One on one with N.I.F.T.Y. (Nubian Intelligence From The Yahweh)

YMZ:
At some point in every man’s life he inevitably arrives at a personal crossroads; he must decide whether to blindly follow the crowd or bravely take the road less traveled. For NIFTY – Nubian Intelligence From The Yahweh, the result of this is his nationally released debut “The Preface”.

Nifty can you tell us about the album, and how it came about?

NIFTY:
I spent a few years working on that project. I wanted it to have a powerful impact because you can only make a first impression once. “The Preface” means ‘to introduce’ and this project was meant to introduce me to the music industry as well introduce my fans to what I am about. I find that a lot of artists these days just slap a bunch of random songs on a CD and call it an album. I wanted my music to have more depth; this is why I set up the CD like an audio book, where the listener hears a page turn between every song.

YMZ:
Your current radio single Hope is a widely accessible hip hop track where you showcase a smooth flow that is nicely accented by Janee’s R&B backing vocals. The song has been added to Life 100.3 Ontario’s Christian Superstation and to Kaos 99.5 The New Music Alternative quickly winning you new fans that may not necessarily be the typical hip hop listener, did you make a conscious effort to have a well rounded sound that would reach a wider audience?

NIFTY:
I definitely wanted to make a track that was radio friendly but at the time I didn’t have the proper instrumentals to work with. I was also a huge fan of Janée’s work and I figured that she could make things happen. I got in touch with her and her production company (Positivibes), and they played me this beat with her singing, “it’s not as hopeless as it seems”. I screamed like a little girl and begged for the beat (laughs). The rest is history.

YMZ:
What’s Right is the most powerful lyrical track on the album and covers material that many artists would stay away from but you confront it boldly and in a way that is relevant and real to so many people but also rips out your heart as you listen. Can you tell us more about this?

NIFTY:
Wrekless (a long time friend of mine) and myself were at the studio and we wanted to make a creative song that would stand out from any monotonous material that was out. I really didn’t realise how serious the song was until we started to record it. Our initial motive was just to be creative. I began to perform it and had people approaching me saying that similar issues had happened with people in their lives. At this point, the song was still incomplete, we collaborated with Jessica Jones and she put the finishing touches on it. The best way to understand what a person is going through is to be in their shoes, we basically tried to put the listener in the character’s shoes for this song.

YMZ:
Live That Life is an exclusive track of yours that is only available on the alternative rock and hip hop sampler Launch: The Journey Begins and was thousands of kids first introduction to you. You have also performed as part of the Launch: Hope tour, first with Hawk Nelson and Beaumont and now on the road with Manafest,singer songwriter Kristen Nicholls and the Saskatchewan based band Stereotrap, what has your experience been so far playing with such a diverse line-up? How have the kids responded to the show?

NIFTY:
I have nothing but positive things to say about those guys. I’m a new artist/performer in comparison and they all showed love to me. I had a blast being on the road with them and seeing them in action on stage was also a big plus. It was a crazy learning experience for me and I’ll never forget it. As for the kids, it was bananas! The response that they gave me was mind blowing. Everybody had a good time.

YMZ:
The Real is another stand out track from the album that features Promise and Manafest. The three of you really work well together. How did your relationship with each other come about, and what did each of you bring to the song?

NIFTY:
I met Promise a few years ago at a concert, at the time we were both opening for Corey Red. We both had a mutual respect for each other’s craft. He was working on his album and invited me to do a track with him. We ended up doing a bunch of songs together and built a good friendship. I met Manafest through a mutual producer (LoKey). I ended up touring northern Ontario with him, and he taught me a lot about the business end of the music industry. So as I was completing the Preface, I realised I had to do a song with my two buddies (laughs). We each brought a different flavour to the track. I brought a little animation, Manafest smoothed it out, and Promise came with the one liners. I love it!

YMZ:
What artist inspires you and who would like to work with in the future?

NIFTY:
Common, Black Star, and Kanye West are inspirations and I would love to work with the producer Just Blaze in the future.

YMZ:
When you are writing what comes first the beats or the lyrics? Do you produce your own beats and if you do what gear do you use?

NIFTY:
90% of the time the beat comes first. I do produce some of my material, but I also love to work with other more experienced producers. I use the ASRX sampler, a keyboard and some computer software programs for mixing etc.

YMZ:
You produced the single That’s Me is production something you would like to do more of?

NIFTY:
If there were more hours in the day I would definitely do more of it. I do produce with this production company called Red Kharpet Productions Inc., and I can’t wait to see how working with such talented people is going to affect me.

YMZ:
How do you respond to both the praise and criticism that you sound a lot like Jay-Z?

NIFTY:
I guess it depends on the day (laughs). Sometimes I feel good when people compare to one of the best rappers in the indusrty, sometimes I feel aggravted when people insinuate that I’m trying to copy his style.

YMZ:
As an independent artist what would you look for in a label?

NIFTY:
I’m looking for a label that will believe in me as an artist as well as the music that God has blessed me with the ability to do. It is also really important that we share the same vision for hip-hop and recognize the ability and desire to impact all people (those within and outside the walls of the church) with a positive, encouraging message. Any label that shares these things and can help me put my beautiful baby boy through college, can be down.

YMZ:
What is next for Nifty?

NIFTY:
A few doors are opening so we’ll see where God takes me. I will probably be spending a little more time in the States though.

YMZ:
Here is our section where we ask you you’re a few of your favourite things.

NIFTY

Bible Verse: Matthew 22:37-39
Movie: Matrix
Sport (and yes you can include bowling): Toss up between basketball and bowling
Favourite Album: The Preface!

YMZ: Thanks for hangin’

NIFTY: Thanks a billion for having me!

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