Nellie McKay: a lounge singer with moxie—and a message

Interview, Dec, 2003 by Jennifer Garam

Nellie McKay really wants to change the world. Upon completing her forthcoming debut, Black America (Columbia), the 19-year-old singer-songwriter, whose jazzy compositions and razor-sharp lyrics manage to recall both Norah Jones and Eminem, used phrase books and online dictionaries to write additional songs in Japanese, German, and Spanish. "They're purchase incentives for overseas markets," explains McKay wryly. "The Spanish one is a very poorly concealed ad for vegetarianism."

When it comes to art and activism, McKay is no novice. Growing up in Harlem with her mother, actress Robin Pappas, she was exposed at an early age to the work of Cary Grant and Billie Holiday--as well as Mohandas Gandhi and Malcolm X.

Black America, a collection of piano-driven, Tin Pan Alley--influenced ballads, showcases McKay's affinity for both politics and pop culture, offering quick-witted invectives on everything from animal rights to the Oxygen Network. "You can't do anything great without taking risks, and I want to accomplish something great," explains McKay. "If I have a belief in something, whether it's myself or a greater cause, then I'm going to do what I can."

Jennifer Garam is a New York-based writer and actress.