Nickelus F has hip-hop circles buzzing thanks to his new mixtape, Season Premiere. The Richmond, VA native is a veteran on the independent scene, competing in everything from The Source‘s Unsigned Hype Emcee Battle to being crowned the last “true” champion of 106 & Park’s “Freestyle Friday” contest back in 2007. Unlike other seasoned battle rappers, Nick has transitioned smoothly into making radio-ready cuts, employing natural songwriting ability with abundant punchlines on songs like his current single, “Aggressive Content.”

“[Season Premiere] is music to live life to. There’s catchy hooks, quality production and plenty of food for thought,” Nick says. “Everyone that helped in making the album is hungry and highly motivated. They carry the same message in their lives that I try to convey.” Check out our interview with Nick below as he talks about being a “pillar for people,” his relationship with Drake, personal fashion style and more.

Season Premiere dropped at the end of last month. How has the feedback been?
“The feedback has been phenomenal! It’s unanimously been dubbed as my best project to date, and all different types of people have different favorite songs from the album.”

You say in your EPK it’s time for you to be a “pillar for people.” What do you mean by that?
“I mean that I want to be someone people can look to for inspiration out here. I wanna be that person that offers up those ‘just right’ words to push the next person to greatness and achieve their dreams.

“Running” is a great track that appears on the deluxe edition of Season Premiere. Do you feel like you’re constantly “running” in this business?
“Definitely. You can’t slow down and you definitely can’t stop. You gotta keep it moving and you gotta stay pursuing better things and achievements. Being content will leave you stagnant.”

You have a track called “Reese Witherspoon” on Season Premiere. What’s that fascination about?
“There is none. Haha! I simply used her name for two reasons: 1) The punchline ‘Reese Witherspoon, got ‘em screaming in Fear,’ and 2) I figured me naming it that would throw people off. My guess was that most people would assume it would be a corny, gimmicky record, when in actuality it’s pure hip-hop.”

You’ve made the transition from being a respected battle rapper to crafting solid tracks quite smoothly, something many others don’t seem to achieve. What’s the secret?
“Well, with battle rapping it’s all about the ‘oohs and ahhs.’ It’s about an immediate reaction. Song writing isn’t all about the immediate. You could impress a person just as much and them not say a thing, because they’re sitting there in deep thought absorbing what you just said. It’s about speaking from the heart and breaking that set-up punchline after set-up punchline routine.”

How did your relationship with Drake get started, and what does it mean to you?
“A simple MySpace email started it all. He hit me up and said he wanted to do a record with me. It was the ‘Money’ remix from Room for Improvement. That’s my homie, he’s incredibly talented and a good person.”

You have a strong following in your hometown of Richmond, VA. What kind of community work do you do, if any?
“I’ve been a part of a few music fundraisers. I enjoy doing things like that. I feel it’s important for artists to be socially conscience and proactive in the community.”

Switching it up to fashion for the last question. How would you describe your personal style?
“Relaxed and comfortable. I don’t like to feel funny in my clothes. I’m generally a jeans, or cargo shorts and t-shirt, type of guy. Exclusive, simple kicks. I like simple things. Loud colors and designs aren’t really for me. And if I’m throwing on a button up, I like them to fit me well.”

Watch Nickelus F’s official EPK:

Check out the video for “Aggressive Content”:

Be sure to follow Nickelus F on Twitter and at NickelusF.com.

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