She is the former lead singer of Sounds of Blackness;[2] a songwriter with credits including hits sung by Patti LaBelle and Gladys Knight; and an actress who co-starred in the 2003 romance musical The Fighting Temptations with Cuba Gooding Jr. and Beyoncé Knowles.

Nesby had various appearances on the hit television series American Idol and Queen Sugar.

Sounds of Blackness were awarded two Grammys in 1991 and 1993, and Nesby sang on a number of their tracks including "I Believe," "Optimistic," "I'm Going All the Way," "Soul Holiday," and "The Pressure."

Tyler Perry cast Nesby in a lead role in his 1998-2000 stage production, I Know I've Been Changed.

The lead single of the same title featured Al Green, leading Nesby to her first solo Grammy nomination in 2003, and the album included Nesby's first number one song on the dance chart, "Lovin' Is Really My Game", a cover version of the 1977 hit dance tune by Brainstorm.