Don’t let the picture fool you; this white boy’s got soul! Nicolay is one of the illest producers in the game right now, straight on the heals of 9th Wonder. He’s been around for a while, primarily producing underground acts, but he definitely deserves his shine. The following bio was taken from OkayPlayer.com…
Music is the universal language that comes in different forms and for centuries has brought people together from all walks of life. The producers role is crucial in the creation of the music process, with the responsibilities of building the foundation and direction of any masterpiece. In this era of the producer rising to the forefront, Nicolay is making serious international headway.
Born and raised in The Netherlands, Europe, Nicolay’s passion for music has dominated his life for as long as he can remember. He was brought up with equal parts of Stevie Wonder and Neil Young, and as a youth, most of his days were spent listening to whatever music he could get his hands on. Nicolay’s early love for classical music drove him to seek a formal music education. A true multi-instrumentalist, Nicolay is proficient in playing piano and keyboards, guitar, bass and drums. Nicolay’s diverse understanding of music led him to play in several Hip-Hop and R&B bands, opening up for artists such as K-Ci & JoJo, Boyz II Men, MC Lyte and many others.
After being a live musician and bandleader for nearly a decade, Nicolay started producing in 2000, and shortly thereafter, came across Phonte Coleman of Little Brother through the Okayplayer message boards. The two soon began trading tracks and rhymes back and forth over instant messenger, which in turn created the b-side single for Little Brother’s critically acclaimed 2003 album The Listening, titled ‘Light It Up’. At the time, neither of them suspected that they were actually laying the foundation for what would become one of the most cohesive and innovative albums of 2004. Together they called themselves The Foreign Exchange, and appropriately titled the project Connected.
Since the August 2004 release of Connected, on BBE Records, Nicolay has not rested. His production talents have been requested by a slew of artists and record labels and he has received accolades from the likes of Jazzy Jeff, ?uestlove (The Roots), 9th Wonder, Ali Shaheed Muhammad, and The Beatminerz, to name a few. Along with Connected, Nicolay now has two other album releases that continue to tell the story of his universal gifts and abilities, while allowing his music to speak for itself.
Have you ever experienced music that makes you say, “That’s it!”? Or a song that harmonized your life in one single solitary chorus? A song that takes you back to a time you wish would never end? This is the story of Nicolay, the producer, the musician, the artist, and the DJ.
- Foreign Exchange - Nic’s Groove (from 2004’s Connected) Download
- Nicolay & Kay - Tight Eyes (from 2008’s TIME:LINE) Download
- Nicolay - There’s No Guarantee (from 2005’s City Lights, Vol. 1) Download
- Preach - Feeling Real (from 2006’s Garveyism) Download
- Median - Brenda’s Baby (from 2007’s Median’s Relief) Download
- Strange Fruit Project - The Plague (from 2006’s The Healing) Download
- Sample Credit: Billy Stewart - Sitting In The Park (from I Do Love You 1965)
- Sample Credit: Billy Stewart - Sitting In The Park (from I Do Love You 1965)
- Foreign Exchange - Be Allright (Sunday Afternoon Remix) (from 2004’s Connected) Download
- Sample Credit:
Leroy Hutson - So In Love With Youincorrect
- Sample Credit:
- Cesar Comanche - Jacob’s Ladder (from 2004’s Up & Down 12″) Download
- 6th Sense - Make Rounds (from 2006’s Flying High) Download
- THETHYRDAY - Fantastic (from 2005’s The Perfect Experiment 2) Download
- Sample Credit:
Blue Magic - Haunted By You Loveincorrect
- Sample Credit:
- Nicolay - Light It Up (from 2005’s City Lights, Vol. 1) Download
- Sample Credit: Al Green - Let’s Stay Together (1972)
- Sample Credit: Diana Ross and The Supremes - Stoned Love
- Common - Come Close (Nicolay Remix) (from 2005’s The Dutch Master, Vol. 1) Download
- Sample Credit: Isaac Hayes - It’s Heaven To Me
- Sample Credit: Isaac Hayes - It’s Heaven To Me
- Foreign Exchange - Come Around (from 2004’s Connected) Download
- Havana - Life (from 2005’s Life: Living in Fearless Emotion) Download
- Nicolay - Good Days Are Gone (feat Black Spade) (from 2006’s Here) Download
- The Chapter - Manor Mind State (Remix) (from 2005’s Us vs. Them) Download
- Supastition - The Williams (from 2004’s Okayplayer True Notes, Vol. 1) Download
- Sample Credit:
The Spinners - They Just Can’t Stop Itincorrect, this sample was used in the remix
- Sample Credit:
- Cesar Comanche - Miss You (Remix feat Edgar Allen Floe) (from 2005’s Squirrel & The Aces) Download
- Little Brother - The Yo-Yo (Remix) (from 2005’s The Chittlin Circuit 1.5) Download
- Nicolay - My Story (feat Kay & Sy Smith) (from 2006’s Here) Download
- Sample Credit: Jaco Pastorius - Portrait of Tracy (1976)
- Sample Credit: Jaco Pastorius - Portrait of Tracy (1976)
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33 Comments
This is dope, Kev, Nic is a favorite. But is the “Come Close” remix you included his or Dilla’s?
thanks alot man! was waiting on this. he is absolutely dope. ive been trying to find tight eyes on mp3 too
do u know where u’d find some of his rnb tracks? he did some sick ones with this chick called moon baker
oh and the Be Alright remix is my fave rap song of all time lol
Man, this guy produced one of my favorites album, nice spotlight kevin
Nova — damn, NICE CATCH! Man, I did the same thing on my 9th Wonder spotlight. I got the Nicolay remix around here somewhere; just gotta find it. I’ll take this one down for now.
Jason — to be honest, I wasn’t too familiar with Nicolay’s work outside of the Foreign Exchange project and the stuff he’s done with the Justuce League artists. I’ll look around for some Moon Baker.
Marcha — Thanks. Which album is that? I’m guessing the Foreign Exchange album?
Alright, I got the right Come Close Remix up there now… check it!
ow, i forgot, hehehe, the foreign exchange album. I really can’t wait the new one from them.
Yeah, i love that CD… where did you hear they were doing another one? That would be sweet!
i didn’t hear, i just expect, hahaha. It would be really nice.
Little Brother Light It Up also samples Diana Ross and Supremes “Stoned Love”
Good looks, thanks!
hey Kevin - new Foreign Exchange album out next year. its called “Leave It All Behind”. if you go on Nic’s myspace, u can see a pic of some of the tracks on his itunes. its my most anticipated release of 08
WHOOOOOOO!!!!!!! Jason you just made my DAY!! Great News! Damn, 2 Nicolay albums for 2008!
two? O.o. he’s gonna drop another album???
Jason, you made my day too.
haha yeah great news huh - nicolay is definitely for the children!
marcha: he’s got an album out called ‘time:line’ with Kay from the Foundation on 12th of Feb, the Foreign Exchange album and im pretty sure i read somewhere there was gonna be a new dutch masters instrumental album out too i think??
anyway - good time to be a REAL hip hop fan
Good looks on the Nicolay info, Jason! Yeah, there’s actually a sampler floating around of the TIME:LINE album. I don’t know if they’re snippets or just a few whole tracks; I don’t like listening to samplers, it just ruins the whole experience for me. I don’t have a link in front of me right now, but I’ll post it when I find it.
Kevin .. here is the link for the sampler .. http://www.nicolaymusic.com/timeline_sampler.zip .. please share this with all your friends
Kevin .. thanks so much for showing your support for Nicolay, we appreciate it. And a small fyi, keep searching for those sample credits because several that you have listed here, are actually incorrect. *wink*
Hey Aimmee, thanks for the link to the sampler! Are you the webmaster for Nicolay’s website?
I’m not gonna ask you for sample credits, cuz what fun would that be?
(unless you wanna help someone out). But could you at least tell me which ones I have wrong so I can take them off the site. I don’t want to give anyone misinformation. I’m gonna have to double check my sources…
Thanks for the love and encouragement everyone in general and Kevin specifically. 7. and 10. are incorrect, and the sample listed under 17. is actually used in the remix version of that song, not the original. Other than that it’s spot-on!
One love, Nicolay
Wow, Nicolay’s in house! This is truly an honor!! Thanks so much for stopping by and correcting my mistakes on the samples. Keep doing what you do man; as long as you’re in the game, hip hop will stay alive!
Everyone, make sure you go out and support Nicolay. This is a TRUE artist!
Oh .. and Jason .. check it
http://www.myspace.com/moonmusicnl
kevin, do you know the name of the sample that nicolay used on the light it up song??(the womans voice)
oops, sorry kev, i read now the samples =x.
sorry about that dude…
no prob man. I was gonna say I thought I listed that one.
Hey, can anyone tell me the song Nicolay sampled on the remix of All That You Are on The Dutch Masters vol. 1? I just heard it on Match of the Day and have no idea what it is!
Dan, I don’t know man. I did a quick look around and didn’t come up with anything. After a quick listen though, it sounds like he used the same sample as one of the samples used on De La Soul’s “Eye Know”. Anyone else with an ear hear it?
I found it, it’s Steely Dan - Peg. It sounds so familiar to me cos it’s the De La Soul song you mentioned they use on Match of the Day and because Nerina Pallot has recently released a cover of Peg. I found the De La sample here;
http://www.amazon.com/3-Feet-High-Rising-Soul/dp/B000000HHE
Nice find Dan! I knew it sounded familiar… Steely Dan is the SHIT!
In fact, while the resource is correct (Steely Day), it is a recreation rather than a sample. Yet another confirmation that Nicolay is not just a producer, he is also a muscian! **cha-ching**
Thanks for (once again) settin’ the record straight, Aimee!
yeah he said somewhere alot of live instrumentation for time:line yeah? multi-talented nic! lol
My man Kev, thank you so much for this yo.
This is a dope selection you are the man!!!!
Thanks for sharing
Ez Kevin, nice 1 for the tunes, i really appreciate it!!Especially that Life tune by Havana, ill!!! Peace.