These past few months, the power of social media has been a fire igniting beneath 19-year-old Nate Schultz’s feet. The second year visual communications major from Atlanta almost instantly turned in to a local celebrity once a video of him freestyling in his dorm made it to Facebook. G&B Editor-in-Chief, Annie Drowne, sat down with Nate and got to learn about the past and present of his talent.
ANNIE DROWNE: What and when made you start freestyling?
NATE SCHULTZ: I started freestyling in 8th grade right after I watched 8 Mile. That night I went upstairs for like four hours, I think, and freestyled until I got it good enough to show my friends. Once that happened I would, and still do, do it whenever I’m in the car.
AD: Do you have any rapper influences?
NS: Yeah, I have a lot of rapper influences. I’d say my main influences, musically, are probably Andre 3000, he’s probably the main one as far as my flow, I would hope, just to bring that Southern vibe. Also J. Cole and Macklemore, lyrically, are the ones that inspire me the most.
AD: Are they the top people that you would want to collaborate with, if given the opportunity?
NS: Yeah, J. Cole is probably the #1 he’s always been like my main idol and main rapper I look up to.
AD: Where does most of your inspiration come from?
NS: As far as me trying to rap and make a mixtape and make music forpeople, most of my inspiration actually comes from my childhood, like there’s certain things about childhood for me that I love and I want to get them across lyrically. I feel like a lot of people forget about things they see when they’re a kid and I just love the mind of a kid so I wannause that.
AD: Where do you envision your rap career taking you?
NS: Right now, you know, obviously I hope I can make it to the top. But right now I’m just using it to have fun in college, you, know, get invited to some parties to perform and stuff.
AD: Is rapping the main thing you want to do with your life?
NS: Yeah, right now it is, obviously I feel like it’s everyone’s dream to be a rapper so if I can pull that one off, then perfect.
AD: What’s your favorite thing to do when you are not rapping?
NS: When I’m not rapping… basketball or, I don’t know, I always kinda like to master small things, like Rubiks Cubes and stuff like that. I don’t know, little hobbies.
AD: What’s one fact that most people do not know about you?
NS: One fact most people don’t know about me… well, I have never seen the Lion King and that’s a classic, right? I don’t know, I’ve just never gotten around to that one.
