Roc Nation’s R&B/Hip Hop Duo Ceraadi Shares 5 Secrets To Their Success As They Prepare For The Biggest Performance Of Their Career

Multi-talented. Relatable. Dedicated. Charismatic. Engaging. Sisters and best friends. No wonder the infectious Roc Nation R&B / Hip Hop sister duo Ceraadi has been called “one of the hottest things this summer” by BET along with kudos from Refinery 29 for “tearing up YouTube views at a marathon-like pace.” 

If you don’t know the backstory, you should. Sisters Saiyir and Emeza Gibson (and I asked if they were twins and they are not), who are jointly known as Ceraadi, rose to stardom late last year with a hit single, a ferocious TikTok following (508k and counting) and brand ambassadorships with iconic names like PrettyLittleThing and Savage x Fenty. The result is over 2 million Instagram followers who are regularly tuning in for their special mashup of creative style, 90’s influences and unique musical singles.

Signed by Jay-Z’s iconic record label Roc Nation, Ceraadi is now about to drop their newest single, BFF, on September 4th, as well as undertake the biggest performance of their career this Fall with their new AmazeVR “concert of the future” collaboration.

The timing might just be perfect as many of us are truly missing the live concert circuit in the midst of Covid-19 restrictions. What makes this differnt is AmazeVR offers a new end-to-end VR content service leveraging breakthrough technology. They are now partnering with the music industry for the first time to launch their proprietary virtual concert experience. The intention is “amplify the authenticity and intimacy of the live performance” as a way to empower artists to intimately connect with their local fan base in a multi-sensory event.

They needed the right talent. To launch the initiative AmazeVR carefully chose to collaborate with “partners that can create a bold, engaging show.” Enter Ceraadi, who Amaze have characterized as “captivating, authentic and relatable artists with a performance style that is dynamic and accessible.”

The musical sister duo have worked hard towards this moment accumulating their “ten thousand hours is the magic number to achieve greatness” quota as referenced by writer Malcolm Gladwell in his book Outliers. The key in Gladwell’s message — natural ability requires a huge investment of time in order to manifest itself into success.

That’s exactly what the duo have acheived as inseparable sisters and each others best friend. Glued together by shared harmonies, Ceraadi not only complement each other in terms of fashion, fire, and ferocity, but they also finish each other’s thoughts musically. Saiyr raps with tenacity and nimble wordplay, while Emaza belts with soul and spirit. Together, these two sides form one dynamic, diverse, and distinct whole.

It all started when they tapped into this energy as children back in Cedar Rapids. Inspired by their single mom’s favorite classic R&B and hip-hop, they listened to everyone from Destiny’s Child, Ciara, SWV, and Janet Jackson to Wu-Tang Clan, Jay-Z, and Lil’ Kim.

Their mother presented music as a refuge in the face of turmoil and uncertainty, a traumatic robbery and the stress of relocating thousands of miles across the country into an unfamiliar environment. Eventually, they ended up in Long Beach, California where they stayed for five years before settling in South Central Los Angeles for four years. Around the same time, they started filming videos as an outlet from a dark reality and posting them on social media.

As their audience expanded in early 2019, their dance challenges and YouTube “Playlists” would typically crack the 1 million mark, and major brands enlisted them for high-profile social campaigns. Their indie singles “Active” and “Kung Pao” put up strong numbers online and captivated Roc Nation who hopped onboard.

As their profile dramatically rose, they inked a major label deal with Island Records, setting the stage for Ceraadi’s official debut single “Loyal.” Underscored by throwback production right at home with their nineties influences, the song caught on with as it dips in and out of sassy rhymes before a heavenly and harmonic hook hypnotizes.

Behind all the success, the Gibson sisters shared that despite obstacles and emotional hurdles, they’re “where we are now by having a great mother and her influence in their life.” They also spoke for the first time about the difficult breakup that led them on their current path to success.

What most of their current followers and fans don’t know is the duo actually started off as a trio. This is where one of their key personality traits, being dogged optomists, helped them through the tough times. They simulataneously explained, “We did have a sister that was in the group and we were basically a family. We grew up on YouTube and people were so attached to seeing us being a trio sister group and seeing that family bond. When things broke off, and she left the group, people were very upset. Stories were twisted and we got bullied a lot as if we were the enemy and more.”

The struggles were real as the Gibson’s detailed that “overcoming that period was really, really tough because we know how social media is when it comes to internet bullies, and everything else like that, especially being women in the music industry. We’re very strong, opinionated, and we know the facts and our demographic.”

They needed to pivot quickly. The result was the newly formed duo had to step back, exhale and rebrand themselves. Not an easy task for anyone but even more complicated in a famly environment. It all eventually turned “into a blessing” when they were signed by Roc Nation.

With their new found success, the inately optomistic Gibson sisters shared their 5 tips that helped them move on to new heights in thier career. It’s good advice that is especially applicable to early stage founders or entrepreneur’s as they face unforseen challenges in their business and personal lives or in any stage of your life.

1.Know Your Brand. The sisters recommend “finding your niche and just diving deep into it.” Whatever you’re ardent about “don’t worry about the money if you’re passionate about what you are doing, the money will follow. Hone in on what you’re good at and what you love to do.”

2.Have A Good Foundation. The sisters ccredit their mother with much of their work ethic. They don’t know “where they would be right now without it.” They recommend building a strong foundation and support system adding ,“One of the skills their mother gave them in life is this ability to go into situations and feel secure in a group of people. It builds confidence and is a very special gift their mother gave them which has enabled them to tackle complex dynamics and situations.”

If you’re short on family members, then build a lasting circle of friends who will give you honest, constructive feedback or join (online) work communities that build skills. A vision board is another great tool teh duo employ. Aim high. Ceraadi does including just adding the dream of winning a Grammy to their list.

3.Build A Network. This is one of my mantra’s that I always repeat and the sisters embrace it as well. Make sure to have “the right people around you that share the same values and work ethic.” It’s positive reinforcement in life and everything is easier when you surround yourself and build a network with like-minded business associates and friends. The sisters emphasized this extends to being well mannered and knowing how to talk to people you don’t know you’re in the room. Translation. Be polite and courteous. It will take you a lot of places in your work and personal life.

4.Be Adaptable. The ability to change depending on what is thrown at you is another important life skill. Being able to “maneuver in complex situations.” The goal is to have a flexabile mindset but also realize when it time to change based on different scenarios.

5.Be Consistent. Be Confident. The sisters summed up thier success philosophy by stressing the importance of “being authentic. Be original. Don’t be afraid to show your personality and express it. Be proud of who you are and don’t be afraid to experiment. You never know what you might like that is new.”

Finally, if you are wondering about the origin of the duo’s brand name, they finally divulged the secret. It’s a combination of their beautiful middle names — Cerai and Dilante. I look forward to hearing their name announced at the Grammys for best new artist. I have a strong feeling it might just happen.