Yes, she's Erykah Badu's baby sister. But there are few similarities. Nayrok (the reverse spelling of Koryan, her given name) is one tough rocker chick who's ready to take on the world with her raw sound and in-your-face style.
ONSTAGE: Nayrok is all about the performance. Here she wears a Kiss T-shirt that she ripped down the middle, a black leather "Pebbles gone bad" skirt (so says her manager, Tee Dee) and rubber-spiked heels from Moda.
Her newest single, "Redemption," is a "vent song," she says. "It's about being Erykah's sister, being a female artist in Dallas and having to compromise myself," Nayrok says. "Being Erykah's sister is definitely a gift, but it can also be a curse."
How important is style to your music? My overall image is wild and free and varies from day to day, from one extreme to another. And my music is the same way. I'm a performing artist first. I can be headbanging one minute and sweet and nice the next.
What's the first thing you do when you get out of bed? Turn on A&E. I like Cold Case Files, American Justice.
What's on your bedside table? My drink from the night before.
What are three things you can't live without? Comfortable shoes, a good bra and crazy accessories.
What's your favorite wardrobe piece? Shoes! I'm actually not supposed to wear high heels because of my car accident [she broke both of her legs in 1999], so now they are liberating to me.
What's on your style wish list? Anything I want I can pretty much create myself, so I guess on my wish list is a new idea.
Something you would absolutely never be caught dead wearing: Those little designer purses and trendy stuff.
Who does your hair? Rampage Hair Studio
Where do you shop most in Dallas? I go to Moda in Deep Ellum for funky shoes and accessories. And any place I can get T-shirts for $10 so I can rip 'em up.
Where can you be found around town? Top O' the Cliff Club, the House That Jock Built, Arandas Club [all in Oak Cliff or South Dallas] and an after-hours spot called Pinky's.
Guilty pleasure: Cola Slurpees.
Musical style icon: Tina Turner has lots of strength on stage, but she also has a story to tell.
What would you be if you weren't a musician? An astronaut.
SEE HER NEXT
Listen to "Redemption" at www.myspace.com/nayrok. She's planning a show with Erykah Badu and Floetry at the Black Forest Theater in October and she has a reality TV show in the works.
