Nikki Leonti
| Nikki Leonti | |
|---|---|
| Also known as | Nikki Leonti Edgar |
| Born | August 20, 1981 |
| Origin | California, United States |
| Genres | Contemporary Christian, urban, R&B |
| Occupation(s) | Singer, songwriter |
| Instruments | Voice |
| Years active | 1998–present |
| Labels | Pamplin, Reprise |
| Associated acts | Nikki & Rich (with Rich Velonskis), Edgar |
Nikki Leonti (born August 20, 1981) is an American singer, songwriter, and half of the group, Nikki & Rich. Prior to her work in urban, R&B, and electronic dance music, Leonti recorded contemporary Christian music albums.
Nikki Leonti is a Singer/Songwriter based in Los Angeles, Ca. She has written songs for artists that include Robin Thicke, Jessie J, Candice Glover, Rebecca Ferguson (singer) and Ivy Quainoo.
She began singing at age five, as a church soloist in the Corona, California, Nondenominational Christianity church. At age 13, she made her first recording on a small local label.
In 1998, Leonti recorded her debut full-length album, Shelter Me, which reached No. 179 on the Billboard 200, and No. 7 on the Contemporary Christian chart. Her second album, Nikki Leonti was released in 2001. Both were produced by brothers Dino and John Elefante, and issued on the independent Christian label, Pamplin. Shortly after her 18th birthday, Leonti got pregnant out of wedlock and was shunned by the CCM community with many Christian music stations pulling off broadcasting of her records. She retired from the Christian music industry not long after.
In 2006, Leonti was hired as a backup singer for Carrie Underwood, performing on tour and on various television shows. Leaving later that same year, Leonti began working with Rich Velonskis, forming the R&B group, Nikki & Rich, retro neo-soul duo. Velonskis, also known as Rich Skillz, producer of various artists, including Ludacris, Lil' Kim, and Robin Thicke. Nikki & Rich released their debut album, entitled Greatest Hits, on September 27, 2011, issued on the Reprise Records/Born Rich label. The duo has performed live on Ellen and The Tonight Show with Jay Leno. Together, they were named as one of the New York Post's "10 New Artists to Watch in 2010" and "10 Artists to Know in 2011". Nikki & Rich confirmed their split in January 2015.
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