Nadirah Shakoor is an American

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

 vocalist, best known for her work in Jimmy Buffett

Jimmy Buffett

James William "Jimmy" Buffett is a singer-songwriter, author, entrepreneur, and film producer. He is best known for his music, which often portrays an "island escapism" lifestyle. Together with his Coral Reefer Band, Buffett's musical hits include "Margaritaville" , and "Come Monday"...

's Coral Reefer Band

Coral Reefer Band

The Coral Reefer Band is the touring and recording band of American popular music singer-songwriter Jimmy Buffett. Originally it was a fictional band consisting of the imaginary members Marvin Gardens, Kay Pasa, Al Vacado and Kitty Litter....

, which she joined in 1995, and is still touring with it as the featured female vocalist. "Nod to the Storyteller" is Nadirah's tribute to Jimmy Buffett, who for the last 13 years has featured her as part of his show. Prior to that, she was the female vocalist of the hip-hop group Arrested Development

Arrested Development (hip hop group)

Arrested Development is an American alternative hip hop group, founded by Speech and Headliner as a positive, Afrocentric alternative to the gangsta rap popular in the early 1990s.-History:...

, of which she was a member from 1993 until 1995. She was nominated for a Grammy Award

Grammy Award

A Grammy Award — or Grammy — is an accolade by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences of the United States to recognize outstanding achievement in the music industry...

 for its second album, Zingalamaduni

Zingalamaduni

Zingalamaduni is the second album by American hip hop group Arrested Development, released in 1994 . It spawned three singles...

. Nadirah was also featured in Arrested Development's Unplugged

Unplugged (Arrested Development album)

Unplugged is a live album by American hip hop group Arrested Development. Performing live at the Ed Sullivan Theatre in New York City on December 17, 1992, their performance was recorded for the MTV Unplugged television series.- Track listing:...

DVD and album. She also toured or recorded with Madonna

Madonna (entertainer)

Madonna is an American singer-songwriter, actress and entrepreneur. Born in Bay City, Michigan, she moved to New York City in 1977 to pursue a career in modern dance. After performing in the music groups Breakfast Club and Emmy, she released her debut album in 1983...

, Al Jarreau

Al Jarreau

Alwin "Al" Lopez Jarreau is a seven-time Grammy Award winning jazz singer.- Background :Jarreau was born in Milwaukee, the fifth of six children. His web site refers to Reservoir, Inc., the name of the street where he lived. His father was a Seventh-Day Adventist Church minister and singer, and...

, Paula Abdul

Paula Abdul

Paula Julie Abdul is an American singer-songwriter, dancer, choreographer, actress and television personality.In the 1980s, Abdul rose from cheerleader for the Los Angeles Lakers to highly sought-after choreographer at the height of the music video era before scoring a string of pop music-R&B hits...

, Quincy Jones

Quincy Jones

Quincy Delightt Jones, Jr. is an American record producer and musician. A conductor, musical arranger, film composer, television producer, and trumpeter. His career spans five decades in the entertainment industry and a record 79 Grammy Award nominations, 27 Grammys, including a Grammy Legend...

, Jasmine Guy

Jasmine Guy

Jasmine Guy is an American actress, singer and dancer. She is best known for her starring role as Whitley Gilbert in the television sitcom A Different World.-Biography:...

, Howard Hewit and others.

Her debut album, "Soul Power" (EMI Music Japan), was produced by Speech

Speech (rapper)

Todd Thomas , better known by the stage name Speech, is an American rapper and musician. He is a member of the progressive hip hop group Arrested Development and has released a number of solo albums.-Background:...

, and her next two projects, NadirahSongs and Obsessed with Peace Vol. I were released independently. In 2000, she teamed up with her best friend, world-renowned producer Osunlade

Osunlade

-Biography:Osunlade was born and raised in St. Louis, Missouri. He composed music for Sesame Street during the late 1980s and early 1990s. Afterward, he moved to Los Angeles, California, where he worked with artists such as Patti Labelle and Freddie Jackson. After a stint there, he moved to New...

. Together, they released several house-music

House music

House music is a genre of electronic dance music that originated in Chicago, Illinois, United States in the early 1980s. It was initially popularized in mid-1980s discothèques catering to the African-American, Latino American, and gay communities; first in Chicago circa 1984, then in other...

 songs on Osunlade’s Yoruba Records label that are quickly becoming classics of the genre. "Love Song," "Just a Breath Away," and "Pride" are three of their most popular collaborations.

On October 14, 2008, Nadirah released a new album titled Nod to the Storyteller on Jimmy Buffett's Mailboat Records label, which includes two songs written by Ms. Shakoor along with unique covers of songs written by Jimmy Buffett and several other artists. She announced on the "Time after Island Time" radio program that she will be releasing a follow-up album. After the release, Nadirah and her brother, drummer Rasheed Shakoor, put together a band called Outside Art to help promote the album and to bring more deep house to the live music scene.