What’s going on Xica Simone, please introduce yourself.
My name is Xica (pronounced Sheeka)

Tell us about life growing up in your city.
I was born in Milwaukee Wisconsin and raised in Rockford Illinois. I am the baby of my family so I always felt like the only child. My sister and brother are 12 and 13 years older than me. I started singing in church and never stopped.

How did Music become your passion?
My older sister was a singer too! Unfortunately she was murdered in Rockford in 2008. She would always push me to sing anywhere at any time. Seeing her sing at her high-school graduation is what made me say “I wanna be on stage singing” because the crowd went crazy when she finished.

Tell us one or two of your musical influences.
I love neo soul and r&b music. A lot of my influences are old school like Anita Baker, Sade, Gap band, Chaka Khan, Erykah Badu and Mary J Blidge.

What’s the most recent single you released & where is it available?
My most recent singles are “Roc Wit Me” and “Session” these songs are available on all music platforms.

What are you doing to make sure that you stay engaged with your fans?
I call people supporters not fans but I try to stay active as I can and do live performances so I can actually be in person with people. I respond quickly to messages and I’m always open to collaborations.

Which of your songs mean the most to you and why?
I wrote a song called “tribute” in honor of my sister, dad and grandmother who have all passed away. Writing this song helped me with my grieving so it’s emotional but it was something I needed to get off my chest.

What is your creative process when making new music?
When I’m creating or writing it must be a zen type vibe and I have to really feel the music. My lyrics aren’t just word play, they are my feelings, emotions or true experiences.

Outside of music what else can we catch you doing?
Outside of music I’m an actress as well. I’ve done several plays, small commercials and videos. I am a mother and a wife before anything else. I also host different shows or events when given the opportunity.

What’s next for you?
What’s next for me is booking more events to get my music out more. I have some shows coming up in the summer that I’ll be doing. Follow my social media for more updates.

Where can we follow you on social media?
I am mostly on Facebook but I am also on tiktok, Instagram, reverbnation and YouTube.

Anybody you want to shout out?
I want to shout out my friend and advisor singer Tina Renee. She is my rider and she always makes sure I’m on point with my brand. I also want to shout out to my loving husband who is always there protecting and supporting my every move. He is my rock.