Who Is Nate Joël?
Originally from “The Rack”, a neighborhood located in Maryland, Nate Joël moved to New York for school and a better position to make his rap dreams come true. Nate started rapping at around the age of 13 and his love for it only increases as time goes on. His earliest inspiration came from listening to Nas and Lupe Fiasco as he aimed to emulate their techniques and learn what made them special. Nate prides himself on making music the listener can truly feel and relate to, he often describes his songs as ‘Hip Hop with a soulful vibe”. Nate doesn’t feel like Maryland has a strong presence in rap right now and he hopes to be a part of a DMV resurgence along with a few others on the come up. Nate currently has two songs on SoundCloud, the first release titled “95” and the most recent “As I Live”. In both songs, Nate showcases his ability to put words together and effortlessly flow over the beat, a skill that didn’t come to him so easily when he first started recording. Nate gains a lot of motivation and inspiration from watching rappers people love, continuously make music held in high regard and that immediately becomes the topic of discussion. Born June 12, 1995, Nate hopes to join the ranks of famous Gemini rappers and make a bigger name for himself with every release. In “As I Live” Nate raps “I put my momma in a mansion I can die in peace”. That line sums up exactly what Nate’s goals and plans are for music moving forward and he knows exactly what he needs to do to get there. You can follow Nate Joël on Twitter, Instagram, and most importantly go visit his Soundcloud and give his tracks a listen!
Let’s Get To Know Nate Joël
What inspires you to write your music?
“My inspirations for creating music are constantly changing. When I first started I just wanted to show some of the older guys in my neighborhood who didn’t let me rap with them that I could be just as good if not better than them. The more research I did, finding out about artists like Rakim, Nas, Lupe Fiasco I became less competitive with others and was more so inspired to just want to be really good like those guys. Now I’m 21 years old, out on my own, I need to start putting some money in my pocket before I get swallowed into a life of building a career in something I don’t even like doing, the thought alone is scary and I can’t let that happen. Through all of that the one thing that hasn’t changed is the love I have for my mom, I have a line in As I Live where I rap “I put my momma in a mansion I can die in peace” so that’s been the goal from day one.”
Who is your biggest rap influence to the music you write?
“I’ve been influenced by so many rappers it’s hard for me to just pick one. My favorite rapper is Kendrick Lamar and listening to him just makes me want to try different things with my music I’ve never done before and take more risks while also staying true to what I do best. Kanye West has influenced my outlook on collaboration. I’m not a fan of ghost writing but working with others, sharing ideas to create timeless music is a beautiful process. Before I wanted to be a one man show and now I get excited about the possibility of creating with someone else. Jay Z has an undeniable influence, he’s arguably the greatest of all time and even if you don’t like his music you still aspire to have your business in order the way he did and the way he came in the game with his own label and just kept moving up is an incredible story. I was recording with a friend not too long ago trying to make a song without writing, it didn’t work too well for me but I’m still working on it. Nas, Lupe, J Cole, and Eminem (when he was serious) are four guys I was listening to heavy during my early stages of rapping, a lot of the things they said would always hit me in ways other rappers couldn’t and hopefully one day you guys are interviewing another upcoming rapper and he says the same about me.”
What makes you different from all the other rappers getting into the rap scene?
“You can’t go through Soundcloud or turn on the radio and hear a bunch of rappers that sound like me. We all have different experiences but a lot of us want the same things which often times leads to some similarities but I think I do a good job of telling stories and writing songs in my own way. I’m not a guy who would only work with people if they have a big name, I’m all about finding the perfect fit and I take a lot of pride in doing the unexpected and making it work.”
What can we expect from you in the near future?
“Definitely more collaborations. I plan to show my face on the scene more when it comes to performing whether it be an open mic or opening a show. I plan to put out a lot more music, it took a while for me to put out “95” and then it took a while for me to drop a follow up. I can’t keep going quiet for these long periods of time, especially in the position I’m in. It’s all or nothing right now for me.”
