Source: iOne Digital Creative Services / iOne Digital Creative Services
NPittsburgh native INEZ, all caps—no last name, has an infectious laugh. It’s BIG. Like the letters of her name. The self-proclaimed “fire short” (zodiac sign: Leo) has a natural, fiery energy that roots her in justice, and to be clear—she will burn anything to the ground if it means the people she cares about have what they need and are loved and safe.
Her stage presence is just as explosive. The Berklee College of Music-trained singer, drummer, producer and engineer sings of love, justice and black life while attempting to tame Pittsburgh’s sprawling soul music scene into a unified whole. She’s also a songwriter who speaks in verse.
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Like when she describes her Detroit-raised maternal grandfather (who was once engaged to Martha Reeves of the Vandellas), whose jazz and blues records were a constant in her youth. His influence went far beyond music.
She plans to give the world limitless music.
“He was the only older person (who was interested in technology),” she muses. “He was the first techie I knew. He had a laserdisc of The Wiz, and we watched it at least two or three times when I was there. I got all of that and I’m so grateful, so grateful, because it rounds out not only my music but my production. It’s the thing that keeps coming up, no matter what I’m working on.”
“I wanted to create an event that continued my focus on black female artists.” | Source: Nana Effah Raymond
Her family’s musicality doesn’t end there, though. Her paternal grandparents grew up and lived in the Hill District, during the era of Art Blakey and Pittsburgh’s prolific jazz scene. And although music came from all four branches of her family tree, she didn’t have to look any further than the four walls of her home for songs. Her siblings all sing and play instruments. Her parents were musicians, too.
“My parents met in the school band. Band nerds. My mom played (tenor/alto) saxophone and organ and my dad is a drummer,” she says. “My dad played drums and my mom was the director of the children’s choir. She and my dad wrote songs, wrote songs for us, and that’s how that part of my brain worked.”
In short, INEZ, now 32, was trapped in an environment where she couldn’t avoid music. And she got everything out of it – not just the music, but the sound itself.
“I was like one of those kids when a car alarm goes off outside and I was tapping along to see if I could keep the rhythm,” says INEZ. “Or I was totally impressed by Timbaland and thought, ‘Are those crickets in the song?'”
Source: Nana Effah Raymond
INEZ returned to Pittsburgh from Boston after graduating from Berklee and released her debut album in 2019. Voicemails and conversationsIn 2020, she was named Pittsburgh Music Artist of the Year by Pittsburgh’s WYEP 91.3 FM. And yet, as a professional musician, there were a few things about her hometown that stood out to her.
The goal for me is to continue to improve.
“I say Pittsburgh is a great place…people say New York, but if you can do it in Pittsburgh – stay sane and still want to make music? (laughs loudly) That’s a job. That’s a job,” INEZ says. “And I think for me, not only as a community advocate but as an artist in this space, I want to be a part of the reason someone keeps going, not a reason someone gives up.”
Oh yes, in addition to her versatile talent, INEZ is also an activist who vehemently supports R&B and soul singers in the organization BLKNVMBER, which she founded.
“So BLKNVMBER started as a protest rather than a necessity,” INEZ explains. “(Co-founder) Clara Kent and I had so many experiences in Pittsburgh where we felt like R&B wasn’t the priority – we were being slapped with bills and not treated with the respect that we felt we deserved.
Earlier this year, INEZ performed “Soon as I Get Home” at the Thunderbird Cafe and Music Hall, 4053 Butler St., in Pittsburgh. | Source: Nana Effah Raymond
“And then we kind of got tired of it,” she continues. “We wanted to create a place that said, ‘We do R&B.’ If you’re black in Pittsburgh and you do R&B, we’re here to advocate for you. We’re here to use all of our resources and use every relationship we have to make sure people know that you all exist. It’s not just rap and punk. We’re here. Not only are we here, but we get booked a lot. That was our thing. So we did it in real guerrilla style.”
INEZ says she and Kent started out by emailing every singer they knew in town. They were able to work with local press and spotlight one singer each month. Their efforts were so impactful that they were able to turn that into funding. And with that funding, they were able to pay for rehearsal studios, studio sessions, and other things that their fellow artists struggled to afford out of pocket. In 2020, they also started taking singers on retreats where participants pay nothing.
I am so grateful.
“People, especially black women, are not used to being treated with such care and being given the opportunity to just be. To record and just be an artist instead of having to do everything at once. So we want to do more (retreats), but we also work with our partners in Pittsburgh — companies and organizations. Whenever there’s an R&B show at a Live Nation venue, especially with black artists, they reach out to us and say, ‘Hey, can you help us promote?’ Because that’s a problem too. People aren’t going to come here if we can’t sell tickets. So that’s one of our passion projects too. And (eventually) people come to us and say, ‘Hey, we need a singer for this and that. Who would you recommend?'” she says proudly.
Source: Nana Effah Raymond
She plans to release her album/project Navigate in 2025. She is currently working on an EP that will precede the album. She also plans to document the process on video, including the sweat and tears that come with “throwing yourself fully into a project” – including development and production.
“(I’m) very much about reclaiming things, and not just reclaiming things, but honoring things. There are black people who compose music. There are black musicians in the classical music field. Some of them are my really good friends,” INEZ says. “So when I came up with the idea, I asked myself how do I tell the story of how I deal with my anger and heal myself. What better way to tell a story than with orchestral suites? Like when you look at Swan Lake or The Nutcracker, it’s like that. So how do I tell the story of INEZ and her life and her love and her anger with these additional pieces? Not necessarily a classical album, but if you put Tchaikovsky, Missy Elliott, Victoria Monae and some other people in a room, what would it sound like?”
BLKNVMBER began as a protest rather than a necessity.
This super-talented, always busy singer wants to continue to use her time in a focused and goal-oriented way and to give the world music without limits.
INEZ will perform at the Thunderbird Cafe and Music Hall in Pittsburgh in January 2024. The event was a collaboration between BLKNVMBR and VMG (Vivid Music Group), who provided the band and musical direction. | Source: Nana Effah Raymond
“Even though I do R&B and soul and sample-based production, my goal is to keep improving,” she notes. “I realized something last year; I think I was at a barbecue. I thought to myself, I want to have music that people and culture want to reference in celebratory moments in our lives. At least one record. Give me one of ‘Before I Let Go.’ Give me one of ‘As.’ Give me one – when you think about it, just think about love and your family and being surrounded by your people. So that’s something I strive for, too.”
Angela Bronner is a writer and editor living in Harlem, NY.
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