls for them.
10. With a full-length EP slated for later this year, can we expect a continuation of this sensual energy — or will we see different sides of Nzinga sonically?
The sensual energy you hear in Drown will definitely still exist in the project, but the EP will show a lot more sides of me sonically. Drown was really an introduction to the vibe and mood I wanted to start with, but I’m excited for people to hear the range of emotions, sounds, and storytelling that’s coming next.
I never want to box myself into just one lane. The EP will explore different energies. Some records may still feel sultry and rhythmic, while others lean more into storytelling, emotion, or stronger vocal moments. It’s really about giving listeners a fuller picture of who I am as an artist and all the many sides of Nzinga Imani.
11. You’re balancing acting, modeling, entrepreneurship, and now music. How do you define success in this next chapter — charts, impact, creative freedom, or something else?
For me, success in this next chapter is really about creative freedom and impact. I’m grateful for everything I’ve built through acting, modeling, and building my brand with NiMANi. Music allows me to express a different side of myself artistically. Being able to explore all of those spaces without feeling boxed into just one lane is a huge part of what success looks like for me.
Of course things like charts and numbers are amazing milestones, but what matters most to me is creating work that connects with people and feels authentic. If I can continue to grow creatively, inspire others to embrace all the different parts of who they are, and build something meaningful along the way, that’s the real win.
