Nature Boi on Building Beats, Spaces, and Legacy

Photography by Jaadyn Rogers.

This NOV 2024 The Vanguard Issue story is available in print.

In this interview, NUNAR sits down with the multi-talented artist and entrepreneur, Nature Boi, to explore his journey in the creative world. From his early days DJing and rapping in Baltimore to his evolution as a producer, event curator, and business leader, Nature Boi shares how necessity has driven him to master multiple crafts. He dives into the story behind his name change, the importance of building spaces for collaboration, and the invaluable lessons he's learned from traveling the world through music. Whether it’s launching platforms like Open Gem and Fresh Produce or crafting his upcoming album, Natural Born Killaz, Nature Boi is on a relentless pursuit of self-growth, community-building, and living authentically through his art.

This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.

NB: So the name Nature Boi has a couple different meanings and backgrounds, but the main thing was my name used to be Tay, which comes from my middle name, Dante. So everybody used to call me Tay, which is like a big thing in Baltimore. If your name has Tay in it, it's a trillion Tay's in Baltimore.

So my name was NasTay Traxxx, and the tracks had three Xs in it, right? So I thought it was the most genius thing ever, but it didn't have a good PR run. I would send cold emails or something and people would think it's porn, something porn, hitting them up or something, right?

So, yeah, just three Xs on your name is not a good idea for anybody out there. So I was kind of going through a name-change situation. But Nature Boi just came from–I was living in Columbia at the time. So I lived out in the woods.

I had like this epiphany listening to Nature Boy from Nat King Cole. So it all kind of came together where I was like, you know what? I'm gonna go with that.

Some of my homies stamped it. Then when my mother stamped him, I was like, okay, we're gonna go with Nature Boi. So everybody's been calling me Nature ever since.

I think it was 2011 or something like that. So yeah, it stuck.

JR: As a multi-hyphenated businessman and creative, what do you feel drives you to pour your knowledge and effort into your different avenues?

NB: I think 'cause my background comes from not a lot of help or hand handouts and stuff like that. So I had to learn a lot of things out of necessity. You know what I'm saying?

I had to, you know. I started making beats and stuff like that because at that time you couldn't just go get beats from people. You either get instrumentals or whatever. So I started making beats, but I was already DJing.

I was already rapping. And I played instruments. So I already had kind of the tools, but a lot of things for me came out of necessity.

Throwing shows, everything, you know what I'm saying? Learning social media, even. I don't enjoy social media or whatever but I had to find my, create my creativity in it. So just survival for real.

When I say necessity, like if you want to survive and do something that you love, you got to kind of start equipping yourself with the knowledge and then you got to execute that knowledge so you can really learn and make mistakes and accomplish goals and stuff like that. So you can really start to make some type of motion happen.

JR: So going into your inspiration, how did your journey as an artist come about?

NB: So my journey as an artist came about when it started young, my dad's a DJ, and my mother loves music and they actually met in the Baltimore City Band playing the saxophone. It was the saxophone section.

So a lot of my music background and my love for music starts with my parents. And they let me explore that. Like I said, I wanted to play instruments. My mother would go make it happen. I changed instruments like every other week, you know what I'm saying?

Like, I want to play this and, ‘Oh, I want to play that.’ And, you know, band teachers, I had cool band teachers that would let me come in there and try different things out and just explore that. So it started with that.

I DJed at a very young age. I was making mixtapes in third grade. I learned how to DJ and I always rapped during that time, but everything just kind of came together and started from there, you know what I'm saying? And then my love for music and everything. And as the culture of hip-hop started to grow, I grew with it.

So everything that was around me at that time started me out in music as in my artistry, for sure.

JR: I really like that about how your parents met. That's actually super, super dope.

NB: Yeah, yeah, that's fine. They met, they didn't stay, but they met.

JR: That's okay.

NB: They made me.

JR: You came from love, that's all that matters. So when did you realize that producers needed a space to collaborate and share their work, as well as musical artists?

NB: I'm always looking to see who don't have the voice, who don't have the space because that's where I come from. I didn't have the space and the voice to do a lot of things.

And so I had to create these places, but I will say the first time I saw something that was for producers was something I was actually involved in, in Baltimore called Baltimore Beat Club. And it was literally like what Fresh Produce is, you know, like producers come, sign up, and play beats, people freestyle. And it really takes it back to the elements because first of all, producers don't come out the house.

If it was up to them, they would just make beats inside all day. You know what I'm saying? So I know pulling them outside is a thing that they needed.

And then, I feel like–especially in the age of now where artists can kind of just go to YouTube or go to BeatStars and pick out beats–a lot of people get their sound from what's popular, stuff like that. I thought it'd be really important to build a space where an artist and a producer can meet, build a chemistry, and build some motion from that.

I feel like that part of the game is missing, which made a lot of the music that we love today was that producer-artist chemistry and dynamic. You know what I'm saying?

So it really started with Baltimore Beat Club. And then me being a producer myself and an artist, I'm like, ‘Man, artists have open mics. Why can't producers have open mics?’

You know what I'm saying? Or open aux or whatever. And it's something that seemed to get popular over the years, like outside of the DMV as well.

But I think we started doing that in 2015 or 2016. And I think Baltimore Beat Club was even before that. So, yeah.

JR: Can you tell us about your first Open Gem and Fresh Produce event?

NB: So when I started Open Gem, by that time, I was already knowledgeable and well-versed in events. Because I started Open Gem after already throwing events and having open mics and throwing shows for people. So it was kind of an easy transition to go from that into Open Gem. I just kind of finally put a name on it. And I built Open Gem off of the open gym concept with basketball.

So you go to the gym or whatever. People sign up to play or call next or whatever. They all just play all day but through playing on the court, you build relationships. You start learning how people play and you know who you want on your team. Just stuff like that, I was like, okay, I want to build a brand off of that. I want to provide a space where people can come work out. Get on stage, get their reps. But also get their reps off-stage.

Because I think a lot of artists don't understand how important it is off-stage to get on stage. Literally, I manage venues now. We do shows and they load in at 10 in the morning, 12 afternoon. Then it's soundcheck, then it's setting up. And it's all this stuff that happens before doors at 7.

Just for this two-hour block of a show to happen. Then there's breakdown, stuff like that. So, that alone should tell people there's a lot of things that go into the stage that's off stage.

So I try to emphasize that to people like, ‘Yo, when you come to our events, make sure you're networking. Make sure you're not just here waiting to perform and [miss] the fact that everybody in this room is like-minded in some way, shape, or form. So the special thing about Open Gem is me knowing that and pushing that on the mic. It's the things I say in between the performances to keep people in the mindset.

[....] There's a lot of showcases, a lot of open mics that make crazy promises and present a certain way that might be similar to how we present. But I always try to get across, like, yo, I'm an artist. I'm not some guy that don't understand your struggle and trying to take advantage of you. So that's always the struggle, even up until this day.

You got people out there who love us for what we do, and then you got people out there that are shy or they're janky or whatever because of an experience they had or even an expectation that they had that didn't happen or whatever. So, yeah.

JR: So where have your music and business ventures led you to travel outside of the DMV, and what have you gained from meeting people outside of your familiar grounds?

NB: Man, literally, I've only traveled because of music. So I used to be a part of an entertainment company called Starlight Orchestra, and I used to get paid very well to perform at weddings, corporate events, stuff like that.

And I would just perform other people's songs. At the time, that was the big Pitbull, Flo Rida. And so I was doing all of those songs and Biggie and all these things that you would hear at weddings.

And I did it with this company, and we would do all types of stuff. It was based in New York, but we would travel all over the country to different events and weddings and stuff like that. And literally, I've probably been to 40 of the states off of this one place. So it started there. I've been on tour with a couple of artists. I went on tour with GZA for a couple cities.

I went on a European tour with AZ last summer. And yeah, I even went when it was pandemic. In the middle of the pandemic, I went out to Kansas City, Missouri, just randomly because I had a friend out there and I started doing open jam in Kansas City. And it just opened all the doors because Kansas City is right in the middle of the country. So it opened all these doors for other places, you know what I'm saying? So I've done open jam at South by Southwest.

I met Megan Thee Stallion down there and built a relationship with her before she was famous and ended up being her DJ while she was being famous on the East Coast. So, this journey, this music has taken me all over the world just by simply being present and just always willing to add value to a situation. Like I said, I never ask for anything or I don't expect handouts.

So everything I do, everything I apply is just out of necessity of survival. If I want to survive in what I love doing, I need to be valuable. I don't got a lot of money or a big homie or a person in the industry to walk me everywhere and stamp me. I literally have none of those things. So you have to be valuable. You have to be knowledgeable. You have to be helpful. For people to care about you in this industry. It just is what it is. It sucks. 

You wish people could just be like, oh, I see you for your talent or I see you for who you are or you're a good guy. And sometimes that could be the case for some people. But in my case, to be honest, I think just being a big black man who asserts themselves and stuff like that. Either people are not looking to help you. They're intimidated or they think you got it already. It might not have anything to do with the first two. They might think, well, he's straight. He's got it. You know what I'm saying?

So you just got to assert yourself and learn, learn, learn,  and apply and be willing to be valuable. Be willing to give before you gain. You know what I'm saying?

And I promise you, everything you give, you'll gain in some way, shape or form, especially if it's genuine. You know what I'm saying? So yeah, shout out to music. It took me all over the world. I've never been on a vacation. I've only been on a paycation.

JR: Where is your favorite place that you've traveled so far?

NB: I love Europe just because it's like, I'm just away, you know what I mean? I love, I love the UK. I love Amsterdam.

I just like being somewhere else. And you learn a lot about your home, being in someone else's home. You know, it was the UK that told me that we're the only place that has corn syrup and everything.

And I'm over there asking for the organic section. They're like, yeah, everything's organic. Your guys are the only ones serving your country poison [laughs]. So it takes you to travel and see other places to learn about your own place. So pretty much anywhere other than home, I love to be at.

Cause I'm learning something different about even places here in the US. Going to Kansas City, learning of they're rich jazz culture and how swing came from Kansas City. Basically, I would have never known that if I didn't go there and just see that every place has its thing, you know what I'm saying? And culture. So travel, definitely travel, even if it's somewhere the next town over, get out of your city.

JR: You seem to be an individual and activist that's concerned with impact. What heights do you see for the future impact of Fresh Produce and Open Gem?

NB: The impact I see fresh produce and Open Gem having on people is just, it's really sparking the mind. And I feel like we have done that. You know, when we started Open Gem and fresh produce, there weren't many open mics around.

There were some that came before us, like the Up and Up open mic, and there were maybe one or two other ones. But now there's a plethora of places people can go express themselves and, you know, do what they need to do. So, I think the impact has started in letting people know if people won't give you a platform, if you can't walk in one door, create your own door.

I feel like people understand the importance of building a platform and being valuable to your scene. Because like I always say, you can't eat from poison ground, you have to put the nutrients into your scene, into the ground of your scene. You can't drink from a well that has no water flowing in it, you have to be a part of that, you have a responsibility.

And so, like me being an artist and taking on that responsibility with my platforms, I think will impact people in those ways mainly. And that's really all I want from it. Like if we fade out tomorrow or whatever, I believe the impact already started and we've done so much that I'm cool with that. But I know we got a lot more to do. Definitely.

JR: So, what can you tell us about your upcoming album, Natural Born Killaz?

NB: So, Natural Born Killaz started in Fresh Produce at Open Gem. I met an artist through Open Gem named Born Supreme, who raps with ArtXXIII. I really like them as people. I really like what they do on the stage. So, we started making some songs together. There was a producer that was coming to Fresh Produce, LeathaJacketAssassin. His beats just, they get me going, you know what I'm saying? So, he heard my music. He sent me a couple beat packs. I started writing to them.

I started writing to them with Born Supreme. We put this tape together, and we called it Natural Born Killaz, because Nature Boi, Born Supreme, and LeathaJacketAssassin. So, Natural Born Killaz, but we also have a concept with it.

It's like killing what you're naturally born to believe. So, Born is raw vegan, and doesn't drink, doesn't smoke, used to do all that stuff, and he's a renewed man. And I walk towards that way sometimes, but I have a foot in, foot out.

So, I might go do my thing, my health thing, and not drink. I stopped smoking, which I did for years. I can't even tell you [how long], for like 15, 20 years. And I stopped that.

But one day I plan to eat vegan, maybe raw vegan, eat healthy, do right. And so, the whole journey is a man who wants to do that, who put his foot in it, and a man who has achieved that. And that's kind of our dynamic.

So, he looks up to me in a lot of ways musically, and what I've done with my music and Open Gem, and I look up to him as a man who's now raw vegan, living healthy, and literally living off watermelon and shit. Natural Born Killaz, aside from the name play, is like, we were born into this way of eating, living, and believing in certain things. We’re looking to kill those with our actions and murder those concepts one by one.

JR: As an artist and entrepreneur with many businesses, what is some advice that you can give to artists who want to go down a similar path as you?

NB: The advice I would give to people who want to go be a multi-faceted person, and business, and creative entrepreneur… Often the phrase, ‘jack of all trades, master of none’, can haunt you. Especially when you feel like you want to do a lot.

Everybody will tell you, you have to do something very well, one thing very well, and then you can– I say that's BS. I say do what you feel like your heart's gonna wake you up every morning to do. If you want to do something, and those are multiple things, and your heart, your engine is moving for that, do that. If your heart's not in it, and your engine's not in it, don't fool yourself. You know what I'm saying?

Don't do multiple things, because you feel like you should… I wake up every day, I want to plan the next show and plan the next vibe. I want to write the next song. I want to, these are things I want to do. I wake up every morning thinking about it… I'm obsessed with it.

So if it's something you're obsessed with, and you just love so much, do them all. Do it all, and put your heart into it. Do the research. Because if you love something, you're gonna learn it, you're gonna become it, and you're gonna embody it. So I don't believe in ‘jack of all trades, master of none’. I don't believe that at all. Live how you want to live. Love how you want to love. Just make sure your heart is in it.