NICK NITTOLI – SONGWRITER & PRODUCER

Nick Nittoli is a songwriter and producer for Snoop Dogg, French Montana, Yg, Bianca Ryan, Sam Bruno, Fabian Mazur, Neon Hitch, etc. He was also a contestant on the Bravo Reality Series Platinum Hit starring Kara Dioguardi and Jewel in 2011. Nick is currently signed to Bump Into Genius/ Warner Chappell and managed by New Heights Ent.

Here is Nick Nittoli in a conversation with GOGO Magazine.

1) When did your journey as an artist begin?

My mother got me a guitar from a garage sale when I was a teenager, and I played that thing until my fingers bled. I loved making sounds and creating music. I used to play Blink 182, Nirvana, & Bush songs until I eventually got the hang of it and began writing my own songs. My brother actually had a school assignment which was to write a song, and he kind of cheated by asking me to help with it. That was literally the first song I ever wrote, and I think it was pretty good still to this day lol! I loved creating something out of nothing, and I knew that this was the beginning of my journey.

2) Tell us more about the feeling of writing for such great artists.

I love writing for other people! It’s a very exciting feeling to write something that someone else puts their spin on. I also love the feeling of doing something for someone who can take it somewhere that I would have never been able to take it. A great vocalist can make your lyrics and melody truly come to life in a way that you never expected. It’s truly like magic.

3) Which has been your first track?

My first single as an artist was called “Gimme Da Money” and the song was really just one of my favorites out of my collection! I was working at Jim Henson Studios for a while just creating new sounds and experimenting with some vocal inflections and things I had never done before, and “Gimme Da Money” was the first experiment that went right in my opinion. I immediately brought the record to my team, and they loved it as well. Also, the lyrics were true to how I felt at the time, I was obsessed with money and making a profit off of my talents, whether it be as a songwriter or a producer, or even an artist.

4) Who has been your inspiration?

For me, inspiration can be found in various places. I am inspired by movies, and stories of people who have done great things. I am heavily inspired by Oliver Stone (director) and some of his films. As far as my musical inspiration, it came mainly from artists like Michael Jackson, 2pac, Blink 182, and Amy Winehouse. I find inspiration in strange places though, like football players could motivate me and inspire me to be better or to be an entertainer. Deion Sanders was a huge inspiration to me growing up along with Michael Jordan, Dennis Rodman, etc. I find inspiration in various places. 

5) Where do you see yourself in the next 5 years?

In the next 5 years, I definitely see myself excelling and growing my fanbase, and going further with my career. I would like to have toured a bunch in the next 5 years, sold a lot of records, and possibly be recognized by the Grammys and other award shows, etc. I think my main goal is for my music to grow along with my production/mixing skills and to just keep getting better every day. I am only truly competing with myself, and as long as I’m better than I was 5 years ago, then I’m on the right path. 

6) How would you describe your music?

I would describe my music as inspirational, motivational, political, colorful, and very different. I write and produce for other artists in multiple genres so for me it was imperative to do a bunch of different genres in my own music career, and that’s exactly what I have done. I have released a metal song, a country album, an r & b album, and various hip hop albums. I also was lucky enough to hit the iTunes charts in 3 different genres including metal, R & B pop, and Hip Hop. I believe I am the first artist in the world to do that! I love being different because as a human, I am very different and my music is nothing short of that. I love being an outsider, and not comparable to other artists. 

7) Which has been your most memorable project or song?

For me, the song “I wonder” truly captured how I felt on a lot of different topics. I wasn’t planning on doing such an emotional, politically driven song at the time. It just happened to come out like that, and I was not mad about it! I love the lyrics and the overall feel of that track. It hints that some of our most beloved artists were ripped away from this earth for a common reason as opposed to the belief that the results were unrelated. I talk about John Lennon, Robin Williams, 2pac, Prince, Michael Jackson, and I leave a taste of a conspiracy theory in the listener’s mouth without ramming my thoughts down their throats. I love the slickness of the song, and the fact that I had the guts to talk about a taboo subject in which most artists would never explore. 

8) What advice would you give to the aspiring singer-songwriters?

I struggled a lot with other people’s opinions, and thoughts about my music or my career growing up, and as a result of that, did not release my project until I was 30 years old. I would tell people who are coming into this business to block out the negativity and noise from haters and people who are much less talented than them because it can truly be toxic and affect you in the worst way. The most success I have gotten is from being myself with no apology. I had to believe in myself before anyone else would begin to believe in me. So I would advise other artists to be themselves and to find confidence in their art, and the rest will follow! 

9) Share some of your achievements with the magazine.

I was cast on Bravo’s “Platinum Hit” in 2011, then I wrote and produced for Snoop Dogg, French Montana, Yg, Neon hitch, Sam Bruno, Fabian Mazur, Jinco, Bianca Ryan, The Maximals, Zendaya, etc. Then in 2017, I signed a publishing deal/record deal with Bump Into Genius/Warner Chappell Music Publishing and since then have released my artist project receiving millions of views on youtube, Spotify plays, etc. I am also a political activist and was recently featured on BBC talking about my beliefs and political perspectives. 

10) How was life in quarantine?

Life in quarantine was tough at first. I was trying to do my everyday things but the news and media were truly stopping me from believing that I was ok. I was scared, and I didn’t know what was happening, and truly thought that the world was ending for a couple of weeks. Then, I turned the tv off, and shut out the media noise, and began working on my music, and my music videos, and that was the best decision I could have made. All of the fear went away, and I was lost in creativity and creating these epic music videos, and posting photos, and promoting my music. I think I helped a lot of other people who were going through what I had just been previously going through, and that truly warmed my heart. 

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