Nicki Minaj endorsement was a ‘day-changer’ – Sekklez

Up-and-coming singjay Sekklez says the acknowledgement she recently received from international rap superstar Nicki Minaj was not only special to her as a game-changer but as a "day-changer".

"That specific day, or that morning, started out with me in tears," she told THE STAR. "I was crying because of personal issues. Went out on the road the entire day and, when I returned home in the evening and sat down to check my messages, I saw that my engineer sent a text to tell me that Nicki Minaj had posted a video of me on her Twitter."

The Girl Hot Now singjay dismissed the message as a prank until she saw it for herself. Nicki Minaj had posted two TikTok videos of her and this gave her some well-needed motivation.

One was of her doing the 'if you hear anything about me' challenge and the other was of her lip-syncing to one of the final singles from Minister Marion Hall as Lady Saw titled Last Night, released in 2015, the year she was baptised.

"I quickly sent her a direct message to say thanks. Nicki Minaj is one of my favourite artistes. Her endorsement [though not directly of the music] has come at the appropriate time as I prepare to release my EP. It's almost finished and she has inspired me to do something else and add to it. It has also made me revisit my single Girl Hot Now, which speaks to a female coming from humble beginnings, and her story also relates to mine," Sekklez said.

She said that she also loves Hall, and still considers her a legend.

"I didn't even know about that song until TikTok, and now I have introduced it and myself to others and through Nicki, on an international level. TikTok has definitely increased the chances of local and international acts connecting by 1,000 per cent," she continued.

Sekklez now joins the list of female dancehall acts, including Spice and Pamputtae, who Nicki Minaj endorsed twice in the past six months.

"The feeling is like running from day into night, I am breathless and overwhelmed. I don't know how to act. I have to express gratitude to my manager who kept supporting my journey and encouraging me to push through because, each day, I see new opportunities knocking," Sekklez shared.

Carlton Gallaway, principal of Gallaway Records, said that his client has been named a talent to watch in 2022 by several entertainment bodies, and he plans to make it happen.

"Sekklez is one of the artistes earmarked to succeed because of her work ethic and diverse range of talent. The posts by Nicki Minaj were welcomed and appreciated acknowledgements. Her story is also parallel to that of Sekklez. So, who knows what the future holds? What matters is we are working hard to make her dreams a reality," Gallaway said.