Introducing…Nastee

Nastee is a man that has been around the game for almost 20 years.  He started out as a DJ then made the smooth transition into producing.  In the mid 90’s he was mixing classic albums by Big Pun, Mobb Deep, and Dead Prez. Hit the cut to Get To Know Nastee…

Where You Reppin:

Burlington, Vermont by way of Boston & Brooklyn

Introduce Yourself:

Nastee – DJ/Producer/MC/Engineer. Nastee is actually an acronym: Now Another Speaker To Enlighten E’ryone

Current projects we should be looking out for:

Available now:

VT Union’s “The Return” featuring Craig G. & RA The Rugged Man, The Commission Mixtape featuring remixes I made using acapellas of 2Pac, Biggie, Jay & Nas. I put it together as if they were a group called The Commission.  Soulfully Mashed Volume 1 where I mash up old soul records with different hip hop acapellas.

New Releases:

A new VT Union album (still untitled) featuring Raekwon, Clipse, Sean Price & Pep Love, my solo set The Album B4 The Album.

Previous work that we should know about:

Nastee: As a DJ I started out DJin’ for a female singer/MC named Harmony and this group called Unity 2, waaay back in 1990.  Unity 2 was signed to Reprise/WB, I was their tour DJ.  Harmony was produced by KRS One and these were the times that Kris was The King Of New York.  From there I got into production and makin’ beats.  My first big production was for Atlantic Records with a group called “Hard 2 Obtain” in1993/94.  I did a few cuts on their only album entitled Ism & Blues which was produced by SD50 (big ups 2 the Big Homie Dante Ross).  I also, along with Roc Raider, did the scratches on that album as well.  From there I co-produced a lot of NY underground hip hop dancehall remixes with my big brother, Bobby Konders.  We remixed everything from Buju to Steel Pulse.  The most famous remix wuz “Suicide Murder” by Bounty Killer featuring Jeru Tha Damaja which was released on Bobby’s Massive “B” label.

Through all these remixes I expanded my knowledge to engineering and became the head engineer at The Cutting Room, in Manhattan around 1995.  This led to me working as an engineer on many classic hip hop joints.  Some of the joints I recorded and mixed are: Peter Gunz & Lord Tariq “Deja Vu”, Mobb Deep “Quite Storm”, a bunch of tracks on Big Pun and dead prez’s first albums, some Ol’ Dirty Bastard ish that never came out and a bunch of other artists, too many to list here.  In 1999, I started MCin’ and by 2000 I had left NYC and the shady ass industry to pursue my independent career as a hip hop musician.  Leaving NYC landed me up here in VT where I am doing just that.  Around 2005/06, I stepped back in the NYC game for a hot minute when a cat I knew as “Justin The Intern” from the Cutting Room called me to mix a record.  Y’all know “Justin The Intern” as Super Producer Just Blaze and the record he had me mix was T.I.’s “The Kings Back” off of the “King” album.  Jus also had me work with him on “The White Rapper Show” as a recording engineer.  Big ups to Neysa & Just Bleezy for all the love they showed.  Wow… I feel as though my career is just startin’ but it’s been goin for a minute now!

Main musical inspirations:

Nastee: Kool Herc, RZA, Dr. Dre, Q Tip, 2pac, Jay Z, Sun Ra, Sly Stone, My Pops and old Bill Cosby Records

If you had to pick one song that defines your career to date, what song would that be?

Nastee: “The Last Supper” by Killah Priest.  An incredible song that I made the beat for but nobody heard because of music biz politiks… the music industry is so foul, I don’t even have a copy of that song…

Why should the readers and fans give you a shot and listen to your music from here on out?

Nastee: The music I make is from me, my soul.  It grows as I grow.  I could make a so called “political” song one day, then a love song for my lady the next.  The day after that I might make a party record.  To me its all life.  I make life music, from my life’s point of view.  I’m an older cat who has seen a lot happen in hip hop, from attempting to sneak out and go to The Rooftop or Harlem World as a 15 year old (to no avail I might add LOL) to being in the studio mixing classic songs that sold millions.  I’ve got a lot of things to communicate to Earth, musically and spiritually so… f*ck wit me… My ish is all truth, I cannot tell a lie…

What’s next for you?

Nastee: My solo album is about to drop locally and online in late June early July.  It’s called The Album B4 The Album.  This is the first album I’ve made that’s just me.  It has a few guest appearances by my fam but it’s mostly just my beats and my thoughts.  Also I just finished a Grateful Dead mash up album that I’m releasing as a free download on my blog, nasteeluvzyou.blogspot.com and a Jimi Hendrix mashed up “live” album that will be available too.  On the day to day grind, me and my partner, DJ A.dog, hold it down up here in Burlington, VT.  We spin in the clubs here 3 to 4 times a week and have the only hip hop show on commercial radio up here. The station has an alternative rock format but we spin rock mash ups every week.  We can be heard online at 999thebuzz.com on Fridays @ 10pm.  And just yesterday, I produced & mixed a song for my man Burnt MD featuring Akrobatik that’ll be dropping on GTD/Coalmine Records this summer.

Desert Island Hip Hop:  If you could only take one record on a deserted island with you, what album would that be? only one?

Nastee: Dammit… BDP’s By All Means Necessary.  At least I could do the wop AND get philosophical until I went completely nutz on that island… lol

Any shout outs or last words?

Nastee: Big ups to my partner DJ A.dog, my brother The Mighty Konflik, VT U, Dakota, Man4us, DJ Russell, Ariel & Julie at Westward, Rick Posada & my family that keeps me grounded… Hip Hop is global now so lets mold the world into what Hip Hop is at it’s essence… take “so called” nuthin’ and turn it into somethin’…  1luv

“Children’s Story 2009″

“Just Say”

“Help Against the World” (2Pac Remix)

“Who Knows the Corner” (Common Remix)

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