Certified Fresh: Nitty Scott, MC – A Lyrical Heavyweight - Page 2

Nitty Scott, MC back in February took the Who’s Next stage by storm at the legendary SOBs. She conquered a boisterous New York City crowd of fans and critics, unlike anything we’d expect to see from the rookie.

It was perhaps her petite stature and that dimpled smile coupled with a seriously wicked flow that flabbergasted even the most thorough of rap fans. Simply put, the Brooklyn-made MC is an atypical wordsmith who enthusiastically exhausts the mic bar for bar.

With fan-faves like “Flower Child” and “Auntie Maria’s Crib,” and her ether remix of “Trophies,” the woman born Nitzia Scott is not only lyrically ordained but, at the tender age of 23, she’s equipped to represent far more than just the ‘90s girl who can spit over boom bap beats. Her newest peace-offering, The Art of Chill, is a harmonious affair complete with songs that touch on some heavy topics, revealing what her newfound love for meditation is really all about.

Don’t be fooled into thinking the Michigan-native is any one kind of rapper or another, either. The best part about Nitty is that she’s yet to tell her story. While The Art of Chill has opened up the floodgates, the flower child is only getting started. The burgeoning rapper has taken up the gauntlet in a male-dominated sphere and is determined to forge her legacy without being anyone’s “first lady.”

Who: Nitty Scott was born in Michigan, raised in Orlando, FL. She began rapping at the age of 14 as a creative writing major in high school. At 17, she moved to New York City to pursue her career as a rapper. She graduated from the Secondary School for Journalism at John Jay High School in Park Slope, Brooklyn. While in New York, Nitty created the Boombox Family movement to help preserve and progress the Hip-Hop culture.

Credentials: Nitty’s affinity for wordplay on wax was made clear when her freestyle over “Monster” went viral in 2010. She’s only gotten better since her debut album The Cassette Chronicles in 2011, followed by her critically acclaimed EP The Boombox Diaries, Vol. 1 in 2012. She’s performed at the BET Hip-Hop Awards and the Brooklyn Hip-Hop festival. She’s played among Ice Cube and Mos Def, and has collaborated with the likes of Kendrick Lamar.

Fun Fact: A self-help junkie, Nitty likes to read all those how-to books we tend to walk past at Barnes & Noble.

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Photos: Andrea Castillo/Nitty Scott, MC

Hip-Hop Wired: I understand you’re of Puerto Rican descent. Does that culture play a role in your way of life, in your music?

Nitty Scott: Yes, Black and Puerto Rican. I’m a little mixed and I think it definitely influences my perspective as a minority. There are specific struggles and specific issues within both those cultures that I’m definitely aware of and I talk about and often fight against.

It definitely plays a part in the art. Both of my parents influenced me a lot, musically. My father, who’s from New Orleans, is really Southern and wholesome. He always had me listening to very classic, Soul records –– Marvin Gaye, Harold Melvin & The Blue Notes, Sam Cooke. My mom is from Puerto Rico and raised in Jersey, so she has her own flavor about her. She was always putting me on to La India and Marc Anthony, Celia Cruz and the like. It’s all a part of my upbringing for sure.

Hip-Hop Wired: Did you ever feel the pressure or need to box yourself?

Nitty Scott: Absolutely. When I first came out, I so badly felt like I needed to be accepted as a real spitter and a skill-based lyricist. I think because of that, I sort of really tried to perpetuate this Hip-Hop image, because it’s what I thought I was equipped to represent and what I thought people wanted. But I don’t want to be limited to that, as the ‘90s girl that gets on boom bap beats. I don’t want to box myself into that corner, and this recent album and recent changes, that is me kicking myself out of that box and saying “ok, that was me at one phase at my artistic evolution, and now I’m in another chapter and I’m going to continue to evolve and change.’

The latest material that I’ve been putting out really helped to give me permission in a way to be whoever I want. I really don’t want to perpetuate being one way or the other so that people can digest me. I’m a human being, I very multilayered, I have different sides to me. I’m moody. My favorite color can change tomorrow and that’s ok. That’s what I want my music to reflect from this point forward.

Hip-Hop Wired: What did it mean for you to headline who’s next at SOBs?

Nitty Scott: Everyone knows SOBs is legendary. I had rocked at SOBs before, but I was headlining that night for the Hot 97 Who’s Next showcase. It was definitely a milestone for me, especially as someone who came to New York City as a transplant at 17 with a plan and a mission and it was totally manifesting itself, in that moment. I was on a legendary stage, being cosigned by the hottest urban station in New York, literally saying that I am next. The turnout was great, the show was great, I got to perform some new records off the album and I think people really got to experience this new and improved version of Nitty Scott.

Hip-Hop Wired: What’s your outlook on the current state of Hip-Hop?

Nitty Scott: I still feel there’s a lack of balance and diversity and representation within the mainstream. Mainstream is one type of sound, one type of message, one type of aesthetic. But at the same time, I think there’s a lot of great stuff happening in Hip-Hop. If you want to hear lyrical music, music with substance, women that you can maybe relate to on a more personal level, it’s out there. A lot of people talk about what’s wrong with Hip-Hop and what’s not being represented, which is definitely an issue, but at the same time, while it might not be on the radio or in your face, it’s definitely out there. If you’re looking for it, it exists. We have the Internet, we have access to these things. You don’t have to be limited to what you’re being spoon-fed. Commercial Hip-Hop does not represent all of Hip-Hop. As fans and consumers we need to exercise our powers a little more.

Hip-Hop Wired: Do you think female rappers have a legitimate presence in the game right now?

Nitty Scott: Yes and no. The women the industry chooses to get behind –– it’s all a formula. It’s the very hyper sexualized, almost hyperbolized female. It’s not to say that can’t exist or whatever, but as far as that mainstream representation, I really think that people are waiting for a woman that represents other than what’s being put out right now and for her to actually get a solid push and a release. But we’re definitely out here. There are definitely some really established girls out here and new ones popping up all the time. It’s honestly all about penetrating this stigma that you have to represent one specific thing to be popular, fit one specific aesthetic. It’s one of the barriers that I’m personally trying to break, and I see a lot of other women trying to break as well.

Hip-Hop Wired: How do you feel about Forbes saying that a white woman is taking over Hip-Hop (referring to Iggy)?

Nitty Scott: That statement is completely baseless and unfounded. I don’t know where it came from. I agree with the rest of the earth that the whole comment was just ridiculous. Being successful and having a successful release does not constitute running an entire culture. And in order to run Hip-Hop, you gotta be Hip-Hop, which shorty is not. So, we’ll leave it at that.

Hip-Hop Wired: What legacy do you wish to leave behind in Hip-Hop?

Nitty Scott: Honestly, just someone who inspired people with her truth. Like I said, I think I have a very humanistic approach to things and as much as I’m an artist and make music, I have an underlying humanitarian/activist intention where I really just want to contribute to peace and love in the world. What can I say, I’m a little hippie [laughs]. I want to be able to say that I did my part to make the world a better place, and I did that via the talents that I was given. And I just want to be a part of what brings back some of the values that I think Hip-Hop has lost. It’s different when we hear someone young and a part of the current wave perpetuating those original values that Hip-Hop was grounded in, versus someone whose heydays were in the ‘90s. I think it resonates differently. I feel Lauryn Hill was one of those people who literally breathed life and consciousness into Hip-Hop, and there really isn’t that right now. A relatable, sisterly, nurturing someone with integrity, somebody that you can trust to not feed into this elitism, this by-all-means-necessary-I’m-better-than-you mentality. I want to be someone that wasn’t a part of that lie just so my pocket can benefit. I don’t want to be a poison to the people who support me, that’s pretty sinister.

Hip-Hop Wired: Is there particular story you want to tell?

Nitty Scott: I won’t get to specific. But, I will say that people really don’t know Nitty Scott. They don’t the things I’ve seen or the places I’ve been. And I think they’d be pretty shocked to know, simply because I don’t glorify some of the situations that I’ve found myself in… in New York City, as a 17-year-old girl, with no support system. I was definitely out here trapping. It’s definitely a part of my story and I really haven’t delved into that yet because I wanted people to first respect me as a lyricist. Now, I’m ok with getting personal and I’m ok with showing people who I really am, and letting them know what turn of events helped shape who I am today. The Art of Chill definitely does delve into that, and the material coming after that will definitely be telling more of those truths and stories.

Hip-Hop Wired: You’re pretty tight with TDE. Would you ever consider signing with them if the opportunity came knocking on your door?

Nitty Scott: It’s something I would definitely consider. They are the strongest team out there, to me, right now. They are my brothers and my favorite rappers. So, it’s something I would consider, yes. I had this sort of a rule going into this, that I wasn’t going to be anybody’s “first lady.” I don’t feel I have to stand next to three or four other men to be recognized. I don’t have a crew for a reason. I’ve been intentionally not getting down with any specific movement because I have my own. That’s empowering for me. And hopefully it can open doors for other women to own their own lanes and feel they don’t have to be validated by another man in this already male-dominated industry. It’s a lot to take on. I know it’s really ambitious, considering that even someone like Lauryn Hill was a part of The Fugees. But as far as TDE goes, it’s a conversation I wouldn’t mind having, simply because they’re the sh*t.

Hip-Hop Wired: What are you currently working on?

Nitty Scott: I am about to work on a project with Ski Beatz. We’re going to try to do an EP. I usually wait to conceptualize what I am trying to do and build around that. But at this point, I’m working The Art of Chill and taking that on the road, filming videos for that.

Hip-Hop Wired: What’s you life mantra?

Nitty Scott: Be here now. It’s so important to live in the present. We spend so much time dwelling on the past and trying to live in the future that it causes a lot of anxiety and depression. It’s all in the mind. It’s all about conquering the mind. I read this amazing book by a guru named Ram Dass that Ski actually gave to me. It completely changed my life. What I essentially took from it was to be here – now. In the present moment. Smell the smells and hear the sounds and understand that all that really matters is the moment that you’re in right now.

Hip-Hop Wired: What’s the craziest thing a fan has told you?

Nitty Scott: I received a letter from someone who was on the brink of suicide. They were very much over it and in a really dark place, and after listening to some of my records, they felt not so alone and had the motivation to at least try to get out of that dark place. It touched me so much, I was crying and everything. They were thanking me and I wrote them back telling them that they didn’t owe me anything and that that’s what my music is there for.

Hip-Hop Wired: What do you like to do in your spare time?

Nitty Scott: I love to do yoga [laughs]. Yoga is awesome. I’m sorta of like a self-help junkie, so I read a lot of books. I’m a sucker for all those “10 Ways to Be” such and such books. I’m always just trying to find ways to improve myself and challenge myself. I love to travel. I love being outdoors, in nature. That’s when I really feel in my most natural element. And I love being around kids, they breathe life into me. I’m always trying to hold babies [laughs]. I want some of my own, just not any time soon.

Essentials

“Flower Child” Ft. Kendrick Lamar

“Bullsh*t Rap”

“Monster (Freestyle)”