Biography

“As a kid my friends and I would dress up in my mom’s clothes, using whatever we could find to represent a microphone, and pretend we were shooting a music video.” “Whether pretending to be recording artists making music videos, or talk show hosts, my friends and I were always fantasizing about being stars.”
Though no longer a child, Yani Simone is living out her childhood fantasies. An admirer of such familiar and diverse artists as Beyonce, Rihanna, Pink and Nicki Minaj, Yani Simone’s music is upfront and honest, having a perfect touch of pop, intertwined with the feeling of rhythm & blues.
“My lyrics and music are a direct reflection of my life’s experiences or those of my friends or people I’ve observed. My dad always said to be a great songwriter or vocalist, you have to go through some things, and people have to feel you when you sing.” “Now that I’m older, having been in and out of relationships, I get what he was saying.”
Yani Simone’s new single “After Hours” and MUSIC VIDEO brings out the best in Yani’s songwriting, vocal and entertainment skills. She says the song came about as she was reminiscing about having fun at the club while looking at Facebook pictures of people partying and having a great time. The “After Hours” music video takes the audience back to the old French Quarter in New Orleans, where unsuspecting, well-heeled guests arrive for an evening of fun and frivolity, only to find out that they’re the main course.
Now living in Chicago, Yani grew up in Atlanta. “I began singing seriously at around the age of fourteen. My family had a music studio in our basement where my cousin and dad ran a music production company. From the moment I heard my first recording, called ‘Fly Away,’ I was hooked!”
Yani went on to record two albums “Attitude” and “Rebel.” The Rebel album represented Yani’s songwriting debut, as she wrote each of the 12 songs on the album. Rebel, like her current single “After Hours,” was recorded at the iconic Patchwerk Recording studio in Atlanta by Grammy Award winning engineer Mike Wilson.
While finishing the “After Hours” single and music video, Yani completed studies in theater/acting at Chicago’s Columbia College. She says “I’m built for this new 360 degree world. I’m a recording artist, songwriter, and actress… and I plan to do them all.”
If the “After Hours” single and music video are any indication, Yani Simone is indeed living out her childhood fantasies.