Welcome to #WeNeedToTalk, the show that sparks the conversations you've been craving! Join the vibrant host #NylaSymone as she sits down with the one and only #NickGrant for an explosive interview. Nick spills the tea on his controversial upcoming album, shares the thrill of receiving shout-outs from legends Killer Mike and Andre 3000, and dives deep into the creative process. Get ready for an unfiltered discussion that goes beyond the headlines.
Talk Soon! ✌🏾
Stay connected! Follow @wnttlk on all platforms.
Welcome to #WeNeedToTalk, the show that sparks the conversations you've been craving! Join the vibrant host #NylaSymone as she sits down with the one and only #NickGrant for an explosive interview. Nick spills the tea on his controversial upcoming album, shares the thrill of receiving shout-outs from legends Killer Mike and Andre 3000, and dives deep into the creative process. Get ready for an unfiltered discussion that goes beyond the headlines.
Talk Soon! ✌🏾
Stay connected! Follow @wnttlk on all platforms.
This is gonna be a controversial album.
Speaker 2:What.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I'm just touching on like a lot of different things.
Speaker 2:Oh you trying to set the music industry ablaze. Is this what you're doing?
Speaker 1:Yeah, I need some. Yeah, I gotta pay these bills With integrity, though. Okay, we're gonna do it the right way. What's up? This is Nick Grant. Check out my album Sunday Dinner out right now. What's up? Nalaala.
Speaker 2:Simone, we need to talk. I'm like Trackmasters, what?
Speaker 1:This is a great pocket for you, though, yeah, for sure, for sure it might change something. So I'm like I'm hype, I'm excited about it.
Speaker 2:Love that for you. How long you been here doing the album.
Speaker 1:I just got here when Sunday oh, okay, yeah. Sunday I ain't been here two days.
Speaker 2:Okay, chance chances just in town to record his album. For not working with track masters, though, but I heard a little bit what it sounded like sounds well. I think he's still figuring it out, still figuring out a lot of directions going on balance. Trying to catch that balance again.
Speaker 1:Huh, he's trying to catch that balance again.
Speaker 2:Yeah, what's going on guys? Nylas Simone here with another episode of we Need to Talk, and today I got a very special guest in the building. Nick Grant is here.
Speaker 1:How are you? What's up? I'm good. I'm amazing how you doing Amazing. Thank you for having me too chill, too cool. It's like, yeah, it's natural too, I ain't trying too hard you know what I'm saying.
Speaker 2:Hey, I respect that, being myself. Yes, I respect it. I've I've been a fan of you for a while now, so I'm actually happy to finally get to sit down and pick your brain thank you, I appreciate it yeah, of course, sunday dinner last year I feel like was a critically acclaimed rap album.
Speaker 1:Wow.
Speaker 2:People who are fans of rap, like mad people were, like yo. Did you hear this new Nick?
Speaker 1:Man.
Speaker 2:But that's like you know.
Speaker 1:Man. I put so much into that album. I put my heart and soul first time ever writing verses, crying.
Speaker 2:Really.
Speaker 1:Yeah, just stuff that I suppressed for so many years into that album. So I'm so blessed for the way that it was received. So, yeah, I'm happy about that one. I think it's my best body of work, really For sure.
Speaker 2:Not worrying about a classic, but you ended up fucking making yeah for sure, for sure, that's how it happens though I was like what's the irony of that? For sure, right.
Speaker 1:Yeah, no, no, no, definitely definitely Like just going in there and, like you know, it started with like a bunch of conversations, just talking to a bunch of different people, people conversing with them.
Speaker 2:Were you talking to your family?
Speaker 1:Family, friends and you know, just sharing different stories and you know I found out a lot about people that I didn't know until I started making this album, like just different things that they went through, just people that I didn't know until I started making this album like just different things that they went through, just sharing stories.
Speaker 2:What made you?
Speaker 1:want to like start those conversations. The music started the conversation. So people just coming in and hearing certain lines I remember on like the intro of the album I said you know, poor communication was like a cancer to my progress and my growth and that resonated with one of my friends so bad. He was like yo, I always cut people off when I get upset or when we, you know, have issues and we never talk through them.
Speaker 2:So, um, this sound like therapy. Yeah, it was a lot. That was a whole lot.
Speaker 1:So he was like yo. You know, just that line alone made me like love this album so much and, you know, tapped into some of the things that I suppressed as well. But yeah, not to be so deep.
Speaker 2:No, but it really is, I think, music. It really isn't something to take lightly. For sure, the things you're listening to, at least for me. I listen for relatability or admirability.
Speaker 1:For sure. So it is that deep Million percent. Million percent, and I always say too to this day not to get off topic, but I feel like the world is in a weird place because music is in a weird place. Oh my god. I feel like when you get the music right, you know you create new, new, new experiences on another frequency.
Speaker 2:So I think we're gonna stay in a weird place, it's only gonna get weird.
Speaker 1:It's only gonna get. It's only gonna get weird.
Speaker 2:I'm sorry, I feel like jesus christ those of us who are like conscious and get it. We just have to cling on to the shit that feeds us.
Speaker 1:The proper way, for sure.
Speaker 2:And then everything else. You know you can't be subjective about it because then you're just labeled a hater. So you know, for me at least, like the role and approach that I'm taking is just like yo just give praise to the dope shit.
Speaker 1:For sure, absolutely, and I love that. Or raise the kids to appreciate the dope shit as well, man. That way you start a new cycle. Yo, I don't know, I can't. You know what, neither here nor there.
Speaker 2:I'm with you On the intro, though, talking about worried about a classic, you talk about essentially how, like you're not worried about all these accolades and whatnot in music, because you're just worried about taking care of your people.
Speaker 1:Absolutely.
Speaker 2:And it's like dang you have been in this game for a long time, so for you to still feel, I guess, that type of pressure it's like when does it stop, or does it stop, has it stopped?
Speaker 1:It doesn't stop. I just think. You know I'm grateful in the position I've been in to continuously put out albums and you know, just have a voice. When I first started it wasn't about money. It wasn't about, of course, we want the money, we want the success, we want the you know all the accolades that come with it, but for me it was just, man, like, I want to have a voice. You know it's somebody where I'm from right now, in this small remote city in Walterboro, south Carolina, you know, looking for somebody to model their life or you know their experiences or somebody to share these same experiences.
Speaker 1:That's why I make an album like this, so a kid can hear me, the way I heard Biggie, the way I heard Nas, the way I heard Jay-Z and say because if we don't do that, this thing dies and this thing created so many bright stars and futures and lives. And you know, I want to. I want to be the person to keep that going and I don't have to be the guy. So many great other emcees.
Speaker 2:I don't have to be the one you know um, but you're one of them, thank you. Thank you, I appreciate that.
Speaker 1:I appreciate that for sure. Thank you, um. But yeah, just just shining a light on, like you said, all of the dope shit and celebrating that, that's that's the key to it. I feel like it was so much more camaraderie, it was so much more love um genuineness, in in in the air at a certain point, but somewhere where I feel like we lost it. Not to get off, you know, get into that so deep, but yeah, yeah, for sure, what um?
Speaker 2:because this album is like straight rap you know, where the previous one welcome to loveland gave like more funk and like just fun even more singing. You know, yeah, like what? Why? What made you be like? Now I gotta go back to to this I think loveland was just a passion project.
Speaker 1:I'm like a huge OutKast fan. Andre 3000 is like one of my heroes, so the Love Below is iconic. Is that a top-selling rap album?
Speaker 2:It's diamond.
Speaker 1:Yeah, yeah, for sure, yeah something like so yeah, just following him and coming up with him to where he was, like the first person to cosign me.
Speaker 2:He was.
Speaker 1:Yeah, he was the first person to cosign me. Wow, yeah, first rapper to cosign me, that's crazy. Yeah, it was a wild experience too.
Speaker 2:How did he cosign you?
Speaker 1:I remember one day I met him and he was like man, you're one of my favorite rappers. And it's like a bunch of people in the room and I'm like looking around, like one of your favorite rappers without you I wouldn't even be here. So I'm like throw it off, that's. He was like man, you, you're one of the guys that'll make me rap better than I would ever have to rap. And I'm like yo, that's crazy. He's like let me know when you in my city. He was staying somewhere else at the time. I don't want to disclose where he was, but yeah, he's like let me know when you there. So we did a show, super down to earth, super cool. I'm in the back. It's like 10 people in the crowd. He's like nigga, take a picture. I'm like Andre is like super black, super black, super super black man dog. So he's like yo, take a picture. Like let him know I'm here. I kid you not, I took the pic, posted it. The show filled up. It was just crazy.
Speaker 2:What.
Speaker 1:Yeah, it was wild. That's so dope. Yeah, for sure, that's love. Yeah, nah, he's like one of my heroes To the point where, like I don't know, I got like weird moments in my life. So when I first moved from south carolina, I moved to atlanta like college park, east point area, okay, off old national, so you know that's where they're from. So it's like I'm like in the thick of it. You know what I'm saying. So, yeah, heavily influenced by how it cast. So that's what that album was and I think you know it was an homage to them in that time and erin things that they did and how much I loved and respected them. But this was like more me and my story and I wanted to get back to that with Sunday Dinner, and this was also an album I've been trying to put out since 2016.
Speaker 2:Really Sunday.
Speaker 1:Dinner. Absolutely, I couldn't tell the story the way I wanted to at that time, but I think the maturity kind of Helped. Yeah, yeah, definitely, definitely. And the way that I look at things now, after having a kid and you know just different experiences that I went through as a kid, like it helped me have a different outlook on those situations. That's beautiful.
Speaker 2:Actually, I do love the ode to OutKast though. That makes a lot of sense For sure, yeah, when I heard it I'm like, nah, this is fun, this is funk, and I honestly feel like that's a good space for hip-hop to be in, because a lot of times I feel like women don't like listening to rap, because they feel like, ah, I just don't want to get bars and stuff. So I feel like that was like a cool element.
Speaker 1:Scared of women music. I just heard somebody go hey yo, this is scared of women music, oh my.
Speaker 2:God is it?
Speaker 1:Yeah, Like the lyrical, like they want to dance, we want to have fun. They want to dance. So, yeah, that was another approach too, because none of the guys that were like fans of me liked that album, but the women love it. I'm like yo.
Speaker 2:I feel bad for even bringing it up.
Speaker 1:I'm sorry, no, no, no, no, they love the most, so, yeah, I'm cool with it.
Speaker 2:It's definitely a vibe, but that's why, when I saw sunday dinner I was like, oh he, he probably saw the feedback from it and was like all right, let me show y'all niggas that I still got it right, right, right. You went back to having a lethal pen with this one, you know no, I'm not mad at it, I'm just saying, I noticed um, yeah, the best artists take risks too.
Speaker 1:I think you know I model my stuff after that like we trying to push it forward. Man, we ain't trying to just be stuck in the same spot, and you know, we trying to, we trying to move the coach and move the needle.
Speaker 2:So yeah, no, that makes sense. But talk to me. You said from Carolina you moved to Atlanta and I've um recently just started working in Atlanta oh, wow and like how you like it yo, it's just so different.
Speaker 2:Culture like cultural differences is crazy, because New York is really like a melting pot, but Atlanta is just black as fuck for sure, and I love it because they like accept me. I don't even gotta explain shit. Honestly, it's like you kind of just understood and they just support you. Um, but like for you, what was that transition like? I mean, south Carolina is black too, though.
Speaker 1:Absolutely.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 1:It's like. It's like super country black, super like Country black, for sure. Yeah for sure, just like. Yeah, but I learned a lot Like, and I was raised by older people Like. My grandma was born in like 1919. Oh, wow. My granddad's 1920, something. So like I was raised and I was going switching back and forth during the week my grandma on the week, on the weekdays, my granddad on the on the weekends so I learned so much I felt like I was so advanced in that way, that's fire.
Speaker 1:You know I didn't like it at the time, because I'm around all these old people all the time.
Speaker 2:Where the kids?
Speaker 1:at, but it helped me so much as I got older so I started thinking about you know, just the knowledge I got, so when I ran into certain situations I was able to apply that and come out you know for the most part on top of you know, whatever situation I was in.
Speaker 2:That's tough. That's tough. Okay, let's talk about you. Really don't have features on this project. Was that intentional?
Speaker 1:No, I wanted certain artists on this album. I wanted Jadakiss on Bravo. I wanted Cole on something too, just because of the Carolina connection. He's like somebody from, I want to say, my generation. You know he came out before me. I don't know how they base rap generations anymore, he's a blogger. Me blog for sure, for sure. But yeah, he was a guy that I watched and just like respected. I just respected his pen and he kind, of you know.
Speaker 2:Took it, he took it there.
Speaker 1:For sure, for sure. One of the guys, like one of the guys, like one of the best ever. So, yeah, I wanted him on the album. Who else did I want on there? I wanted Missy on something. Yeah, that was it.
Speaker 2:So it's coming. Are you still inquiring about these? Maybe this new project you're working on?
Speaker 1:For sure, for sure, I want Kendrick Lamar on one of them albums. We actually talked about it, but hopefully we can make something happen.
Speaker 2:Fire. Yeah yeah, bring K-Dot out, man.
Speaker 1:For sure, one of the best as well. One of the best ever.
Speaker 2:Yeah, no, hell yeah, I would love to see. You're not in that class as far as when you came out For sure, but as far as lyricists, there's only a handful.
Speaker 1:Right, right, right, for sure. To do the dance with, for sure. So I think, yeah, I think it makes about sense, I like that phrase To do the dance with.
Speaker 2:Because it's like have you been? Oh, let me not say that, but I was going to say you know, sometimes you get a verse back. It don't be good, but then sometimes it's like toe to toe.
Speaker 1:Yeah, for sure.
Speaker 2:And it's like damn, let me rewrite my shit.
Speaker 1:That's a year for it, for sure, but that's the fun part of it.
Speaker 2:So you've been dropping these freestyles with Trackmaster. Love to see.
Speaker 1:I love the nostalgia, obviously, of popular beats being flipped by you, but also it's like all right, what are you teasing us for? What's going on? Um, yeah, working on the album. My next album is called I took it personal, so sunday dinner is like you know my personal story in my life. Um, I took it personal was like my experience in the music business.
Speaker 2:Um, but it's not I like that yeah.
Speaker 1:So it's like you know, a lot of people probably, like I'm gonna say it intimidated by me lyrically. They might run from songs, or if I get on the song, they might take me off the record or an executive might act weird, or so it's those different things. But it's not bitterness, it's more so. Like you know, I wasn't aware of the business that that I was in. I was hearing stories, but once I actually got into it it was like, oh, this shit is real.
Speaker 2:And then you was knee deep in it. You couldn't really get out of it. You can't get out.
Speaker 1:I had sacrificed so much at that point. I was like man, I should have went in, been a doctor or something. This shit is crazy. But yeah, like. But you know, I know, like now, like it's not a lot of people that hit me, I don't have the craziest fan base, I'm not going to sit up here in front, but when people do hit me it's like yo, this touched my soul, this touched my spirit and that's the stuff that keeps me like yo. I got to keep this shit going.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I don't think you have necessarily like the attention, but you absolutely have the respect and I feel like a lot of people who have the attention are fighting for the respect and not getting it. You know what I mean, because like in this era, everything's a meme, everything's a joke, absolutely so.
Speaker 1:It's like absolutely, uh, you, yeah even with yourself, like just your interview style, like it's just natural, and at home it's just the same thing when I watch certain interviews and I watch certain people interviews that everything is a joke, everything else like dirty yeah. So like I respect what you do as well thank you appreciate that, but I love.
Speaker 2:I love the title, because I too am the type of person who take it personal like Wale has this line more about nothing. That's like I'm way too passionate to patch it up, or let you go. And I'm like, oh Nothing. That's like I'm way too passionate to patch it up or let shit go. And I'm like yo, that is me, that's real. If I got to pick something like a bar that represents me, that's me, because people be like, it's business, not personal. But that shit is cap this shit is all personal.
Speaker 1:It's all personal. My business is personal. How is it not it's?
Speaker 2:my money and it's your art. You know what I mean.
Speaker 1:It's your art, it's your baby and niggas say that to trick you out your spot or trick you out your, you know your art, or he's an artist. He doesn't need money or he doesn't need. You know what I'm saying, like as long as we provide a place for him to do. Nah, I want everything I want everything that you know that come with all the sacrifices I made, so that's a well articulated line.
Speaker 2:I fuck with that right. So with you saying I took a personal like what would push you to this point. I guess to be that candid with this because a lot of times nobody wants to talk about it.
Speaker 1:Yeah, um, just seeing a lot of suckers move around and, um, just not not putting them on blast. But it's more so about me and how I adjusted and how I had to make certain sacrifices to you know, like I said earlier, like just to consistently put albums out and continuously have a platform and continuously have a voice. It wasn't easy. Like, getting to the point of Sunday Dinner, even when I look at the story, I'm like yo, it's nothing but God, because I've been trying to get this out forever. It's like yo, how bad, you want to get this album out. So I'm like yo, I want to get this out today.
Speaker 1:Nah, you got to go through this to be able to tell the story the right way. Even when I look at it, I'm like I'm not. I'm not, I was. I was mad at a certain point and I had to. I had to let a certain a lot of things go as far as the business. But, um, yeah, I felt like if I didn't let it go, I wouldn't be able to prosper and get to the next level that was afforded to me that's real you know through god.
Speaker 2:So yeah, yeah, so with sunday dinner, you said you started this in 2016. When you say that you just mean some of the records, or you mean like the concept you always knew, like bro, I was in interviews like yo sunday dinner coming sunday dinner.
Speaker 1:I had like certain music. I had certain ideas. I was like yo, sunday dinner coming Sunday dinner, I had certain music, I had certain ideas and I was younger, so I was super passionate about it, super ready to go. But fortunately it didn't happen that way and I didn't get it out because I felt like the story was so delicate and the steps that I even took outside of the music were very vital. You know what I'm saying. Having conversations with my mom, my mom opens up the album and she's like just going off. It's very vulgar or whatever.
Speaker 1:So just having a conversation with her, like yo, if you don't want to do this, but I think people need to hear this Cause you know it'll help you know, and it's so many emotions that go into that, because not only am I telling my story, I'm telling my brother's story, I'm telling my sister's story, I'm telling my mom's story, my grandma, you know, so on and so forth. So they have to be comfortable with that too, and I have to get the approval from them.
Speaker 2:So yeah, I didn't even think about that part actually, yeah it's a lot.
Speaker 1:It's a lot that go into making this album. Yeah, so's a lot. It's a lot that go into making this album yeah, salute to you for asking.
Speaker 2:I know plenty of people that just front street and just don't even think about it.
Speaker 1:Because I thought she was going to say no and I thought it was such a fire way to open an album. And she was on board. Yeah, she was with it. She's like yeah, my mom is like super cool, my mom is like my sister because my grandma raised me Five. Yeah, so me and my mom are like siblings. We have like a really close relationship, I love that yeah, super dope.
Speaker 2:How is she with her grandson?
Speaker 1:Oh, man, amazing Loves him. Like you know, they always get the better side of your plan.
Speaker 2:Yeah, they do. Like you know, like man who?
Speaker 1:Where was you? I seen something the other day. It was like Queen Latifah, it was like her and set it up, it's like your mom with you. And then it was like her in another movie. She was all dressed up All softer yeah softer.
Speaker 1:It's like yo with the gram. I'm like I don't get none of this Soft talking. You don't do no yelling, but it's dope. It's just dope to see she's spoiling him For sure, for sure, yeah, and both of them. That his mom's yeah on both sides is just a lot. But I love it though, because it's like yo, you got access, and you got access to things I just didn't have at you know, at that age, and yeah yeah, till I got a certain age, so yeah, how?
Speaker 2:how has fatherhood changed your approach on music?
Speaker 1:man, um, where everything was like more of like, because I was still fighting for a while too, where everything was more of like punchline and rapping for rappers. When I was aware that you know he was going to be here, I started like changing my mind. State of like, you know, just making things more personal musically. You know what I'm saying. So that was the thing, and now that he's here, there's so many emotions that I didn't know I had. It's like dang, really yeah, for sure.
Speaker 1:It's like I didn't know I could be like this. I didn't know I could do this. I didn't know I could are you crying more? Absolutely, I'm still a man. You know I get up. You know I'm still country black man. I still get I go in the bathroom and let it out. But oh for sure, that's awesome though. Yeah, for sure that's awesome but yeah, like I cried when I had to come here.
Speaker 2:I keep hearing that, though, friends who are having babies and getting married, and I'm like man, it changes you.
Speaker 1:It changes you for sure this is crazy.
Speaker 2:So what when you say because you know how um Jay-Z was like man, you know big pimping like I regret making big pimping in that era. Now that he got daughters and stuff like that. Do you feel like that too?
Speaker 1:uh, nah, I just think that's a part of my journey, that's a part of my story. Um, no regrets. Um yeah, for me, it's just yeah, that's a part of the story, and people are supposed to see your growth. I think they're supposed to see it as as an example that's real and you know um. Yeah, I think that's important. I think the story is important, especially when you're living in your life in the public eye yeah you know you got to lead by example, and what better example than change yep, no, that was.
Speaker 2:That was a bar all right um, let's talk about your relationship with killer mike. Obviously, killer mike just won yeah took home three grammys yeah, um, which is a really big deal amazing shocked a lot of people, but to people again who are fans of rap, I think it was like finally justice you know what I mean.
Speaker 1:Absolutely I felt like I won yeah, I'm saying that he shouted me out when he won. So it was like I woke up, like to like a hundred missed cause, like yo killer might just shout at you crazy, you know. So I'm like you know this is that's.
Speaker 2:That's why you wasn't even watching it.
Speaker 1:I was, I was, I was mad like I didn't catch it in real time. Like this is crazy, but it was dope. It was so dope for him to say that. But he's always been a leader. He's always been like a real genuine dude, real passionate guy about his people.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 1:Real leader, real activist, real, just just a real person, man, and something in that Atlanta water man, I've got to be be honest for sure, yeah, for sure.
Speaker 1:It's so many, it's so many examples, and he says it all the time. Like you know, the black people where I'm from, they were heroes, you know. Yep, they weren't dark people, they were like people that went to work, people that provided, people that looked after their people. So you know, I have the same story. We share that in a way, when we had conversations early on, he was on my first project, so when we had those conversations early on, we kind of just connected in that way. But yeah, just a real dude. And one time I remember having a listening party he pulled up by himself. I'm like rappers, people don't do this.
Speaker 1:Not like people don't do this at all. So, I don't take that for granted. I think that shows me a person's character, not just because I'm benefiting from it, but just that you took the time to actually show up and do that and say that on the carpet. This is your biggest moment ever and you took the time to say something about me and all the other artists that you mentioned and salute to him A lot of love and respect for him.
Speaker 2:I think it does say something about you too that, like this cloth of people are gravitating towards you, showing you that support and reaching out. But speaking of quality and cloth and I know you're working on the album, but I did see you in the studio with, like, jermaine Dupri- Absolutely. Like what's going on Because you working with top tier hip-hop producers now, yeah, I'm trying to get that feeling back.
Speaker 1:I want the feeling back the MCs that I love and respect, they making amazing music. Don't get me wrong, I want to see y'all mix it up. So, like you know, man, yeah, so that was my whole mind state. Jd raised me musically. Trackmasters raised me musically. Yeah, track Masters raised me musically.
Speaker 2:Are we getting rap with the bounce? You know, jd's thing is the bounce For sure. It's that bounce right here For sure, yeah.
Speaker 1:And I respect his process because he's like, like when you get in the studio with a producer, it's like everything doesn't have to be so tense Like yo, let's talk, Let me know about you.
Speaker 1:Oh I know what you need. You like this and he'll start playing stuff and making it from scratch. And he's one of the guys I respect because he's going to make the beat, he's going to come up with the melody, he's going to write a harmony, he's going to write the hook for the harmony. Um build around, and I just do what I do. I just write my verses in the middle of that. So he's yeah, he's one of the few that you can just put in the room and he don't need no help, that's crazy yeah, he's, he's amazing, he's amazing sheesh.
Speaker 2:That needs to be documented for sure that needs to be documented he needs a documentary bro yeah, for sure I agree with that Absolutely. That's insane. Okay, was that the first time you experienced working with a producer that worked like that?
Speaker 1:Him. He was one of them, and Salaam Remy was another one. Ooh.
Speaker 2:Salaam.
Speaker 1:Remy, salaam, remy, salaam, remy.
Speaker 2:What did he produce? Is it out?
Speaker 1:No, it's not out, it's not out, okay, we just did a few records. I just flew to Miami to go see him.
Speaker 2:I wanna hear that shit. I know Salaam got the soul Salaam's oh, my God. Yeah.
Speaker 1:Salaam is amazing, and even more so out the music. He just taught me something that I always take with me. He was like yo don't let nobody make the music without you. Always have input. You know that makes it. That makes the music feel more genuine. It makes it makes it resonate more with people that share the same experiences and stories. So never let a producer make anything without you. So I'm like man, so I always take that now.
Speaker 2:Fire. Have you ever tried to hand out producing? Yeah, that now Fire.
Speaker 1:Have you ever tried a hand at producing? Yeah for sure. A lot of this stuff I did on the album, like the record with Tweet. I did that one Okay, I did it with somebody because I'm not like I got the training wheels on a little bit, but you're like hey, yeah, yeah, yeah. So I hit a snare every now and then, Got yeah and just call people in to play guitar, certain things that I couldn't do. Nice yeah, I'm getting into that more. I'm building my confidence.
Speaker 2:Love that, yeah, yeah, natural progression.
Speaker 1:For sure, for sure.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I do want to say.
Speaker 2:I don't know if this is a question, but this is something I always I guess argue about in my debates is like not that I don't love these rappers, you know block era rappers cole, kendrick, drake, you know goats, yes, but I feel like we don't allow, like the current greats that we have, like a you, like a denzel curry, like a jd we don't even allow them to get the praise that you know or those type of looks, just because we don't have the same type of machines anymore. You know what I mean. Like now that we have so many outlets and it's like overload they still had prime machine.
Speaker 2:You know like label budget rollouts plans Absolutely and then they were fresh on the scene of social media, using Twitter, connecting with people.
Speaker 1:For sure.
Speaker 2:But then now, five years later, it using Twitter, connecting with people, For sure. But then now, five years later, it's like overkill. So now it's like you know what I mean.
Speaker 1:For sure.
Speaker 2:So it's like, I guess.
Speaker 1:I think it's harder to appreciate the talent.
Speaker 2:It's harder to appreciate the talent Absolutely so. Do you feel like that too?
Speaker 1:For sure. Yeah, it's definitely harder for people that came out after them, and especially the Instagram. At the height of the Instagram, you know social media craze, like it's just different because it's an influx of so much shit that's coming out at once and it's, like, you know, no filter too, so it's mad trash shit Ain't nobody, even fucking nobody, wants to be the hater.
Speaker 2:You know what I mean For sure, it's just like For sure. But when you are, like you know, pouring your heart out into your music and coming up with these concepts, I guess, how are you approaching the rollout?
Speaker 1:Man just trying to do different things. I think something that stuck last time was I shot a comedy with the album and people loved it. It was like yo, you got to get into this more. So we talked about that as well, but just finding things that like that, where I could still keep my integrity but be a part of the algorithm, so to speak. I know it's nasty here. It's a tough balance. It's a tough balance, it is. It's tough. It is, but it's tough.
Speaker 2:You know, hey, I support you.
Speaker 1:I appreciate it. Likewise, you got a fan in me, yeah.
Speaker 2:So what's the plan for the year? How are we looking? You're going to keep feeding us these freestyles until the album's done.
Speaker 1:Absolutely. Every week, every Wednesday, I'm going to drop something as we inch toward the album.
Speaker 2:But album's expected to be.
Speaker 1:June, July.
Speaker 2:June, july, all right.
Speaker 1:June July, june July. Alright, june July, june, july. I'm just trying to perfect it. Um, yeah, I think this is gonna be. This is gonna be a controversial album. Um what yeah, I'm just touching on like a lot of different things oh you trying to set the music industry ablaze.
Speaker 2:Is this what you're doing?
Speaker 1:yeah, I need some. Yeah, we gotta pay these bills with integrity, though. Okay, we're gonna do it the right way. We're gonna do it the right way shit, I'm, I'm, I'm looking forward to hearing yeah, this is I will say gonna be good.
Speaker 1:But I also like one of the approach of like. I also know like, all right, cool, it's cool to be lyrical and it's cool to have this, but you know, the business and careers thrive on hit records, so you know, and who better? Who better than a jd, who better than the track masters? Yeah, you know, um, yeah. So yeah, just in a good space and happy about the stuff I've been creating. So love that for you for sure.
Speaker 2:Thank you, can't wait to hear it and when you do drop it, you got to come back, so we can do it oh, come on, let's do it, let's do it for sure do a deep dive, but shout out to gra, so those who don't follow Nick Grant can tap in if they don't already.
Speaker 1:Nick Grant music, everything, all social media across the board. Follow me now, check me out. Check out Sunday Dinner. It's out right now. Thank you to Nala Simone for this great interview.
Speaker 2:It's a pleasure next time guys talk soon.