Chicago rapper and rising star, Nia Kay is set to release her new video titled, “Go Best Friend” on Friday, January 21, following an exclusive premiere today with Essence – Girls United. Nia released this new single on the heels of the successful debut of her song “Ignored,” which ranked #2 on the BET Jams Fresh Face Friday countdown. She has collaborated with Asian Doll and received industry co-signs from Cardi B and Dreezy. She has also been featured in Vogue Italia, Wonderland Magazine, Untitled Magazine, LA Weekly, Sweety High, Hello Beautiful to name a few publications.
With more than 6.9 million fans on Facebook and almost 1.6 million followers on Instagram, Nia is excited to share her new “Go Best Friend” video with her fanbase. The single is released under Smash Town Records/Tha Branch.
“’Go Best Friend’ is about the beauty of having your friends by your side and encouraging one another to live life to the fullest,” says Nia. “The message is also personal because my friends support me in my daily journey with type 1 diabetes and I hope others are inspired to seek and give support to their loved ones when they face life’s challenges.”
In addition to the release of “Go Best Friend,” Nia has stepped up as an ambassador for JDRF, the leading global type 1 diabetes (T1D) non-profit. In this new role, she’s joining efforts with the organization to educate the public about the life-threatening autoimmune disease and the importance of early detection, which can help people avoid severe conditions at the onset of the disease and ultimately saves lives.
Growing up with T1D and overcoming the daily highs and lows of the disease has fueled Nia’s passion for raising awareness and inspiring other T1D youth that they too can achieve their dreams. The “Go Best Friend” music video features a clip and end-card of Nia managing her T1D using an insulin pen, and information about the JDRF T1Detect screening education and awareness program.
“We’re thrilled to partner with Nia. A Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) report focused on T1D in youth, showed that T1D is growing most sharply in African American and Hispanic youth populations,” said Kenya Felton, JDRF Senior Manager of PR and Celebrity Partnerships. “Nia’s voice is important in helping us reach diverse communities and breaking down the misconceptions of the disease.”
On January 13, 2022, Nia performed at an intimate event in her hometown of Chicago to celebrate the launch of her new music video “Go Best Friend,” and to raise awareness for T1D. Images and footage from the event were captured by Shutterstock, a creative platform dedicated to supporting talented artists across all genres, with a commitment to advancing philanthropic causes.