About LaNiece

Hello, my name is La Niece McKay and I want to tell you all about me! lol. I love to sing, I love to write, I can style hair (I'm a licensed cosmetologist) and I love LOVE! I've been singing writing and recording r&b music for more than 10 years. I've also done a lot of gospel and reggae too. I was in a reggae band called Caribbean Pulse for about 5 years. We did great things and I credit that time with grooming me as an artist. We toured in our home town - California, in Europe and the Caribbean, had songs with Damian "Jr. Gong" Marley, and Tony Rebel, performed at awards shows and festivals with people like Lauryn Hill, Calypso Rose, and Sizzla and got the opportunity to shoot videos and hear our songs on the radio. We were even on the billboard charts at 26 for hot 100 singles sales and at 15 for r&b/hip-hop singles sales for our song with Damian "Jr. Gong" Marley called "Jah is my Rock". It was an amazing experience and a family came from it. These days I record music as a solo artist while I work as a performer in Osaka, Japan.

During my first year in Japan I recorded songs to help myself heal from a recent breakup. I added them together with some songs I had written toward the beginning of that process and put together my debut solo album titled "SONGS FROM MY BREAKUP". I'm very proud of this effort and I love the songs that came from it. Everything was written from a very honest, vulnerable place. People have told me that what makes the songs is the passion behind them. They say they can feel what I was feeling in that moment. The album begins from a place of confusion and sensing change coming. With songs like "Done Forgot" that talks about holding on to love just because of the time invested and "What Happened" which wonders where the good times went in a relationship gone sour. After the confusion clears and reality settles in there are songs like "Missing You" and "Erase Ya" that convey sadness and anger. Eventually there is some light and a positive attitude on songs like "Today's A New Day", "Bigger" and "Finally" which hit on letting go, being happy and being a better person than before. It's kinda like going through the stages of loss with me as I go through them in song.

On "Songs From My Breakup" I wanted to work with people who I have amazing chemistry with and who bring out the best in me as an artist. I got exactly what I wanted and I think I've created a family of writers and producers that will be a part of my sound for years to come.

Anthony "C-Aye" Purcell is a producer/keyboardist from Georgia. He moved to Los Angeles in 2004 when and where we met. We worked together performing with a gospel group formed by gospel writer and musician Rickey Grundy and Los Angeles based inspirational artist Michael Washington. A quick friendship bond grew and we began writing music together within a few weeks of knowing each other. We both have a love for soul and that's what we create together - amazingly soulful songs!

I met Tony and Charlie of "Team Ice" through a mutual friend who told me they needed a woman's voice on some songs they were recording demo's for. We hit it off almost right away. These guys have a unique sound that is very current and ever evolving. They bring out things in me I didn't know were there.

Big Tone is a rapper and producer from the Detroit area. He's one of those crazy talented guys who are a part of the sound made popular by the late great J Dilla. Those guys grew up together creating music. Big Tone, Dwele, Slum Village - Detroit's music scene is tightly knit. Rappers, singers, dj's all do it and move it as a unit. It's amazing to see and I'm so honored to be included with him as a part of that.

Songo Elektrico is a production duo based in Los Angeles comprised of singer-songwriter-producer Eryk J. and Bassist-producer Milo. They create progressive style broken beat music and they are also DJ's. It's great music to get deep with. I feel strength in the complexity of their music.

Ty Daniels and I are good friends from my days at Berklee college of music in Boston. I am so happy to have a womans touch on the production side of my album. She's an amazing composer and strings arranger. She also teaches piano and voice. I'm in love with what we came up with for the album. It's powerful and full of emotion... leave it to the women for that! lol.

In my life I've done a great deal of things to be proud of. Went to great schools - Los Angeles County High School for the Arts (LACHSA) and Berklee College of music. Worked with amazing producers - Walter Milsap III (Brandy, Alicia Keys, Mary Mary) Buster & Shavoni (Prince of Egypt Soundtrack, Fighting temptations), Kowan Q. Paul (Mario, Karen Clark-Sheard, Marques Houston). Been in a commercial alongside Beyonce and Mike Epps for fighting temptations. Performed in Norway, Jamaica, Amsterdam, Japan and various States in the U.S. Seen my group reach recognition on the billboard charts and made many memories that I'll cherish forever along with the relationships that came out of them. But right now I am beaming with pride over my latest effort - "Songs From My Breakup". This album is all me! I put all of my heart into it and I intend to put all of my strength behind it. I am so happy to have the gifts I have to be able to get me through tough times and I want to share the journey with all of you in hopes that it can get you through some tough times and remind you of how far you've come. Thank you for coming and for listening....