Having already turned out a wealth of widely-praised offerings these last few years, US rapper SlickBoy Nae is back on the grind once again to deliver his pulsing new single 'PGFTS'.
Bringing back more of that bold and bouncing energy he is known for, 'PGFTS' sees him continue that vibrant run he has been on lately. With its smooth and driven production perfectly heightening his progressive flow throughout, he is returning to the fold with one of his most impactful efforts to date here.
So with the new single available to stream now, we sat down with him to find out more about his origins and what has been inspiring him most over the years.
-
What was the first instrument you fell in love with?
The piano. I still don’t know how to play yet but I think it's really cool how you can make an emotional melody through the use of chords. I eventually want to be able to come up with my own chord progressions.
What kind of music did you love when you were younger?
I always loved that old school hip hop. I grew up in the era of the late 90s and early 2000s to present day hip hop. Also every time I was around my grandfather, he played Michael Jackson, Temptations and music of that era and thereon.
What was the first album you remember owning?
I never owned an album BUT I remember being a young kid listening to The Warm Up & Friday Night Lights Mixtapes by J Cole and it definitely influenced me heavily.
What is the one song you wished you could have written yourself?
I’ve written ALL of my music that is released and unreleased.
Do you have any habits or rituals you go through when trying to write new music?
When I create music, I change the colour of my LED lamp to a certain colour and I put on fake candles. I like the vibe of my studio scene to be very calming so I can really get into creative mode. I also warm my vocals up by singing some of my favourite songs by my favourite artists. I also perform some vocal exercises to strengthen my chords.
Who are your favourite artists you have found yourself listening to at the moment?
My favourite artists are Tory Lanez, Drake, J Cole, Kendrick Lamar, and Mac Miller. There’s so many! As of recently though I’ve been listening to A Boogie and Roddy Ricch a lot because they recently just dropped music and they created some GREAT MUSIC.
If you could open a show for anyone in the world, who would it be?
I would definitely open for J Cole and Drake because they are my favourite artists and I think my music would resonate with them.
What do you find is the most rewarding part about being a musician?
The most rewarding part of being a musician is when my music touches people's hearts deeply in a positive way. For example, someone told me that my song ‘More Than Words’ was on “Repeat for a whole year” and it got them out of a “Dark Place” and that touched me because my music helped that person out of a dark place. I love how I can be myself and share my life experiences through my music and create it in a way that’s relatable to people all over the world.
And what is the most frustrating part?
The frustrating part is the lack of being heard. I feel that I am a very talented artist and my music should be shared with millions of people.
And what is the best piece of advice you have received as a musician?
I received multiple. The first piece was from one of my best friends Suave, he told me when I first started making music to create music how I create music and stop trying to sound like someone else. My other best friend Wavy Clips told me early on as well that I need to “sleep on my music” meaning that I need to think my music is trash. He said that it would help me see what’s wrong with the song or what could be better. Ever since I took those two pieces of advice my music has done nothing but get better.
-
SlickBoy Nae's new single 'PGFTS' is out now. Check it out in the player below.