MobSquad Nard isn’t much of a talker. But when it comes to rapping, he has plenty to say and a fly way of saying it.
As an artist on Johnny Shipes’ Cinematic Music Group, MobSquad Nard is already a part of a music legacy that brought us names like Big K.R.I.T. and Joey Bada$$ and is now bringing us talents like G Herbo and Nyck Caution. However, Nard is out create another lineage of rappers who can really come from the streets, but be respected as a dope MC.
“When I got out of jail, I when straight to rapping,” says Nard. “Shipes put me in the studio and I recorded my first project in between Jacksonville, New York City and Los Angeles. I was able to find inspiration from a lot of places. That’s why I always homage in my music. I can really can spit and I do my research.”
Who: MobSquad Nard
Credentials: Has performed on the Smoker’s Club Tour alongside Cam’Ron and Smoke DZA.
Fun Fact: Nard’s favorite sports team is the Florida State Seminoles college football team.
On growing up between Harboville and Jacksonville, Florida aka Duval County.
Everybody wants to put Duval on the map, everybody wants it to get discovered. We are very proud to be where we’re from. That’s why we always shout DUUUUVAAAAL when we in the building. You’re going to hear us before you see us. We have a swag that everybody wants but nobody else has.
On being a part of a big family.
I was one of the few guys who had his father around, so I was raised by him. I have two sisters and a brother. My grandfather had five boys, so I grew up with cousins and uncles too. We are a very close knit family. We was all in the streets.
On making music most of his life.
I’ve been doing music my whole life from what I can remember. Ever since I could understand lyrics. I have a picture of myself being potty trained and having a microphone from a karaoke machine in my hand. I got down with a group called the Mob Squad when I was 12-13 years old. Those have been my friends ever since.
On finding his own sound.
Everybody has had rappers that they took after. We always had our own sound though. Af first we was trying to sneak the music past our parents. We was just writing lyrics, raw sh*t that you didn’t want your mama to see. I remember when my mama first found a piece of paper with my lyrics on it. She lost her sh*t and said I needed to find something else to do. That was still motivation though.
On his music getting discovered.
I’d been doing songs since a kid, but when I got my first big song in the city that everybody liked, it was rejuvenating. I take pride in rapping. I’m not one of these folks who get in the booth and just put some bullsh*t together. When people hear what I got to say, they gonna be like “damn, he put something into that, I can feel him.”
