Niykee Heaton
Singer/songwriter Niykee Heaton set Instagram ablaze on Thursday with her bikini pictures. Courtesy of Niykee Heaton

Singer/songwriter Niykee Heaton sent Twitter ablaze on Thursday after she posted some pictures to Instagram. The 19-year-old first got noticed when she posted a video of her singing a cover of Chief Keef’s “Love Sofa” on YouTube in November 2012. The rapper soon got wind of her vocals and publicly gave the blonde teen a shout-out on Twitter.

A year and a half later, her social media activity almost overshadows her vocals and it was never truer than on Thursday. Heaton might not be a hit on the radio but she sure knows how to make waves on the Internet. The vocalist posted two bikini pictures to Instagram that each received more than 25,000 likes after being online for two hours.

Heaton has nearly 300,000 followers on IG and more than 100,000 on Twitter. The singer revealed she was feeling great about the photos she shared. Despite her Internet fame, neither social media accounts are verified.

In a December 2012 interview with Complex.com, the teenager explained that she grew up near Chicago but has strong South African roots. “…My South African roots are a huge part of my life.” Heaton explained that her mother’s family still lives there.

Heaton said she started playing acoustic guitar when she was 10 and never had a guitar lesson. The 19-year-old explained she began to sing when she was 5 and learned to sing by mimicking Diana Ross while listening to the legendary vocalist's “Greatest Hits” CD.

Heaton has covered multiple artists, including A$AP Rocky, Lil Wayne and Rihanna. She told Complex.com that she was a fan of Chief Keef being they’re both from the Chicago area. Heaton said she chose “Love Sosa” to cover because “it would be a fun song to hear.”

But Heaton also writes and sings her own music. “My original music is kind of alternative, but I’ve always loved rap music,” she said. “It’s always been my first choice. If I would be able to write my own music with an urban edge to it, that would be the ultimate dream.”

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