Rising Stars: Meet Nym of Durham

Today we’d like to introduce you to Nym

Hi Nym, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
I started making beats in Virginia during the early 2000s, after my sister gave me a mixtape of that era’s hiphop music. I had no musical training or experience, but was instantly drawn to the diverse sounds and styles of hiphop instrumentalism. I used a bootlegged copy of Acid Pro 2.0 on an ill-equipped computer to learn the basics of editing, sampling, and music theory. At 18, I bought an MPC1000 and began producing instrumental hiphop songs under the name “Nym.”

In 2011, while living in San Francisco, I released “Warm Blooded Lizard,” an album of songs in the theme of Italian spaghetti-western films. This album was discovered by a community of music pirates and subsequently gained some attention from music discussion boards. I credit these pirates (and music piracy in general) with helping to establish my work as a musician. In 2012, I released an unlicensed remix of “Que Je Sois un Ange” by Nana Mouskouri, which I called “Et Moi.” This song became popular in Greece and other European countries and I think it remains my most-played song to date. You can find it here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kZnJSw2cNLc

I moved to Durham in 2016 and have since released an album every few years, a total of seven as of 2024. I enjoyed composing each project more than the last and have worked with a handful of exceptionally talented musicians on each. I toured a bit and played a number of local shows before the pandemic, but have since turned my attention to eco-agriculture, chicken stewardship, and native foods. I now work as a happily reclusive musician, wild food collector, and subsistence gardener. If I could be found (and I can’t), it would be in the woods, running my dog under pawpaw trees with my hands full of mushrooms.

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
The music industry has never been good, and it isn’t getting better. I recommend reading “Chokepoint Capitalism: How Big Tech and Big Content Captured Creative Labor Markets and How We’ll Win Them Back” by Cory Doctorow and Rebecca Giblin. This book goes into depth on how bad the state of creative work is these days, and identifies who is responsible.

What wasn’t smooth? Working a dead end tech support job in a San Francisco high school by day while making beats by night (and early morning). I think a lot of artists fear that their work will never sustain them, and that caused me a lot of anxiety at the time.

What was smooth? The feeling of elation when I make progress on a song that I love, and when I can use my music to communicate my thoughts about the world.

Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I try to write emotionally compelling instrumental hiphop music that sets a scene and tells a story. I want to raise goosebumps and make listeners feel as if they’ve been transported away for a moment, or that their life and efforts have a dedicated soundtrack.

I’m most proud of my latest album, “False Noon,” because I loved writing it, and because I composed it while becoming radicalized against anthropocentrism and moral panics.

I am set apart by others by having collected more pawpaws and hickory nuts than any other living instrumental hiphop producer on the planet.

Are there any important lessons you’ve learned that you can share with us?
Foraged/dumpstered food is immune to price gouging.

Pricing:

• Be aware of how much money streaming services pay artists per-stream, and be sure to disproportionately support artists with smaller followings.

Contact Info:

• Website: http://nymself.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nymself/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/nymself
• Other: https://nymself.bandcamp.com/