Pop songwriter and vocalist Nnenna Yvonne Okpala was born in Nigeria and, while still young, moved with her family to New York. She studied at LaGuardia High School for the Performing Arts, despite a lengthy commute from her Long Island home, and released her first EP, 2010's IAMDTOX-produced Model Citizen, prior to relocating to Los Angeles. For a brief period, she was aligned with Interscope, which issued the 2011 single "Go Around." Through an association with Thump, Universal, and her own Blue Magic label, she released her first proper album, The Evolution of Blue Magic, in September 2013. ~ Andy Kellman