Nipsey Hussle is proof that good music can cut through the noise, as long as you stay consistent and appreciate your fan base. With his recent Grammy Nominations for his 2018 Release Victory Lap, Hussle silenced any doubter with this Critical Smash. Elliot Wilson and B Dot sat down with Nipsey to Discuss his Grammy Nod, Internet Hi-jinks (The Notorious Victory Slap) and a Post Release lookback at Victory Lap. Here is 7 things Artists can learn from this Interview about how to put together a release:
1. Sequencing is Important
Discussing the song "Victory Lap," Nip spoke on how it came to be the Intro, and how it almost wasn't, citing that He originally had his song "Right Hand 2 God" placed first, due to it's big cinematic nature and the song that came to be known as the title track was originally called "Mean Streets" . In a last minute executive audible, Hussle switched the intro, making "Right Hand 2 God" the project's outro instead. With help from his associate's suggestion, he weaved a very intricate flow of sound that is very intentional and coherent from the beginning of the Album, to it's hard hitting finale.
2. Always Learn From Your Current Release.
When Asked If he would do anything Differently, Hussle simply said. "Yup. I'm gonna do it on my Next Album." He also know when the album was done to him, and stopped creating for that album, saying that when he finished the last verse of "Blue Laces II," and the last verse of his single, "Last Time that I Checced", he knew that it was done. As an artist, it's important to know what you did right for this release, and most importantly, where you could have done better. That being said, there is very little to gain from holding off a release just because it's not "Perfect,"; no project will ever be "perfect" and the longer you sit with it, the more you want to tool with it. The solution to this lies in the next point.
3. Apply Lessons from Your Past Projects.
When It comes to knowing what you did right in your projects, the past holds the key. When asked how he was able to push himself to the level of honesty that one hears on his Project, he said that he had to go back and listen to all the mixtapes he released in his career, and asked himself what he did in the span of his 10 project catalog to retain such a loyal fanbase. Certain songs in his career stand out to him as unforgettable, and he used those songs as a bar to reach for this album, so much so that he recorded Sequels of some of those songs on this album (Blue Laces 2, Keys to the City 2, and the 3rd installment of Status Symbol, featuring Buddy).
4. Have A Team That Knows What's Missing
When it came to songs like "Make a Million While You Young" featuring The-Dream , "Loaded Bases" with Ceelo Green , and a few others with singing hooks, Hussle left it up to his associate Steve "Stev-O" Carless, who just took songs that had no hook, and sent them out to various people. Often times, the artist is so in the thick of creating, they might not see, on a big picture level, who a song needs until they step back, which is where it is important to listen to those around you who can add what's needed to make each song whole, and in turn, complete the entire project.
5. SEQUENCING . IS. IMPORTANT.
Wilson asked the rapper why "Double Up," which has a recently released video, was only a bonus track, despite being very popular as a single. For him, the flow and story was first and foremost when it came to the Project, and while everyone loved the song (including his label, who insisted that the song should be on the project), it was not exactly fitting the vibe he wanted, so he compromised by making it a Bonus track.
6. Don't Stop Creating, But know when the Album is Done
As the Interview come to a close, the inevitable question that comes up in almost every interview was asked: What's next? When an artist like Nipsey Hussle, the answer is no surprise (Keep Working), however as stated earlier, he knew when the Album was finished. He said that while he is focused on the growth of his Label, along with rolling out his new artist Killa Twan, he is still recording songs for future projects.
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