Nailah Blackman is a Trinidadian singer and songwriter most strongly associated with the soca genre. Nailah Blackman's grandfather, the late Garfield Blackman, also known as Lord Shorty or Ras Shorty I, invented the style of music known as Jamoo and is also credited with inventing soca as a means of reinvigorating calypso music. Her mother, Abbi Blackman, is a hit-making calypso star in her own right Nailah is the niece of Avion Blackman, lead singer of the Los Angeles-based Christian-reggae band Christafari, and Nehilet Blackman.
Nailah Blackman grew up influenced by the sound and artistry of the musical traditions of soca and calypso sounds. At the age of five, Blackman began singing regularly and entered her first Calypso competition two years later. Her professional career then began at the age of 11. She is not only classically trained in voice but also in various instruments including the guitar, keyboard and steelpan.