Nickesse Trimaine Toney (March 13, 1990 – September 2, 2014), known by his stage name Nicky Da B, was an American rapper specializing in the regional genre of

bounce music Bounce music is a style of New Orleans hip hop music that is said to have originated as early as the late 1980s in the city's housing projects. Popular bounce artists have included DJ Jubilee, Partners-N-Crime, Magnolia Shorty and Big Freedi ...

. He released an album in 2012 titled ''Please Don't Forget Da B,'' and his single with the artist

Diplo Thomas Wesley Pentz (born November 10, 1978), known professionally as Diplo, is an American DJ and music producer. He is the co-creator and lead member of the electronic dancehall music project Major Lazer, a member of the supergroup LSD with ...

that year, ''Express Yourself'', was one of the year's largest viral successes, featuring in a

Doritos Doritos () is an American brand of flavored tortilla chips produced since 1964 by Frito-Lay, a wholly owned subsidiary of PepsiCo. The original Doritos were not flavored. The first flavor was Toasted Corn, released in 1966, followed by Taco in ...

commercial during

Super Bowl XLVII Super Bowl XLVII was an American football game between the American Football Conference (AFC) champion Baltimore Ravens and the National Football Conference (NFC) champion San Francisco 49ers to decide the National Football League (NFL) champion ...

. He was also known for his role in popularizing the dance phenomenon of

twerking Twerking (; possibly from 'to work') is a type of dance that came out of the bounce music scene of New Orleans in the late 1980s. Individually performed chiefly but not exclusively by women, performers dance to popular music in a sexually provo ...

. Nicky da B was born in 1990 in

New Orleans, Louisiana New Orleans ( , ,New Orleans
Merriam-Webster. ; french: La Nouvelle-Orléans , es, Nuev ...

in a section of the Carrollton neighborhood known as Pigeon Town, in the city's 17th ward. He was raised by his mother Nicole Toney and grandmother Aline Toney. Nicky graduated in 2008 from West Jefferson High School and attended

Delgado Community College Delgado Community College (DCC) is a public community college in Louisiana with campuses throughout the New Orleans metropolitan area. Its current campuses are in New Orleans (Orleans Parish) and in Jefferson Parish. The original main campus—Ci ...

. Nicky began writing rap lyrics at age 6 under the name "Lil Fiya" in admiration of the

Hot Boys The Hot Boys (often styled as Hot Boy$) are an American hip hop group formed in New Orleans, Louisiana in 1997. The group is made up of B.G. (rapper), B.G., Lil Wayne, Juvenile (rapper), Juvenile and Turk (rapper), Turk. The group was originally ...

. At 14, he began rapping himself. Nicky had close ties with

Katey Red Katey Red (born May 17, 1983) is a bounce artist and M.C. from New Orleans. Red is most known for being one of the first transgender rappers in bounce music and is credited with creating the sissy bounce genre. Background Red was born in t ...

, who he called his "gay mother".

Big Freedia Freddie Ross Jr. (born January 28, 1978), better known by his stage name Big Freedia ( ), is an American rapper and performer known for his work in the New Orleans genre of hip hop called bounce music. Freedia has been credited with helping popu ...

was also a major influence and friend to Nicky Da B, and the two worked together to gain exposure for bounce music. Nicky was a former HHG (Hitt'em Hard Guy) and twerk dancer for

Sissy Nobby Terrelle Gallo (known by his stage name, Sissy Nobby) is an American bounce artist from New Orleans, known for his hit songs, "Consequences" and "Gitty Up". Gallo is credited as one of the main pioneers of bounce music Bounce music is a sty ...

before he branched out and became a solo artist. In 2011 he released the local hit "Drop It Hot Potato Style" and began touring. Nicky was outspoken about his passion for creating music for the LGBT community, which he identified with. After releasing his album ''Please Don't Forget da B'' in 2012, he embarked on a world tour, which included a sold-out show at the

Sydney Opera House The Sydney Opera House is a multi-venue performing arts centre in Sydney. Located on the foreshore of Sydney Harbour, it is widely regarded as one of the world's most famous and distinctive buildings and a masterpiece of 20th-century architec ...

. In July 2014, he collaborated with German dance-music duo Schlachthofbronx on the single, "Lights Off". On September 2, 2014, his death at age 24 due to illness was announced by his manager and live DJ, Rusty Lazer. The family later asked for help from fans in paying for his funeral, which included a

parade A parade is a procession of people, usually organized along a street, often in costume, and often accompanied by marching bands, float (parade), floats, or sometimes large balloons. Parades are held for a wide range of reasons, but are usually ce ...

led by the TBC Brass Band in his Carrollton neighborhood.

Discography

Studio albums

*''Please Don't Forget da B'' (2012)

References

External links

Twitter accountNicky da B on Soundcloud
{{DEFAULTSORT:Nicky da B African-American rappers American gay musicians LGBT African Americans Rappers from New Orleans LGBT rappers 1990 births 2014 deaths 20th-century LGBT people 21st-century LGBT people 21st-century African-American people