JUSTINE SKYE
In an age where influence and reach is determined by the amount of followers one has on social
media, Justine Skye effortlessly dominates the competition.
The R&B singer-songwriter rose to notoriety simply by being herself and letting her undeniable
vocal ability shine. In 2010, Justine covered Drake's "Headlines" and racked up nearly two million
You Tube views purely from word of mouth. Since then, Justine's popularity has only grown with
over 50,000 followers on both Tumblr and Instagram respectively.
But if you ask the violet curly-haired chanteuse how she and her group of eclectic and creative
friends continue to stand out and keep people's attention, she'll tell you its all organic.
"We're just being ourselves, living our lives and putting our pictures on the Internet. I think what
people like most about me is that I keep it real. I'm just real with you."
Justine was 8 years old when her grandfather, Assemblyman N. Nick Perry of the 58th Assembly
District in Brooklyn, New York realized she had a gift. Justine accompanied Perry to political
events where she would often sing the National Anthem and the Black National Anthem.
However, Justine was still nervous about her talent.
"I always knew I could sing, I just didn't think I was that great because of all the other singers out
there. In my mind, I was like 'I'm just a girl from Brooklyn.' "
Justine soon left her insecurities at the door. In 2010 she attended a BMI music panel with her
mother, entertainment lawyer, Nova Perry, who has represented everyone from Eightball & MJG,
Lloyd, Machine Gun Kelly and Eric Hudson. It was during the Q&A portion, Justine surprised
everyone.
"They were talking and I don't even know what they were talking about but I just knew there were
a lot of music executives. During the Q&A, I walked up, grabbed the mic, and I asked 'Can I sing
for you guys?' they were like sure. I sang "Black and Gold" by Sam Sparro and that's when my
mom realized I was serious about singing because that was really gutsy to do."
After wowing the panel, Justine began to make strides towards her career, which included vocal
lessons and writing songs about her every day life, which she would then turn into songs. In
2012, Justine started working with producers August Rigo and Eric Hudson whose musical
resume includes Justin Bieber, Sean Kingston, Kanye West and Mary J. Blige.
On the seven-track EP, which helped her ink a deal with Atlantic Records, Justine fuses
traditional 90s soul, but also sprinkles in hip-hop, alternative and dub-step elements to create a
unique sound unlike anything in today's musical landscape.
The free-flowing harmonies and relaxed beats are reflective of Justine's calm, laid-back
demeanor. When writing and recording, Justine said there's no structure in the studio, she just
does what came naturally to her.
"August and Eric would ask me how I’ve been? How I'm feeling? Whatever mood I was in they
would then create a beat around my mood, and we lay down melodies and start writing. We let it
feel its ways out and once we have the melody and the beat then we start developing the story
once the foundation has been established. It’s all random."
Justine is proof being yourself not only works, but is contagious. There's no gimmick or planning
behind her talent and relatable personality. Justine isn't trying to impress; she's just living her life.
"I want people to know who I am I want people to know how I think. All my songs are personal. I
just want people to connect to my music and to me.”