Interview with Nyge by UK Rap Lyrics
Studio Session is a new column focusing on producers in UK Rap. We caught up with Nyge, the producer of Section Boyz Lock Arrf.
So Nyge, it’s great to catch up with you. You seem to keep a bit of a low profile why is that?
Nothing intentional. I think it stems from not believing in my ability in the earlier stages of producing so I preferred to do it under the radar to avoid criticism, whereas now the exposure would do me nothing but good so I have to work from the ground up… It’s coming along slowly but surely.. and I suppose the right people have noticed more importantly
Tell us about your latest project #franksinatra
I always wanted to release an instrumental mixtape similar to ‘Clams Casino’ as he is one of my huge inspirations so I had to do it justice.. they were all made in pretty much the same week but I just sat on them for ages before (half heartedly) releasing them. The feedback has been great though and out of the 7 instrumentals I’ve confirmed 6 to be vocalled so I’ve taking it down for now and i’m going to re-release it with all vocals instead to add a better listening experience.
How did you get into music production?
Er.. It was actually from back when I went to college and Sneakbo and Political P had released the ‘Wave like us‘ song and no one knew where the instrumental had came from so I took it upon myself to somehow make a (very poor) loop of it on Sony Vegas and pass it around… that was the first time I was getting recognition for something, and it sparked something in my mind. Then probably about a year later I was in a studio with a few of my bro’s and I had seen someone using FL Studio but I had no clue what it was. He was getting alot of love for an instrumental that I thought sounded average so I asked him what he used because I had a feeling I could make something better, so he told me, I downloaded it later that day and the rest is history.
When did you produce your first track. And what was it like?
The first ever thing I made was probably just before my bday in early December 2012, I remember because it was a goal to make something sound decent by my birthday.. it was a Lex Luger inspired attempt at a trap beat and at the time I thought it was amazing… but looking back now it’s laughable, you gotta start from somewhere.
What do you think is better sticking to one genre or expanding and being versatile?
Of course, versatility is important but at the same time, once you have found your sound I think it’s better to stay in your lane and perfect it rather than trying to switch from every genre all the time. In saying that though that also depends on the artist you work with because they can bring out a different side of production in you.
Tell us about your musical background? What instruments can you play?
It would be hard to specify what type of music I used to hear while I was growing up because I honestly heard it all. As an example my dad would play alot of reggae but then he would play like a Phil Collins album out of nowhere but I liked it all. I’m more drawn towards slower music, like Sade or some Norah Jones or The Weeknd but then I also would have some Taylor Swift or Nickelback in my itunes so my shuffle game on itunes is a bit wild. I cant play any instruments though, I would like to learn the piano as that would probably improve my production alot also. But my attention span is too short to attempt it currently.
Tell us how you ended up working with Section Boyz?
With Section Boyz, I had been watching them for a while and liked what they were doing a lot with the ‘Delete my number‘ song being the one that got me onto them as a fan. I think I heard ‘dont like that’ and i thoguth i have to get involved i know we can make something big. So I did a bit of searching around through their twitters and came across Inch’s email and sent him over a few beats and one of them was Lock Arf, then they brought it to life from there. It was probably about December last year I sent it so I didnt think it was even going to be used until I heard it in a trailer they had, then the full version arrived and I was in shock.
Did you think Lock Arf would be arguably the biggest hit of the album?
Screen Shot 2015-12-01 at 13.30.58
Put simply, No. And even now, people who know I made it come up to me and tell me that they hear it and play it everyday in the club or a house party etc. and I still cant believe it. I have probably been out a handful of times since summer because i’ve been in the studio so I haven’t even had time to soak it in, but hearing it playing even for a few seconds when they won their Mobo award was an unreal feeling.
What was the inspiration behind the track?
I wasn’t there personally to record it with them but when I had the finished instrumental, I just knew it was big – definitely not this big, but I would listen to it all the time. It was probably one of the quickest ones i’ve made, so it’s even more surprising that its so big.
There’s been a few remixes and a co sign from Drake himself. How do you feel about all that? Do you have a favourite remix?
Drake cosigns Section Boyz Lock Arrf Drake Promotes Section Boyz
The co-sign from Drake was madness. I didn’t think it would reach his ear, let alone have him giving a shout out, I saw it while i was at uni and i don’t think I stopped smiling for about a week. I told everyone if he did a remix we’re all going to Dubai. My favourite remix is definitely the Skepta one, the flow he had on it was unmatchable and it was so out of the blue also. I am really feeling the Stefflon-don one though and even Safaree surprised me with his take on it.
Producing I guess is fun for you, but we all know that bills still need to be paid and you need to make a living. Is it hard getting paid for tracks?
Realistically yes, which is why I believe you have to be in it for the love of the music rather than the financial aspect. I saw a Donaeo interview once where he said if you’re doing music be prepared to be broke for at least the first 3 years and he wasn’t lying. But this is the 3rd so hopefully that changes. For now though I just work part-time and study, until i can make the transition.
What advice would you give to any producers looking to get out there and make money from their music?
Try and have a good team behind you who are all working as hard as you so you can all bounce off of each other. A lot of it from my experience is about being in the right place at the right time, which is cliche, but you can put yourself in that position. Going to underground shows and meeting artists or sending out emails until you’re sick of pressing the send button are all apart of it. The worst thing someone can do is ignore you, and a lot of the time it’s never personal when you actually meet an artist in person. As for the financial side, working closely with an artist who has a high work ethic or has a lot of potential is where that’s going to be made. Do your research and try to get in early and it’s all possible.
Tell us a bit about your setup that you use.
Currently i have a pretty basic setup with some Rokits, an interface and a microphone and mini keyboard, but I don’t need much, I prefer to keep it simple and tidy so I can always enjoy the benefit of being in an actual studio even more.
What do you think about the current state of uk rap?
The way that the rap within the UK is now is amazing. Everyone has been doing their own bit and playing their position to make the culture as a whole have a crazy buzz. I think a lot of the egos and issues surrounding music previously have disappeared and now all the artists, producers, music channels, even cameramen are coming together to make something special and that is only going to get bigger so i’m glad i’m a part of it.
And grime? Do you see it as another form or rap or its own genre?
This one is always hard to say because the traditional ‘Grime’ that we grew up on was things like the movement dvd and albums like boy in the corner etc. so I would say its transitioned into something a lot more diverse which is only benefiting it, but at the same time to anyone outside of the culture they class everything as grime which can be slightly limiting. I do think it’s only a matter of time before the ‘genre’ appears on itunes however which will be a huge achievement.
What can we expect from Nyge in 2016??
Without revealing too much, very good things. Quite a few new projects are brewing and being prepared to release. It’s important to myself that I’m not a one hit wonder and I’m working hard to make sure that doesn’t happen. I wish I could release everything I’m sitting on but music is like a chess game, and I don’t want to oversaturate the market or people will become bored so bare with me. I’m working on something big with my team though which consists of Cammy, Kye SB, RAY and JG. Those names will definitely be around in association with me, so it’s onto next year at 100mph.
Nyge can be reached through Twitter: @Nyge_
So Nyge, it’s great to catch up with you. You seem to keep a bit of a low profile why is that?
Nothing intentional. I think it stems from not believing in my ability in the earlier stages of producing so I preferred to do it under the radar to avoid criticism, whereas now the exposure would do me nothing but good so I have to work from the ground up… It’s coming along slowly but surely.. and I suppose the right people have noticed more importantly
Tell us about your latest project #franksinatra
I always wanted to release an instrumental mixtape similar to ‘Clams Casino’ as he is one of my huge inspirations so I had to do it justice.. they were all made in pretty much the same week but I just sat on them for ages before (half heartedly) releasing them. The feedback has been great though and out of the 7 instrumentals I’ve confirmed 6 to be vocalled so I’ve taking it down for now and i’m going to re-release it with all vocals instead to add a better listening experience.
How did you get into music production?
Er.. It was actually from back when I went to college and Sneakbo and Political P had released the ‘Wave like us‘ song and no one knew where the instrumental had came from so I took it upon myself to somehow make a (very poor) loop of it on Sony Vegas and pass it around… that was the first time I was getting recognition for something, and it sparked something in my mind. Then probably about a year later I was in a studio with a few of my bro’s and I had seen someone using FL Studio but I had no clue what it was. He was getting alot of love for an instrumental that I thought sounded average so I asked him what he used because I had a feeling I could make something better, so he told me, I downloaded it later that day and the rest is history.
When did you produce your first track. And what was it like?
The first ever thing I made was probably just before my bday in early December 2012, I remember because it was a goal to make something sound decent by my birthday.. it was a Lex Luger inspired attempt at a trap beat and at the time I thought it was amazing… but looking back now it’s laughable, you gotta start from somewhere.
What do you think is better sticking to one genre or expanding and being versatile?
Of course, versatility is important but at the same time, once you have found your sound I think it’s better to stay in your lane and perfect it rather than trying to switch from every genre all the time. In saying that though that also depends on the artist you work with because they can bring out a different side of production in you.
Tell us about your musical background? What instruments can you play?
It would be hard to specify what type of music I used to hear while I was growing up because I honestly heard it all. As an example my dad would play alot of reggae but then he would play like a Phil Collins album out of nowhere but I liked it all. I’m more drawn towards slower music, like Sade or some Norah Jones or The Weeknd but then I also would have some Taylor Swift or Nickelback in my itunes so my shuffle game on itunes is a bit wild. I cant play any instruments though, I would like to learn the piano as that would probably improve my production alot also. But my attention span is too short to attempt it currently.
Tell us how you ended up working with Section Boyz?
With Section Boyz, I had been watching them for a while and liked what they were doing a lot with the ‘Delete my number‘ song being the one that got me onto them as a fan. I think I heard ‘dont like that’ and i thoguth i have to get involved i know we can make something big. So I did a bit of searching around through their twitters and came across Inch’s email and sent him over a few beats and one of them was Lock Arf, then they brought it to life from there. It was probably about December last year I sent it so I didnt think it was even going to be used until I heard it in a trailer they had, then the full version arrived and I was in shock.
Did you think Lock Arf would be arguably the biggest hit of the album?
Screen Shot 2015-12-01 at 13.30.58
Put simply, No. And even now, people who know I made it come up to me and tell me that they hear it and play it everyday in the club or a house party etc. and I still cant believe it. I have probably been out a handful of times since summer because i’ve been in the studio so I haven’t even had time to soak it in, but hearing it playing even for a few seconds when they won their Mobo award was an unreal feeling.
What was the inspiration behind the track?
I wasn’t there personally to record it with them but when I had the finished instrumental, I just knew it was big – definitely not this big, but I would listen to it all the time. It was probably one of the quickest ones i’ve made, so it’s even more surprising that its so big.
There’s been a few remixes and a co sign from Drake himself. How do you feel about all that? Do you have a favourite remix?
Drake cosigns Section Boyz Lock Arrf Drake Promotes Section Boyz
The co-sign from Drake was madness. I didn’t think it would reach his ear, let alone have him giving a shout out, I saw it while i was at uni and i don’t think I stopped smiling for about a week. I told everyone if he did a remix we’re all going to Dubai. My favourite remix is definitely the Skepta one, the flow he had on it was unmatchable and it was so out of the blue also. I am really feeling the Stefflon-don one though and even Safaree surprised me with his take on it.
Producing I guess is fun for you, but we all know that bills still need to be paid and you need to make a living. Is it hard getting paid for tracks?
Realistically yes, which is why I believe you have to be in it for the love of the music rather than the financial aspect. I saw a Donaeo interview once where he said if you’re doing music be prepared to be broke for at least the first 3 years and he wasn’t lying. But this is the 3rd so hopefully that changes. For now though I just work part-time and study, until i can make the transition.
What advice would you give to any producers looking to get out there and make money from their music?
Try and have a good team behind you who are all working as hard as you so you can all bounce off of each other. A lot of it from my experience is about being in the right place at the right time, which is cliche, but you can put yourself in that position. Going to underground shows and meeting artists or sending out emails until you’re sick of pressing the send button are all apart of it. The worst thing someone can do is ignore you, and a lot of the time it’s never personal when you actually meet an artist in person. As for the financial side, working closely with an artist who has a high work ethic or has a lot of potential is where that’s going to be made. Do your research and try to get in early and it’s all possible.
Tell us a bit about your setup that you use.
Currently i have a pretty basic setup with some Rokits, an interface and a microphone and mini keyboard, but I don’t need much, I prefer to keep it simple and tidy so I can always enjoy the benefit of being in an actual studio even more.
What do you think about the current state of uk rap?
The way that the rap within the UK is now is amazing. Everyone has been doing their own bit and playing their position to make the culture as a whole have a crazy buzz. I think a lot of the egos and issues surrounding music previously have disappeared and now all the artists, producers, music channels, even cameramen are coming together to make something special and that is only going to get bigger so i’m glad i’m a part of it.
And grime? Do you see it as another form or rap or its own genre?
This one is always hard to say because the traditional ‘Grime’ that we grew up on was things like the movement dvd and albums like boy in the corner etc. so I would say its transitioned into something a lot more diverse which is only benefiting it, but at the same time to anyone outside of the culture they class everything as grime which can be slightly limiting. I do think it’s only a matter of time before the ‘genre’ appears on itunes however which will be a huge achievement.
What can we expect from Nyge in 2016??
Without revealing too much, very good things. Quite a few new projects are brewing and being prepared to release. It’s important to myself that I’m not a one hit wonder and I’m working hard to make sure that doesn’t happen. I wish I could release everything I’m sitting on but music is like a chess game, and I don’t want to oversaturate the market or people will become bored so bare with me. I’m working on something big with my team though which consists of Cammy, Kye SB, RAY and JG. Those names will definitely be around in association with me, so it’s onto next year at 100mph.
Nyge can be reached through Twitter: @Nyge_