Nayan Keezy Talks Music, Education and ‘Generational Talent’

For Nayan Keezy, music begins with a beat and the memories it brings to the surface. A production might take him back to a relationship, a courtroom, or a night with friends. Those associations become the foundation of his songwriting.

The Inglewood, California, Hip Hop artist identifies incarceration, education, and the loss of his former manager as experiences that shaped his priorities. In the interview below, he discusses earning four college degrees, building a career with help from his team, and drawing inspiration from everyday life.

With his EP Generational Talent providing the backdrop for the conversation, Keezy also explains how his interests in sneakers, fashion, and business connect to his music. Onstage, he says, those individual pieces become a shared experience with the people who support him.

Life Experience Shapes the Music

When you reflect on the evolution of your sound and identity, what major experiences or phases have shaped you the most as an artist?

As an artist I have always looked at my life as the biggest inspiration and the real life events that took place to shape me into the current artist I am today. I have always wanted to be the best and gravitating towards rappers who embodied the best skills such as Jay Z, Lil Wayne, Nas, Eminem, Drake, Kendrick Lamar etc. I have been making music since I was 14, but I started to write when I was in prison. My experiences in the streets and prison really shaped my mentality and approach to music.

Losing my former manager to gang violence in 2020 really opened my eyes to not wasting time and create the best music possible with the time we have. The need to be the best has translated in my life into multiple areas such as college degrees, real estate, fashion etc. I managed to earn 4 college degrees total after taking 7 at the same time when I was 21 years old in prison. I ended up with more college degrees than anybody I know, and the whole purpose of going to college was to fund my record label and music career with financial aid.

College was also a huge phase in my life because I experienced it both in prison and on the street. I usually try to always make a reference to college in at least one song on each project.

Finding the Story Inside the Beat

Music creation is often a blend of intention and discovery. How do songs typically start for you, and what do you enjoy most about the process?

I usually start my songs from listening to a particular beat and having that beat motivate memories associated with the sound. For example, certain beats remind me of falling in love, certain beats remind me of going to court for my case, and certain beats remind me of a party with all my friends. Each beat tells a story in my mind and once I hear the sound I automatically know what words belong to the sound.

I receive over 100 beats a month, so I’m always in position to find motivation, but I also like to listen to other artist music and get a feel for the beats they pick. I find a lot of motivation for songs in other people beat as well. Throughout the day I’m always in music mode. My mind is building connections to life based on music and how I can apply what I’m experiencing to a sound.

I see people doing all types of things, and my mind is building connections through rhymes that sit dormant until I hear the right beat. The process always starts at the beat. I have wrote songs without a beat, but I always have a sound in mind when creating the track even without a beat. It usually starts with the beat.

What does a productive creative environment look like for you, and how do you maintain inspiration during busy or challenging periods?

A productive creative environment is one where you can recreate the sound and vision in your mind exactly the same way you pictured it in your mind. When I’m creating a song, I have a perfect sound for each track in my mind, however I do not always deliver it on the first take and need to record again until I hear it the way it sounded in my head. A productive environment helps you create your vision to its exact specifications. I always get the sound to reflect what I’m hearing, and that’s how I know I have a healthy work environment.

I maintain motivation throughout the day by constantly perfecting my sound in my mind. I’m always looking at life for inspiration on concepts, building neural pathways that associate experiences with music. Just walking up the street, I find various topics and concepts in real life.

My principle is art imitates life. I want my music to be a reflection of what we experience in life and just waking up and walking down the street or driving to get food, talking on the phone, etc. These are all experiences that we can share and relate to because it’s what we all go through. Life motivates my art because I want people to listen and think, “I was just going through the same thing”.

Connecting Music, Fashion and Business

The business of music can be as demanding as the art itself. How would you describe your approach to managing the strategic, financial, or operational parts of your career?

My approach to managing strategic, financial, or operational parts involves a team and diversity in interest. I’m currently working on bridging the gap between sneaker culture and hip hop culture. I have a very rare collection of sneakers known as Player Exclusive. These shoes are created for players of a specific team and are limited in quantity to the number of players on the team. By creating a bridge to show that rappers also collect rare and exotic sneakers. Some sneaker heads might not listen to rap, but they can all relate to a good pair of shoes and the feeling of rocking dope sneakers.

The same is with my relationship to Howard University which is a Jordan Brand college that has a contract to receive PE sneakers for their players and coaching staff. Expanding my brand to Howard really allows me to create more connections because this is a prestigious university that has the exact same interest in fashion. Less than 1% of the population have achieved a PE tennis shoe collection, but the fanbase for the team is far greater than the number of players on the team.

I collect PE sneakers from other college campuses as well. This collection spanning from university to university helps me build connections to colleges I have never been to but hold the same interest in fashion as. Fashion is another tool I use to make a connection outside of music in the form of a high end designer clothing collection to match the PE collection. I put these rare expensive outfits together to build interest in my brand and let the potential fans know that our interests is not just in music but sports and fashion as well.

I could never have accomplished anything alone, and my team is what defines my success. I have 4 college degrees including 2 in business with one being a bachelors of science in business marketing from CSULA and a business associate degree from Coastline Community College. I always put my mind together with others who have more knowledge in particular areas than me, and cut the time in half.

It is a saying that a wise man learns from the mistakes of others. However, a wiseman can also learn from the accomplishments of others. I always look to learn about something I’m not clear on from older individuals who have experience in the field of interest, and offer my experience and professionalism on areas where I’m strongest and most knowledgeable. I use interdependence to establish a system of what we need to do and what my role is to making it happen.

I have read books from Robert Greene who is my favorite author, and one of the most prolific political and strategical authors of the present day and age. I take from all sorts of business and political related books such as Machiavelli The Prince, Sun Tzu Art of War, Napoleon Hill Think And Grow Rich, etc. I find huge motivation in psychology and business because you have to know how the customer thinks to know what you can offer them unique to your skill set.

Bringing the Songs to the Stage

Artists often say that performing creates an energy you cannot get anywhere else. What does that experience mean to you, and how has your relationship with the stage evolved?

Everything is translated into the performance. When I perform it reminds me of the reason I make music, and the whole purpose of bringing people together to experience something uplifting and inspirational.

When I’m making music, in my mind this is only the beginning process. This is where it starts, with the listener hearing the message and receiving what I’m saying. This is definitely not the finished product or end result it is only leading up to the real product. The show is the product that the artist has to show what their fans mean to them, and also what energy went into making the songs they love.

Everybody can’t go to the studio to record the song with you, but it is a way to celebrate the finished song together and show fans first hand what their song physically means to me. The outfits, the stage, the background, the crews that go into helping make the story a livable experience with people who share your journey. This is the equivalent of a huge party and everyone exchanging hookups after.

This is the part where the artist and fans are no longer separated by distance, space, and time. They are one and the same, with the singing along, the laughable moments, the parts where some people will cry, it’s a whole experience of bringing artist and fans together.

Treating Supporters Like Family

When it comes to your supporters, how do you interpret their role in your journey, and what forms of connection feel most meaningful?

My supporters role in my journey is being a family. The form of connection I feel to my supporters is the same as having family that support you and understand you.

A conversation is based on talking and listening. You are not just listening but are consciously preparing thoughts to dialogue back and forth. With music, there is no dialogue. It is a listening experience that you do not talk to. The conscious purpose of music is to listen without the intention of replying or providing feedback.

The supporters have heard me explain myself in a way that is closer to family that cares about you, than a fan entertaining themselves. When I post a song I’m watching every view count go up from 1 to 1 million and I appreciate every single play, view, stream etc. They are showing me they understood the journey and process of what it takes to be great.

Most people want results but not the process, but going through the process to get the results is better when you feel someone understands what the message is.

Explore Nayan Keezy’s music on Spotify and visit his YouTube channel for more.

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