Amerika Sutton fell in love with music at age four—it felt natural, inevitable. Her late great uncle, Chester Grier Sr., who composed with the legendary James Brown, was the first to tell her to sing the song and tell the story. Sitting beside the piano, he looked at her and said she would be a star.

She cherishes memories of riding in her father’s pickup, jamming to oldies—the only place she could hear secular music growing up in a strict, faith-filled home led by her mother, a minister. Despite house rules, Amerika taught herself piano whenever she could. A naturally gifted, vocally seasoned writer with a bright personality and fluid vocabulary, she pushed past obstacles, later adding trumpet and percussion and developing a vocal range from soprano to tenor.

Her persistence never wavered. At nine, she recalls visiting Sony on 54th and 10th with her cousin Jeff—sharing space with Swizz Beatz and dreaming big. Those dreams became reality: her first placement with her late cousin Jeff (Young Genius) landed on Mariah Carey’s The Emancipation of Mimi with the track “Joy Ride.”
Amerika went on to write and collaborate with icons and hitmakers including Teddy Riley (“Jam 4”), Keith Sweat, Jazze Pha, Domani Harris, Chlöe Bailey, Kenny Money, Tyler Perry (All the Queen’s Men), Bangladesh, Bryan-Michael Cox, Red Pill Blue Pill, Donell Jones, Basheer (Anpu), Autumn Marini, Nivea, Solé, Ian Burke, Professor Griff of Public Enemy, and RSVP (Ray J, Sammie, Bobby V, and Pleasure P), among others…

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