Nuface Was Here! Hip-Hop Hoarder. Culture Preserver.

What does it take to preserve a city's soul? Meet Nuface — Atlanta's unofficial hip-hop historian, cultural curator, and the man who has been showing up and documenting the culture before anyone else thought it mattered.
From riding MARTA to every concert and event in the city, to traveling to New York to hustle FUBU back to Atlanta, Nuface has always been built different. His name says it all — N.U.F.A.C.E. Now Under Fashion All Can Excel. He was the new face in town and he never stopped moving.
In this episode, Tharon Johnson sits down with Nuface for a real conversation about what it means to love a city so much you dedicate your life to making sure it never gets forgotten. We're talking rare memorabilia, legendary moments, his contributions to the Trap Music Museum and the Atlanta History Center, and his vision for a permanent home for Atlanta's hip-hop legacy.
This episode is for everybody who ever rode MARTA to a show, bought a FUBU fit, or felt like Atlanta hip-hop changed their life. This one is for the culture.
🎙️ Hosted by Tharon Johnson

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#Nuface #TharonsTake #Atlanta #AtlantaHipHop #HipHopHistory #ForTheCulture #TrapMusicMuseum #AtlantaHistory #BlackCulture #MARTA #FUBU #HipHopCulture #Season2

Transcript

SPEAKER_01 0:07

So y'all know here at Theronsec we're all about politics, arts, and culture. And you cannot talk about Atlanta culture and not mention the name New Face. So my research about you from Detroit, been in Atlanta for a good while now. How did you get the name New Face?

SPEAKER_00 0:22

So it started. Thanks for a lot for having me on your platform too, and congratulations on season two and the invite. Detroit, how would I get the name New Face? So when I say I got here to Atlanta from Detroit, I brought my whole room, like everything. Because you know, you always hear those stories about uh people go to the army or college or sometimes jail, and the family or everything gets rid of your things. So I brought everything to Atlanta when I came for college. Didn't want to put the burden on my family, my mother, or anything like that. So everything was here. I had a house fire and everything burnt. So I literally had no, no, no material items, no clothing. So I started going to Goodwill to buy clothes, and then I transitioned to uh going to New York to buy name brand clothes like a Nietzsche, Fubu, during that whole time like that, and bringing them to Atlanta to sell. I was new in Atlanta buying clothes from New York, and I'm a fan of Fubu and For Us by Us and brand newbie. And so I just put all those three together, and that's where you get New Face. And I was and my tag was recognized as New Face on the block because I was new in Atlanta at the time, and I'm New Face. So I wrote that because I was drawing and painting on clothes, you know, for me and my daughter at the time. Like cool messages like you know I can, are zodiac signs and cool things like that. And so that's where the new face, you know, and I used to draw and paint, so you know, artists always say tag your shirt. And so I would just tag the shirts that I made new face on there. And it's still for now under fashion, all can excel. And also New Face Unites Art, Fashion, and Culture. That's deep, brother.

SPEAKER_01 1:50

Now, you came to Atlanta to go to what college? Clark Atlanta University. Okay, now we can't not say that now. And I just learned that about you today. So, you know, uh, we both are Clark Atlanta men. So and the other thing that I will say about you, you know, just this week, you know, I saw you at an event, and it's just not a cultural event if New Face is not in the building. But I want to go deeper into something that um I learned about you also is that you take Marta a lot. Uh it's pretty much your primary source of transit. And so tell us about your Martyr experience and how you capture the culture of Atlanta from a historical lens and hip-hop and utilize public transit. And then how important is Marta, you think, to Atlanta's culture?

SPEAKER_00 2:31

Um, I'll start with the last one, variant culture, because it's really the key to the city and access. Um, it started with me, you know, when I first got here, hearing a song uh like Outcast, Road to Marta Through the Hood, flopped onto your head, caught the 86 into the gator. Like hearing those songs from Detroit and coming here and actually seeing it, that was my method of train uh travel even back then when it was like I was single father riding my, taking my daughter. We lived on Simpson Road, so that's the bus 51. When I stayed in Decatur, that was the 89 uh Wesley Chapel bus. So like I was already on that, but then I transitioned and evolved and got a car. Um and recently, maybe a year or two ago, I lost the I lost my car. No, no transportation. And I just thought to myself, like, I didn't want to find any excuses. Like, you know, my brand was already building and then people knew New Face was there and all these things. And I I found myself saying, if somebody called me to invite me thing places, which wasn't happening in the past, I used to not get invited nowhere, not like, but I would buy the ticket. You know, now I'm getting invited, you're on the list, and that type of thing, but it always wasn't that way. But I I lost my car and I said I didn't want to use that as an excuse to not show up. I never wanted to be like, uh, you know, I don't have a car, and I don't, I I I never wanted to put that burden of that guilt trip on anybody that's inviting me somewhere. So I just said, give me the details, I'll show up. They didn't know that. For years they didn't know I was on a MARDA train, uh scooter, or my passenger side of my best friend's ride, you know what I'm saying? But after that, it was just Martyr because it's so accessible. Like, you know, I hopped out one block away is a Martha train station. I can walk there, I can catch a bus there. But it was like I was meeting so many people and in opportunities. And it was a point where um I was riding and I posted a CeeLo song called Pictures on a Nas Barkley album. He's like, it looks like picture riding on the Marta train. And so I posted that in my story, and like CeeLo Green from Goody Mob actually like called my phone and like, you really feeling that song? And I was like, Yes, hell yeah. I mean, I'm like, this is you, you just gave me a theme song essentially. Like, and I'm like, listen, like, and I'm in everything. So I'm like, I'm filming video just in as I'm CeeLo type of thing. But after that, it was a conversation where Marta reached out to me and like, can we put something together with CeeLo and let's do something with this? So when we were brainstorming, I'm I'm with the you know, the whole Martyr team, shout out to them, and and we were trying to make devise a plan for CeeLo to do an activation. And we were pretty much at the crunch time, and then Kanye West called CeeLo and said, Can you come perform for us in LA? And it was like, oh yeah, I'm like, well, go take that. Martyr always be here, you'll always be here. But from that, the MARDA relationship um came forth, and then there was an opportunity with the World Cup. And it's like, well, you always post for us, and you know, always they gave me the merch and everything. So how would you like to, you know, provide content for, of course, the World Cup, the new trains coming on, the breeze car system? They got new gates and new stations. They upgraded all the stations and put monitors, and we're actually getting new buses, and they downgraded some of the buses and extended some of the lines and anything like that. So I was like, I'd be honored to because it's it's natural, it's an actual um alignment. So I was pleased to do it because, you know, again, I've been riding Martyr since day one. Um, and it's just been helpful for everything. You know, we just recently had birthday bash, and the station is literally right there at Stay Firm or any Atlanta Hawks game. Like while everybody's on the way, I'm already there. They're like, I'm looking for parking, or I'm stuck in traffic, or parking is $50. Like, it's all those things that I don't have to deal with because I'm on Martyr, and they say Martin is smarter, and I'm living proof of that.

SPEAKER_01 5:59

So I'm so glad you mentioned the role that you have with Martyr. I mean, right now we're experiencing the World Cup. So, what kind of activations or other things that you're working on during this World Cup period that you want to tell us about? Because for them to come to you and say, hey, we want you to be a part of our brand, a part of our uh new face, our face of the brand, and encouraging people to use public transit because not everyone can drive everyone in the city during that. So is there any anything that you kind of experiencing that you want to mention? And then um, what do you want people to leave Atlanta with about the World Cup when it comes to public transit? What do you want them to think?

SPEAKER_00 6:32

Um, first of all, besides plugging myself, um, with World Cup, the city has been beautifying. You notice some of the streets that they've been repaving it, some of the powerholes are eliminated, you know, which makes the martyr ride a little bit smoother. But more importantly, like the artists, the black creatives, so like a Fabian, he's just done a mural at the new ATL Center, which is now used to be the CNN Center, if you see his mural. Uh Melissa, ABL Creation, she just did a the largest mural right there on 17th Street. My friend Ashley out of East Point, she just did a mural. All black creatives. So besides what I'm doing, I would like to first, you know, acknowledge them in the city of Atlanta. Culture Affairs, Adrian Jefferson's another black woman that's built, uh acknowledged and hired to bring these creators to the city of Atlanta and beautify our city. Um, about myself, um, I'm working with the ATL Culture Exchange. They took over the um CNN Center for the World Cup. There's they're doing activations every off day of the game. So the game will be there, and it's absolutely free for vendors, uh, creators, myself. So I'll be doing an activation, uh showcasing my Atlanta collection from the very time that I've been here, from the hip hop memorabilia, from the clothing to the fashion to the CDs to the magazines to the vinyls. Um I also have something at the Atlanta Airport at the International Concourse with uh shout out to Jazz from Earwax Records and Coalition DJs. Um I have my collection there with this jacket that I got from the Atlanta Falcons that I took to the uh 50th anniversary game, that every Atlanta rapper that was on that build autographed that jacket. Um, with R.I.P. uh. Richomi Kwan, Rico Wade, DJ Onk, uh Scooter, like no longer here, RIP to them, but that just like, you know, in a short time they're gone. But something like that is able to, you know, memorialize their contribution to the culture.

SPEAKER_01 8:22

So when I first met you, and you didn't know me from Adam, and it was a few years ago, you were at an event and you were walking around with like a vinyl album, and you were showing it to people that you had a nice big chain on. And I was thinking, I was like, who's that guy with you know these album covers? And you had like a lot of stuff, but you were showing it to, I think you, you know, even you know, recently I saw you talking to Jeezy, but I think you were showing it to Jeezy, and I think you were showing it to music producers, and it was just an event. And so, how have you been able to get people to follow you? I mean, you have a great Instagram presence. Uh, I was talking to folks before this interview, I said, well, no, what do y'all think about New Face? I mean, we just like to go to his page and just go up and down his reels because we learn something new every time we go on his page. And so Atlanta has adopted you. Uh you're from Detroit, Clark Land University, you're one of us now. But how have you utilized social media to continue to make your brand bigger, but at the same time staying laser light focused on the historical aspect of hip hop and how it affects our culture?

SPEAKER_00 9:24

Um, adding value to the culture in the city of Atlanta is just my main goal and family. I mean, if you see that, you know, I have four daughters. I I I'm I'm one of those people that's gonna showcase that because New Face was there means nothing if I'm not there for my daughters first. So that that lays down the foundation for that. But it's also educational. Like I grew up watching Fat Five Freddy on your MTV Raps. One of the main reasons I'm here in Atlanta is watching the episode of Fat Five Freddy go to the dungeon. Um, and and and you know, done uh Rico Wade and talking to Gip and uh Outcast and the whole goodie mob, and seeing that transition was like the blueprint and a documentary by Clarence Avant um and what he's meant to the culture, the black godfather. So seeing what he's been able to do when nobody knew who he was, but add value to so many people from a Dr. Dre and Barack Obama and Hank Aaron, and and so that kind of gave me a blueprint of like what I wanted to add to the culture and us specifically. Like I was I remember being in high school or elementary school going to field trips and museums, and they were showing Van Gogh and Picasso and all these this, you know, part of me, but like white artists, and we were expected to celebrate and clap for them, and I didn't see anybody that looked like us. And so I went to, you know, the culture. My father took me to my first rap show. That was LL Koo J and Run DMC and Beastie Boy. So, and I saved that ticket stub. I can always look at that and think about my father and that experience, but that connected me with so many other people that were in that arena: white, black, young, old, female, men, everything like that. So it was about adding value and celebrating things that look like us. So when I'm able to, you know, bring out a vinyl, like you said, and people that don't even have that, it's like, where did you get that in so impristine condition? It's like, yo, I'm preserved, it's like deeper than me. It started out as like my collection and my passion, but now it's become value because now I'm able to, you know, get commission to do the Rock the Bells cruise, that first ever cruise. And and Rock the Bells hired me, and I'm able to decorate a cruise and get paid for that and be on a boat with like my favorite rappers. And like before, it's like, can I get backstage or will I get the article? Now I'm like literally artist and and on the boat. They're not going anywhere. Like I don't have like I'm eating breakfast with like Manny Fresh and Pete Rock and you know Kid Capri and like every too short. Like, and I'm it's like it's right there when before it was just like it was all a dream, like literally no pun intended. It's like it was all a dream. And so to get a check, you know, signed by LL Koo J, and this is literally the first rapper ever seen as a kid, and to have Adidas, you know, and be a kid, and they say, Do you have Adidas? Take your shoe off and put it in the air. My daddy bought me them shoes. And so now that, you know, three years later, to you know, now fast forward Soul Play commissioned me to like do the release for these Adidas 30-year anniversary of the Olympics, which was 30 years ago. So to be a part of that campaign, to be here now, and then to be here, you know, 30 years ago when they were here in Centel and Olympic Park is like testament to like New Face was there in real time.

SPEAKER_01 12:17

So New Face, you know I ain't gonna let you get away with that. Now, I saw you when you walked in. I said, man, this brother got on historical, timeline, chronological stuff about the culture. So, all right, let's go back to the shoes.

SPEAKER_00 12:29

So, Soul Play. Shout out to Soul Play. They released two uh pair of Adidas on a D on a um 404 day. So this is the the centennial, the OGs. Then they released a new new school, which was like a um runner shoe. But this is like the Shell Toe basic shoe to commemorate 30 years of Atlanta. Um, so it's different colors. Hey socks, Olympic colors. 72 Freckles, a black-owned sister that makes these and it's representing, you know, Atari Marta logo colors as well. She represents Atlanta. This is Get You Some Rich Friends. This is uh Psycho Cream. My favorite tattoo artist, Paper Frank. This is their original uh Olympic 96 jacket. This is Street Luxury, black-owned. This is Swag Shop, Killer Mike owns a barber shop. So if you look at this, it's like when I do a post, I'll tag all these. And the gentleman that made me this right here, I'll tag all of them. And what is this? This is my logo. New Face was there. Designed by Freak Orico, another legendary artist. So right here, two creative, one of the best graphic artists of their time. So for them to bless me this personally, him to make me this logo and the gentleman to hand-carved this means a lot to me as a fan. But I'm just saying, when I do a post, I'm tagging them first of all, right? And and with our within my network, that's over 500,000. But then if they, even if just they repost it with their network, we've created our own ecosystem. I'm not, I'm, I mean, I hate to say it, I'm not caring about like the other likes, but it's gonna go viral on the strength of us. And that's what I'm trying to tell people. Like, help me help us. Like, the more people see me, the more people they see us. And I'm representing, you know, the creators, the cameraman. So when I'm taking a picture and a black photographer is taking my picture, and I'm gonna tag them. Like, I'm I'm real forthright about that because it's no me without them. And I always tell somebody, I can go faster alone, but we can go further together. So when I'm on your platform, I'm not gonna just share my episode, your next episode, your episode with BAME, your episode with any of my other friends, because no, I love what you're doing, the person that contacted me, April, you know, that type of thing. It's like I want us to win. Not it's not about me. Like, like I go to these events and don't buy anything to drink, don't have to pay to get in. While, like I said, somebody else pay for parking, pay for gas, pay for valet, pay for a ticket, pay for backstage. I'm right there in the same place you've been for absolutely free, and that's to our social currency, and that's what that's the win for me.

SPEAKER_01 14:51

Love that, brother. Love that. So clearly you're doing this out of like the love for people, passion. You mentioned your daughters, you take them to events with you, similar to what your father did for you, take you to different experiences. But you got to figure out a way, I'm sure, to monetize this. So, I in our research, we see that you're doing work with the Atlanta History Center. Shout out to the Trap Music Museum, you're working there as well. How have you been able to take all this love, passion that you give to the city, and it's giving back to you? And then is there a way that you figured out how to like try to monetize it? Because not that you end it just to make money, but you gotta eat. Yeah, and I mean, and just again, you going through your entire wardrobe is marketing these black-owned or these companies that don't necessarily get the publicity that they should get always. So, so so take me through the process of trying to say, all right, new face is gonna come to your event. You say you come for free, you don't pay for parking, you don't, you know, do all that. But you're there because people want you to be an influencer and people want you to people you want to be seen at the event because you legitimize the event, but also people want to see you, and they want you to talk about their brands. And so have you been able to figure out a way to bring all that together to monetize it?

SPEAKER_00 16:02

Slowly but surely, because you know, the it started out with our post as celebrity and that got views, but then it went into my post with just me being outside just genuinely without the hooker or a bait of an artist or something, a viral moment, but just me doing the work that I've done that goes viral. So right now, if you look at my page, it says like 12 million views over the last 14 days. So I leverage that with uh advertising. So, you know, not only are they sending me clothes, but it's like for me to give you access to my address and my P.O. box, there's a fee for that. Then I'm wearing your clothes, and if somebody says, where can I get that from? Oh, I'll I'll I'll set it up for you. Now that person makes a sale. Now we I'm able to post me with the mayor and me wearing your outfit. That's a you're able to repost that. Now I'm charging for re you to repost that. Like it's a win for everybody. So it's like, and then now people know my collection, so I'm getting calls from like the Atlanta History Center or the uh Trap Music Museum or Activation, um, Big Ticket. Every time the BT comes to Atlanta, they bring back Rap City. So if you look at the set, those are my records, those are my vinyls. When people do a music video and they want the 90s look or the 2000 cookout, while everybody's probably going to buy something new, I'm just going to my closet and buying the old some pants, some Maurice Malone, some baggy jeans that I've never threw away. My Fubu jerseys, all four of them are still in my closet like it was brand new. So I'm able to be commissioned to be uh curate video shoots, uh curate spaces for uh, you know, podcasts as well. I'm able to help design a multiple podcast sets. 85 South invites me on multiple shows to like every time they invite an artist on New Face, what's in your collection? So if you look at the Snoop Dogg collection, I literally laid out every Snoop Dog from magazine CD, and he like, I like that. And like you sitting on a million dollars, nephew, like to just to get that on their platform, which now that episode is 14 million, and people recognize me just from that. It's like a win for everybody. And now when I see Snoop or Method Man most recently, like I met him on Drink Champs when they invited me on their revolt, and he now he sees me like he knows what I do. Like, you're a legend. Like, this is meth a legend talking to me. Eric Sermon is talking to my mother and saying your son is a legend, but I'm like, no, you like those type of things is where it pays off. And so other people that don't know about that, but again, to your point, it's education though. Because these physical copies, it still matters. You know what I'm saying? We do DBS sounds, I work with them as well. That's another form of income. We set up these in-stores. And when people come there, artists come there with their physical copies. We did Cardi B, people slept overnight. We did Sierra and Tiana Taylor in one day, uh, Black from the East Side. He did one Summer Walker, Kalani. We do in-stores where it's kids that don't even have CD players or a vinyl record. They don't even know what this is, but they know if they buy this and support this physical copy, they're gonna meet their favorite artist. And now that artist is now probably going number one based off physical copy sales. So again, I'm I'm teaching them again the importance of fixable copies, then you're gonna make more than you do in streaming. You know, you're leaving a lot of money on the table because a million streams, you're not gonna make what you're making by selling two physical copies of your vinyl. Just think about that. Two physical copies of your vinyl versus a million streams.

SPEAKER_01 19:13

So, New Face, you've poured so much into Atlanta. I want you to answer two questions. Uh uh, who is pouring into you? Who are some of the people that you depend on to give you encouragement to keep going? And then two, what do you want your lasting legacy to be in life?

SPEAKER_00 19:29

Um, first of all, family. Like, like my daughters is really just the inspiration. Like I want them to see something that they're proud of. Like for me to walk them in the back of the Ben Stadium to have a suite at the Atlanta United and invite some of my favorite rapper friends as well. But invite my daughters and they're able to sit next to Lotto, Two Chains, and Earth Gang, and meet some of the NBA players from a Trey Young, like that's what I do it for. But so, so, but to answer your question, like the people that give back to me is like my family, my mother, my friends, the the car that I'm sitting in in the passenger side, the people that ask me, do you need a ride? You know what I'm saying? The people like Clay Evans who work with Tip, like when Tip and Clay said, like TI is saying, How can I help your brand and monetizing and things like that? And all I said was access. And any event he's in when Clay was here, RIP, they gave me access. They they made sure I got in first. He's with us, you know, from every venue from 107.9 to give me, like, I remember buying birthday badge tickets for $10 for Lakewood. And then when it comes up, and I buy 10 of them because it was for $10, $10.79. It was $107.9. I would buy 10 of those and sell bootleg scam tickets outside and sell about eight of them, and then save one for myself. And it's the nosebleed or it's the lawn. But we fast forward to this one, the 30-year anniversary. I'm all accessed, and thanks to like they them knowing me, but adding value to them and have a jersey that's signed by every rapper on that lineup. And it's like, and I know all of them. Like, I know it's like they're running to me now before it was like it's hard work. But so it's people with brands like that in the radio station, Killer Mike specifically. I'm a brand ambassador for the swag shops. I do the social media for them. He's always, you know, supporting me. He's mentioned my name in rooms and songs that he's on. He's mentioned my name on Jimmy Fallon, you know what I'm saying? So that access alone, the comedians, um, my friends like Marlin and the clothing brands that trust me to even wear their brands and the platforms that invite me, like yourself, to um, you know, invite me on their platforms because it's just a representation of us. It's like I want to make us look good. So, you know, thank thank you to all those people. But just more importantly, like my mother and my ancestors, my grandmother who instilled in me, like, you know, this from the photo albums. I that's what I me posting on Instagram is like us looking at a photo album as kids. And you remember, that's your uncle and like people doing that type of thing. So that's what I do it for.

SPEAKER_01 21:47

All right, well, we're gonna go into our next um phase, which we call the final take, and it's rapid fire. So I'm gonna ask you five questions. So the first question is outcast or goody mod? I'm going goody mod. Best rap album to come out of Atlanta ever. Most underrated Atlanta artist of all time. Okay, it's Atlanta Centennial Park and Sunday show. What's your final take on Atlanta hip hop in its current state? The best that it ever did it, we'll do it and continue to do it. Well, man, I want to personally thank you for one, you are a legend. You mentioned that. And just thank you so much for what you do for our community. And now I gotta just step out my wardrobe game, man. Because I mean, again, when you walked in, I was like, I gotta ask him about that. But more importantly, when watching you at these events, man, people just wanna like pour into you and hear what you have to say and want to know, you know, you're there, but also I never see you with a camera, so I don't even know how you get all this footage. Um, but you can help us with that. But then listen, man, continue to do the uh great work that you're doing. Thank you for what you do for this uh Atlanta community, man. And uh we we're gonna support you all the way, brother.

SPEAKER_00 23:05

I appreciate it. And legacy, that's what it's about. It's like, where was I there? Did I did I add value to the culture? Did you meet me? You know, I I be around artists, so it's like that that impression, like if I was to say no to a picture, that's the most ironic shit ever. Like he takes pictures with everybody. So I know how to handle that, and I just appreciate the love. I appreciate the people that say they follow me. So that's really the legacy. Like when you met me, did I make you feel good? Did I pour into you? The grass is green and where you water it at. And I want to water Atlanta, I want to water our culture, I want to water us. And it pours back into me. All love, brother. Thank you. Thank you.

SPEAKER_01 23:39

Thank you for watching and listening to Therrence Take. Please follow us on Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, and TikTok. And wherever you get your podcast, please download Therrence Take. Share with a friend and drop a rating.