Imani Pressley
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Imani Pressley

Greensboro, NC | Established. Jan 01, 2009 | INDIE

Greensboro, NC | INDIE
Established on Jan, 2009
Band Pop R&B

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"MULTI-TALENTED GREENSBORO PERFORMER/PRODUCER IMANI PRESSLEY LETS THE SOUND DICTATE"

Imani Pressley — a singer, multi-instrumentalist and producer — got her first thrill from music-making by tinkering around with a drum machine when she was nine. Pressley’s parents both make music; her mom sings and her dad does some studio work and plays several instruments. Her parents played together in a band for a while. So there was equipment around their house in Greensboro when Pressley was young. She heard her father making some drum sounds, and she asked him to show her how it worked.

“That changed my life — him just showing me how to hook up the drum machine,” says Pressley, 24, who just released Feelings Like These, a poppy dance-minded EP, earlier this month.

“Drums were my first instrument. I started playing in my church,” says Pressley. From there she moved to piano and guitar. Eventually she got a degree in audio engineering and turned the tricks of the studio — sampling, multi-tracking, sonic textures — into another area of expertise.

“Being a drummer, I have a lot of rhythms in my head,” says Pressley. “I can just literally start with a beat,” she says of her writing process.

“Rhythm is the centerpiece,” goes one line from “Hot Sauce,” the opening track on the new EP. And that’s true, to a point, with Pressley’s music, with layered patterns wrapping around each other, choked Chic-esque guitar rhythms, funk bass riffs with plenty of rubbery popped accents and repeated snippets of synth strings, piano or drums. But as central as the interlocking rhythms are, it is the stacked textures of sampled vocals, harmonized with actual multitracks in some cases, maybe reversed or sped-up, that are turned into key parts of the rhythmic groove.

Listen to “I’m Not Sharing,” a clubby track Pressley released earlier this year. With a steady four-on-the-floor beat, Pressley threads in a sparse syncopated counterpunch made from what sounds like a detuned sample of someone saying “Ok.” It’s poppy, but it’s also a little surreal, bringing to mind the occasionally abstract club music of Caribou. It’s not clear if the rhythmic/vocal detail is someone else or a pitch-adjusted sample of Pressley singing, digitally altered to sound like a linebacker. Something similar happens on “Beside You,” which is dense with her harmonized vocals.

“I have fun sampling myself,” says Pressley. “I do have a lot of fun with that.”

Pressley is young, but she’s been making music most of her life, having released her first record, a gospel album called I Ain’t Ashamed to Praise God, when she was still a teenager. The turn from sacred to secular was more about a desire to connect with people than any particular spiritual reorientation.

“It’s sad to say this, but your music can affect a larger amount of people in the secular world,” says Pressley. “I wanted to go into another realm and touch that world.”

The music meccas of Atlanta, L.A. and New York have been pulling Pressley in their direction. But she’s remaining at home for now.

Pressley still retains a connection to the fundamental elements of gospel. She gets energy from “the inspiration behind it, the message, the positivity.” Still, on a song like “All Night Long,” there’s a theme of self-sufficiency that’s about not seeking help from anyone or anything.

“Sometimes I chill by myself/Drink a little bit by myself/All night long/Dance in my room with nothing on,” sings Pressley.

The guilt-free pleasure-seeking isn’t something that would necessarily fly in a worship-music context. But the song is really more about a kind of proud independence than about hedonism. Pressley says the song came out of realizing that seeking affirmation from other people isn’t always a worthwhile effort.

“When I made that song I felt like the world was shut down and I was the only person in it,” she says. “I felt like ‘You know, it’s cool if I’m the only person.’ Sometimes you feel like you need the acceptance of other people, and then you realize you don’t really need that.”

Taking the I-can-do-it-all-by-myself ethos seriously, Pressley often works alone in the home studio that her parents had built in their family home where she still lives. She’s a serious student of the music of Prince, working in dense vocal harmonies that can tug at the tight funk underpinnings of the songs. She points to a list of other music and production influences that would make for a righteous dinner party: Outkast, Queen, Dr. Dre and Enya.

Pressley’s EP closes with “I’m Gat,” a tune that goes from subdued guitar arpeggios into a dubstep-flavored chorus powered by a smudged and bottomed-out synth bass line, something that sounds like someone driving a spacecraft into the ground. She feathers in echoing vocals that sometimes soar up to high-pitched chipmunk frequency. The “gat” of the title isn’t like a gat in an Ice Cube song; Pressley says it’s more of her own personal lingo. It’s about submitting to the power of music.

“I wanted something that people don’t specifically say in conversation,” she says. “It’s my slang. The message of the song is ‘I’m gotten by the music. I’m drawn in.’ It’s ‘gat’ me, every time I hear it.”

Pressley’s attention is drawn as much to sound, texture and rhythm as it is to melody, chord changes or traditional song form.

“Your sound dictates the song,” she says. Pressley is willing to go wherever the songwriting and recording process takes her.

“There’s nothing pre-planned,” she says. “When I go in the studio I accidentally make tracks.”

Wanna go? Imani Pressley will perform her mixture of Pop, R&B, and European dubstep at noon on October 29 for the GHOE Aggie Fan Fest. Visit www.iamimani.com for more information. - YesWeekly


"Triad native making her impact on the music industry"

Triad native Imani Pressley is already making her impact on the music industry. With a Grammy and Dove Award nomination under her belt by the age of 19, she may be well on her way to being globally recognized.

Pressley, who is a native of Greensboro, discovered her love for music at a very early age. She began her musical journey by learning church chords from her mother. “My mother played the organ. I knew that learning church chords would take me anywhere,” says Pressley.

Music is a huge part of Pressley’s family history. Her mother and father both had their own bands. “My grandfather and uncles play several instruments and my grandmother and aunts all sing,” said Pressley. “It’s like a family tree and it just came down to me and I’ve been blessed to do everything and put all those things together.”

Pressley, who produced her first songs at the age of nine, not only plays three instruments, but is a singer and songwriter. “I play the piano, drums and guitar. I’m currently learning the bass,” said Pressley.

A meeting earlier in her career with another Greensboro native offered Pressley to a link to Prince, who died last month of yet unknown causes.

Pressley had the opportunity to collaborate with Greensboro native Shelby J., who is best known as a vocalist in Prince’s NPG Super-Band. “I was blessed to run into Shelby J. When she told me that she knew Prince, I nearly passed out,” Pressley said. He is literally my inspiration.”

Pressley was introduced to Prince through his music by her parents. She believes that his music related to her soul. “As a musician and producer, I hear everything he does in his music and I was so inspired by that,” said Pressley. “That made me realize that there is no limit to great music. In my mind, He was the person that pioneered that [concept].”

Through her connection with Shelby J., Prince had the opportunity acquaint himself with Pressley. “He’s a part of why I do music. For him to know my name and for him to have asked about me before he passed is the most special thing in the world that I’ve ever encountered from a music artist.”

Pressley believes that Prince’s legacy will continue to live on through musicians that he’s touched. “His music is timeless. He didn’t censor out any of his emotions,” says Pressley. Through songs like Purple Rain and When Doves Cry, you really feel his lyrics. His lyrical content and emotions are going to live with people forever. Then his musical talent puts the icing on the cake. There’s never going to be another Prince.”

Pressley, who released her first album titled ‘I Ain’t Ashamed To Praise God’ at the age of 14, was afforded several opportunities to perform at various churches in the North Carolina region. “Everyone was impressed that I was able to sing, rap, produce, and play everything,” states Pressley in her online bio.

After reading an article in Jet magazine, Pressley’s father sent some of her music to JPat Records, an entertainment company owned by mother and former manager of R&B superstar Usher Raymond. Her music was discovered in the trash by JPat’s A&R development mentor, which led to an invitation by the company. “A guy there threw my stuff away,” Pressley said. Luckily, Michi Robinson, who I now call my godfather, picked it up and basically took me under his wing. He’s a big reason why I’m here today.”

While continuing her journey to musical superstardom, Pressley received her high school diploma from Ragsdale High School in Jamestown. She also began uploading videos of herself constructing songs from scratch in her home studio to YouTube. These videos eventually caught the attention of Fred Jerkins III, Grammy winning songwriter and brother of producer Rodney Jerkins of Darkchild Production.

After signing with Darkchild, Pressley, contributed her producing and songwriting talents to releases by gospel artists such as Canton Jones, Virtue, and Trin-I-Tee 5:7. She produced a song entitled, “Bring Your Praise” from Trin-I-Tee 5:7’s sixth album “Angel & Chanelle,” which earned Pressley a Grammy nomination for Best Gospel Album. A month later, it was nominated for a Dove Award as well.

Pressley went on to receive an Associate Degree in Audio Engineering from Guilford Technical Community College. After completing her degree, she decided that it was time to finally pursue a career as a Pop/R&B artist.

“As I grew older, I found that in that genre, I was able to express myself more. I know that I’m a clean individual, so I’ll keep it clean as if it was gospel,” Pressley said. “I just knew I could express myself more, empower women, talk about love, talk about having fun, and talk about inspiring people. That was the field where I could really capture my entire vision.”

Pressley said her best advice for North Carolina artists who dream of making it in the music industry is to do what’s in their hearts. “Stay true to your heart and as cliché as it might sound, don’t give up on your vision.”

Pressley has a very big vision for herself. She will be working on putting a full project of her own together soon. “I’ve been blessed to work with Brian Kennedy, a record producer and musician,” Pressley said. “We’ve got some magic in the works.” - WS Chronicle


"Singer/Songwriter IZy Inspires Young Females"

It seems as if IZy was born to do music. The multi-talented artist/producer discovered her musical talents at the tender age of nine and since then, there has been no stopping her. After learning to play keyboard from her mother and studying audio recording from her father, a 13-year-old IZy hit the road traveling from Greensboro, NC to Atlanta hoping to get her name out. With the support from her loving parents, the starlet in the making performed at local churches and events, selling her own CDs that she produced to help fund her music career.

Ready to land a record deal, IZy sent out demo tapes to several labels and after she didn’t hear back from anyone for several weeks, she finally got a call from Michi Robinson. With a new mentor to guide her, IZy grew as a producer and a songwriter. In 2010, her father encouraged her to showcase her talents on YouTube. - Her Daily


"SINGER, SONGWRITER, PRODUCER IZY DRAWS COMPARISONS TO PRINC"

Who doesn’t want to be a star? Many have dreams, but only a select few have the talent to take them to the top of the game. A young singer who calls herself Izy feels deep down that she’s on the path to grab the brass mic.

Izy (eye-Z) is actually already well on her way. She’s not only a singer but also a sought after producer. And get this, Greensboro, North Carolina based Izy started when she was just nine years old. At age nine, she started playing the drums, and learned studio technique from her engineer father as well as keyboards from her mom. She also plays guitar and other instruments as well. “I was just producing music, but I started there and more and more I began writing and singing and doing all those things together. Eventually I started to love singing and producing equally, says Izy, who is now just 23 and has already been nominated for Grammy and Dove awards (co-producer on Trin-i-tee 5:7’s hit song, “Bring Your Praise”.

Izy sounds like a young Prince in the making. Not only is she producing others, but is now producing herself as she readies her debut album. “It’s difficult to produce oneself—it’s the best of both world because it is a challenge because you have to really find your sound and it’s easier because your are the only person doing it, then again sometimes it’s great to get feedback from other people.” She has gotten feedback from some big names—Timberland and Cee-lo Green have been checking out her work and both have reached out to her.

Izy wants to fill a void in music she feels is happening right now. “I have to agree the music scene is lacking in essence. Everyone wants to be the ‘thing’ and my thing is I want to create, have my own sound. People are scared to take a risk; I’m not!”

And Izy is not playing. When’s she’s not sleeping, she’s either in my home studio or in dance rehearsals. “I’m sitting right here in my studio as I am talking to you,” she says with a laugh. “I like to get up early and work on my vocals and sometimes I go outside to run and do push ups and go back to the studio. If I didn’t have dance rehearsal, I would live in studio. I actually have a couch and I will sleep there.” Since she was younger, she always had a place to work at home. “I took my shoes out of my closet when I was younger and made a studio booth in my closet. The sound wasn’t great but I started singing in my closet,” she recalls.

And it was in that closet that Izy crafted her style. “I’m an urban pop artist and I want to take the risk to be an African-American women coming into the urban pop world,” she declares. “Since I was a kid I have always been urban pop; it’s the genre where I can fully express myself. That’s my goal—I just want to be like the iconic performer. Like a Prince. Like James Brown. Like Janet Jackson. My vision is very large and very big and I know if I dream big, I know God has a bigger vision for me!

Check out the latest from Izy with this five track set titled, 100: - ParleMag


"Greensboro Artist Making Waves In Music Scene"

GREENSBORO, NC -- Check this out!

A Greensboro native is making a big impact on the music scene! Imani Pressley joined Faith Abubey on the Good Morning Show.

Pressley earned a Music Engineering degree from Guilford Technical Community College and plays several instruments including guitar, drums, and piano. She also composes and engineers her own music. She caught Prince's eye when Imani produced a song with his background singer, and also Greensboro-native, ShelbyJ of NPG. He requested Imani's social media links and asked to put some final touches on the final version.

To date, she has earned Grammy and Dove nominations as a producer for gospel pop artist, Virtue. She recently released her debut EP called "Feelings Like These". You can listen to it here.

Or you can see Imani perform in person. She has two shows scheduled in North Carolina over the next month.

Upcoming Events:
Sun Jan 8th at 7:00 pm

Lincoln Theater-- Raleigh, NC
Tickets: $12

Buy tickets by clicking here.


Thurs Feb 23 at 7:00 pm

High Point Theatre on GTCC Campus - High Point, NC

General Public Tickets are $15

Buy tickets by clicking here.



For more information on Imani, visit her website by clicking here. - WFMY Channel 2 News


"A Young Star is Born - Imani Pressley, aka IZy Music"

Imani Pressley, aka IZy Music, is a 21 year old Grammy and Dove Award nominated music producer. She was discovered on Youtube by Fred Jerkins III (Jerkins Music Group/Darkchild) and was signed to his label shortly after. IZy has worked with Trin-i-tee 5:7 on their latest album, “Angel and Chanelle” producing the track entitled “Bring Your Praise” which was a single from the album and was previewed on 106 & park. The album eventually was announced as the number 1 gospel album in the country. IZy has also worked with songwriter TC and recently produced a track for Shelby J (Prince’s right hand girl) called, “It’s My Time”. IZy’s influences range from Prince to The Police, Quincy Jones, The Beatles, her parents (Crystal and Joseph) and her personal manager, Michi. Her goal is to inspire the youth around the world and usher in a new era of music to the industry, “new music”. - BlogTalkRadio


"Soul Interviews - Imani Pressley"

Imani Pressley (2017)
The pathway to musical genius can be quite elusive. But its hallmarks are unmistakable: an unparalleled artistic practice and the unique potential to change the course of music across genres. Vetted by the likes of Fred Jerkins III and decorated with a Grammy nomination – all by age 19, it’s [...] - SoulInterviews.com


"Multifaceted Vocalist, Imani Pressley, Governs The Music Scene In Greensboro, NC, With Massive Talent & Style"

Imani Pressley said that she caught the fever for being a music producer/engineer around the age of nine.

“I started with my dad’s Boss Machine. You know, when your parents are involved with music locally, it was automatic for me to be involved with music as well.

I started playing side-notes. I began playing the drums at six years old, and my mother told me that I sang on the radio with Buster Brown when I was about two years old, so it started when I was really young,” Pressley remarked.

Although confident in her abilities even at an undeveloped age, Pressley wasn’t fully aware of her musicianship skills until she was around nine.

The Greensboro native collaborated with inspirational singing groups such as “Virtue,” “Trinity 5:7,” and more recently she joined forces with dynamic songstress, Shelby J.

The late and well-known artist, Prince, took a gander at her album, and he actually added his own colorful touches to one of her tracks.

She is identified by DJ’s as "North Carolinas First Pop Princess.”

With whimsical instrumentals, in addition to her hip and saucy vocals, it's no wonder she's earned such an intriguing moniker.

Pressley headlined the Fan Fest for North Carolina A&T Univeristy's “GHOE (Only the Greatest Homecoming On Earth).

She opened the stage for Chris Brown and not to mention Pressley is a recurring featured performer at the Lincoln Theater in Raleigh, NC.

The stunning musician worked with 5-Time Grammy Winner, Brian Kennedy.


Multifaceted Vocalist, Imani Pressley, Governs The Music Scene In Greensboro, NC, With Massive Talent & Style
November 25, 2016
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INTERRUPTED

(www.iamimani.com)


Imani Pressley said that she caught the fever for being a music producer/engineer around the age of nine.

“I started with my dad’s Boss Machine. You know, when your parents are involved with music locally, it was automatic for me to be involved with music as well.

I started playing side-notes. I began playing the drums at six years old, and my mother told me that I sang on the radio with Buster Brown when I was about two years old, so it started when I was really young,” Pressley remarked.

Although confident in her abilities even at an undeveloped age, Pressley wasn’t fully aware of her musicianship skills until she was around nine.

The Greensboro native collaborated with inspirational singing groups such as “Virtue,” “Trinity 5:7,” and more recently she joined forces with dynamic songstress, Shelby J.

The late and well-known artist, Prince, took a gander at her album, and he actually added his own colorful touches to one of her tracks.


She is identified by DJ’s as "North Carolinas First Pop Princess.”

With whimsical instrumentals, in addition to her hip and saucy vocals, it's no wonder she's earned such an intriguing moniker.

Pressley headlined the Fan Fest for North Carolina A&T Univeristy's “GHOE (Only the Greatest Homecoming On Earth).

She opened the stage for Chris Brown and not to mention Pressley is a recurring featured performer at the Lincoln Theater in Raleigh, NC.

The stunning musician worked with 5-Time Grammy Winner, Brian Kennedy.



What instruments do you play?

I play the drums, keys, and guitar. I’m kinda getting the hang of the bass. I want to learn more than three instruments.

Your album is flowing with beautiful and upbeat melodies. Did you write and produce the entire album? What was your muse?

Yes, I did write. I produced. I engineered the entire EP, and I also played the guitar and did some of the base as well, with the exception of my uncle Leroy, who played on a song with me.

In my mind, made something unique and colorful, but at the same time, fun and relatable.

All the songs on the EP are real life situations, which I strive to write. I always strive to write about all my experiences.

How long did it take you to devise the perfect, popish album and not the mainstream humdrum picks?

That’s kind of a unique question. I’d have to probably say, not long. I’ll just say this, I am very careful about what I consider final versions. I will listen for days and weeks sometimes. What I’m doing is studying myself and putting my view into perspective of those who are my audience, or those that may become my audience.

For this particular project, it took a few weeks, before I considered it final.

Should you have a "Do or Die" mentality when pursuing your dreams?

I would say, “Yes, I do.” As cliché as it may sound, music is life for me, you know? Even through the cuts, bruises, and disrespect that I’ve faced before, I know myself as the individual that continues to press until I reach and see my vision.

Once I see my vision, I go even harder. It just doesn’t stop for me, even with my music career. I see myself doing other businesses that are still part of the dream. My dream is to be successful. Of course, music is first, but there are other things that will follow cause I have a lot of thoughts in my head that are all part of the dream.

When branching out as an independent artist, how important is it to have a strong team in place.

Goodness, it is vital. It’s very, very, vital. I can't do this on my own. I give a lot of respect to my team, big or small. I’ll put it to you like this, even those who are at the top, and are successful, still need a strong team. Your team, work together, and they help sustain you.

On the other side, my mom talks to me a lot about how important a team is, and being on one accord, and they can help your career.

She always reminds me of Oprah Winfrey, who’s very successful. She even says that she can't do it without a team. I’ve heard her (Oprah) say that.

Me, as an independent artist, I have to have that push and support. When I sign that major distribution deal, I still need my team. They’ll never go away.

When did you get the nod for the Grammy and the Dove Award (Win)? What were your thoughts when you heard about the nominations?


That was so cool. The Grammy nomination happened in 2012. I did a track for Trinity 5:7, and the song was called, “Bring Your Praise.”

I believe it was their second or third single. It was on 106 & Park. That was so special. When I found out about it, I was kind of in denial until I went online and typed it myself. That’s when it hit me a little more.
The next day, I heard that it was nominated for a Dove Award, so yeah, those were awesome blessings.

What did you do to set yourself apart from other independent producers and artist, that got you noticed by Prince, Ceelo Green, and Timbaland?

You know what, that’s a cool question.

I guess it was just me being me, if that makes any sense. What I mean by that is, I’ve always created music pertaining to how I feel. For them to listen to it and like it, maybe it wasn’t such a heavy commercial sound, but I’m a female doing all of my own music.

I think that might have impressed them. Just a side note, I’m very inspired by Prince, and if you look into his music, Prince is just that type of artist, who was himself.

I believe that’s what Ceelo Green, Timbaland, and even Prince saw.

When Prince heard about the song that I did with “Shelby J, "Eruption," he wanted to know all of my social media and website information—he wanted to know who I was, and that will always be something that I take with me for the rest of my life.

Speaking of productions, we learned that you recently collaborated with Shelby J; how did that happen, and when can we expect a sneak preview of that project?

Shelby and I were like sisters, but we collaborated several times before working on her upcoming project.

This is a funny story, I actually met her through a family member that went to school with her. The family member sent her my information, music, and links, and she messaged me and asked to hangout. That happened a while back.

As far as sneak peek, that should be coming up soon.

You’ve performed and headlined with notable artist. Would you like to share the stage with anyone else?

Well, I’ve been talking about Prince a lot, and if he were alive, I’d just want to be in his presence, or standing right beside him. In today’s time, I’d have to say, Bruno Mars, Pink, or Tori Kelly. That list is somewhat stretchy. I say all of them because I love and have a lot of respect for all of them.

Where do you see yourself in the next year?

I see myself going nationwide and worldwide, creating the ripple effect that I’ve envisioned. I want to see my music hit all four corners of the globe. I want to do headliner shows with major artist, and fun things like that. I’m going to continue to be involved with my music… I’m setting the mark for #2017 where things begin and never end.

Love your style! Were you always fashion conscious or is that something that you really need to change once you’ve become a musician/artist?

Thank you so much for that.

I have always been a fan of fashion. You can ask my parents, brothers, and cousins, right now. My family knows that I’ve always been a fashionista. I started at about thirteen, when I had the desire to not really match, and wear weird stuff.

I knew I loved fashion without doubts. I wanted to be weird, and I just wanted to experiment. I love exploring new styles. I would look at what’s popular around the globe and see if I can add my little twist to it. I always knew that.

It’s kind of like the icing on the cake nowadays, if an artist knows how to dress. For me, it’s natural. I naturally like fashion.
What’s your favorite song on the album?

I’d have to go with “All Night Long.” I play them all equally, and some, I play a little more because they are upbeat; however, my favorite song is “All Night Long," because of the message. I wrote the song because I’m twenty-four-years old. I still go through things. My music career is ugh (up and down), and relationships were flat. I don’t have a boyfriend and when I did try to talk to someone, it just didn’t work. I didn’t have any friends. I didn’t have anyone to text or talk to, and I decided to write a song about that (All Night Long) - InterruptedBlogs


"GTCC MUSICIAN FINDS SUCCESS BY STAYING TRUE TO HERSELF"

Imani Pressley fell in love with music at a young age.

“It’s just something that drew me in,” she said. “I was playing drums at church when I was six, and I started producing my own music when I was nine.”

Pressley’s early involvement in music came naturally, and by the time she was a teenager, she made it her goal to pursue a career in the music industry.

“I played for my high school basketball team, and for me, I was always torn between playing basketball and music,” said Pressley of Greensboro. “I’ll never forget in my senior year of high school I quit my basketball team and knew that this (music) was it; I was going to do this.”

Upon graduating high school, Pressley enrolled in GTCC’s Larry Gatlin School of Entertainment Technology with a concentration in sound engineering. She says it is one of the best things she’s ever done.

“I saw the studios, and I was in awe, just the way they had everything on a professional level made me want to go there,” she said. “They taught me the acoustics of sound and the sonic integrity of music. … It really is a life-changing experience for your career.”

Today, Pressley is a successful songwriter and producer, who has worked with groups such as Grammy-nominated Trin-i-tee 5:7, as well as Virtue, and is in the process of producing her first debut album.

On Feb. 23, she’ll be returning to her alma mater to perform her original music on GTCC’s High Point Campus. Pressley, who plays keys and guitar, will take the stage with bandmates, Fitzgerald Tate (bass) and Josh Boyd (drummer), and play a mix of pop, urban, funk and electronic. Pressley said she hopes her music will inspire her audience. What speaks to her most about music is being able to reach people with her words.

“I love the fact that I can draw people into my world and speak to them, encourage them. … I love that I can paint a picture,” she said.

Imani
Owens Daniels Photography
As an alum of GTCC’s Entertainment Technology program, Pressley has enjoyed a career that has opened doors to opportunities she had never dreamed. One of those opportunities came in 2014 when singer-songwriter and producer, Prince, and his “right-hand-man” Joshua Welton, rearranged her song, “Eruption.”

Prince heard about Pressley’s music through a mutual friend they had both worked with, and when he asked if he could rearrange one of her songs, Pressley eagerly agreed.

“I sent him over everything, and he sent me back the final version of ‘Eruption,’” she said.

Although Pressley did not get to meet with Prince face-to-face before his passing, she said that the experience shaped her and further proved to her the importance of staying true to yourself.

“It’s so important to stay who you are,” Pressley said. “Prince was an example of that. He never changed.”

During her time in GTCC’s Entertainment Technology program, Pressley was exposed to Digital Audio Workstation (DAW) Pro Tools, a line of industry-standard equipment.

“When recording, it’s vital to know the quality of your equipment. The program gave me that.”

Pressley said that one of the most important things she learned while at GTCC was signal flow, which is the theory of how sound travels from an audio console, such as a speaker, to the ear. She was able to put everything she learned to the test when it came time for her to take her final Recording Engineering class, where she recorded a classmate’s band.

“During Recording III, you get to be in your own room and work,” Pressley explained. “I was able to learn from my mistakes and be responsible for the recording. It was just a moment of ‘Do your own thing and let’s see what you’ve got.’”

That experience helped her gain confidence. One of her instructors who helped guide her through the program was Thomas (TJ) Johnson, department chair of GTCC’s Creative and Performing Arts. Johnson described Pressley as a dedicated student with a positive attitude and strong work ethic.

“The sky is the limit for Imani!” he said. “Imani took my suggestions and made the proper adjustments to the mix and nailed it on the next listen. Imani is an excellent listener.”

As a successful artist and producer, Imani has proven that to be true.

“I look at everything from a different scope now,” Pressley said. “GTCC taught me so much.”

Pressley’s advice to aspiring artists is to not let the industry change the way you think or make you forget what you’ve set out to do.

“That’s the biggest thing for me,” she said. “I just want to stay me, and I am.” - GTCC


Discography

"Are You Ok" Written & Produced by Sam Harmonix 2013

"You Ain't Ready" Written & Produced by Sam Harmonix 2013

"My Life" Written & Produced by Sam Harmonix 2013

"Share My World" Written & Produced by Sam Harmonix 2013

Photos

Bio

Imani Pressley, a native born NC artist is a singer, songwriter, and producer. She started working on music when she was 9 years old.

It wasn’t long before her talent would draw the attention of some of the city’s more notable industry figures. At age 15, IMANI'S music was discovered in the trash and this led to an invitation to JPat Records– an entertainment company founded by Johnnetta Patton, mother and former manager of multiplatinum R&B superstar Usher. That connection ultimately lead to a mentorship with one of the company’s A&R Development mentor Michi Robinson, one that would prove pivotal to the expansion of her artistry. “I learned more of the essentials to creating great music, vocal lessons, so many things,” she says. “It enabled me to grow not just as a producer but an artist as well.” 

At 24 years old female she plays several instruments (guitar, drums, piano, etc), produces, and engineers her own music. Recently she produced music for Prince's background NPG artist Shelby J and he immediately grew fond of Imani and requested to work on the track before his untimely death.
To date, she has a Grammy and Dove nomination as producer for gospel pop artist Virtue. Recently she released a Limited EP "Feelings Like These" which she wrote, produced and engineered entirely herself. However, she has over 100 songs waiting to be released. Imani’s sound is a mixture of Pop, R&B, and EDM that adds an eclectic flare to her sound. Her single "I'm Not Sharing" presents a combination of these favorite genres opening up a wide range of potential fans
Her music has also caught the eyes of national recording superstars Timbaland and Ceelo Green. In addition, she worked with Brian Kennedy for the song "I'm Not Sharing," who is a 5 time Grammy winner with songwriter credits for RihannaCiaraKelly ClarksonChris BrownJennifer Hudson, and Fantasia just to name a few.
In other words, these aforementioned names prove her creditability in the industry and all unanimously agree that Imani Pressley has the tools to make a major impact as a global recording artist! 

Band Members