Nym Lo: NEW New York Flow

Now let’s hop right into this latest single, “Crystal Controls,” featuring Rome Streetz — Tell me about this particular track; how did it come to fruition?

It’s funny because that song was initially a solo joint. Statik grabbed the vinyl and cooked that up from scratch, no pun! Lol. And I recorded two verses and we loved it. The beat got a real classic feel, and I as i kept listening I felt like Rome’s flow would compliment the song perfectly…so I reached out to him and Coach. I already had a good relationship with them both, so it wasn’t even a question on if it was gonna get done, just when. And he got on there with his signature “A Yo,” and got busy like I knew he would. Shoutout to my dawg, Rome Streetz!

Of course, “Crystal Controls“ comes courtesy of your new LP, From The Horse’s Mouth— Although self-explanatory, still tell me, conceptually, what that title represents both to and for you?

It’s like a double entendre, feel me? Of course the surface meaning, I’m The Big Horse and everything you hearing is coming straight from me. But also, authenticity. That phrase is usually used to convey that what you’re hearing is coming from the direct source. No rumors, no he say she say. Right from the originator. And me being the guy whose career is predicated on that NYC authenticity, it just made sense.

For it, you teamed up with Statik Selektah — How did you all even come together in the first place?

My man Termanology, who’s on the album as well, he actually connected those dots before we knew there were even dots to connect. He invited me to the lab to put some work in with him and I came through. I never met Statik before and his studio was a couple doors down from Term’s, so it’s like a hub for lyricists in there. And we all was fraternizing, going back and forth to both studios rapping and listening to whatever was being played. I found myself in Statik stu after I laid my verse for Term, and Stat was just there playing beats. He put on this one joint that immediately grabbed me, and I asked if could get on it and he said, “yeah!” I laid my shit, and then Term and Planet Asia came in and heard it and they both was like, “I gotta get on that!” That track went on to become “Ice Jackets.”

Aside from that, how else does From The Horse’s Mouth either differ and / or compare to previous Nym Lo entries?

There’s always gonna be a common thread in anything I drop because it’s all really me. It’s who I am, what I do or have done, what I’ve seen, how I live or have lived, nah’mean, there’s always gonna be that sort of familiarity. But this will differ from my past bodies of work because I’m continuously evolving as a man and an artist, and I make sure my music reflects that. This is the most serious I’ve ever taken making music, and the music business as well. That comes with a different kind of tenacity and insight.

As a lyricist, when you sit down to pen your rhymes where do you draw your inspiration from?

I let the beat talk to me first. That’s where I initially decide which direction I wanna go in, and what kinda flow I wanna run with. Then I just fill in the blanks talkin’ my shit like only I could.

Reflecting, tell me your whole inception into music — When did you first become interested in it? And, how did it all begin for Nym Lo?

My first exposure to Hip Hop came from my Pops. My parents were young when they had me, so they were still very much tapped in with what was current at the time. And Hip Hop culture had the world in its palm in the ‘90’s. So my Pops woke up blasting Wu-Tang, Biggie Smalls and many other emerging artists at the time, so I’m hearing that on the wake up as well and loving it. And I wrote poetry in the 4th grade for this talent show, don’t ask me why, and I had to recite it in front of the whole school in the auditorium. And I did it! I wasn’t nervous or nothing and everybody liked it. That right there morphed into me writing rhymes by 5th grade, and now here I am today.

Now you’re a native of Harlem, New York, correct? So growing up in the ‘Black Mecca,’ who all did / do you consider to be your strongest musical influences?

As far as Harlem goes, Ma$e definitely was one of my earliest influences. He was from the town; he had the whole game on tilt. His flow was smooth and his bars were witty, plus he was young and rich and we would actually see him in the town so we all wanted to be like him. Big hats and all! Lol.. I went to the same high school he had went to, so sometimes he’d come back and show love to the students and teachers and shit so it was dope to see that success up close in real time.

In having said that, how do you classify your overall sound and / or style?

My sound is NEW New York. And what I mean by that is simultaneously timeless and current. I uphold authentic NY tradition with my music, but its also very “now”; not getting lost in the old days or ways. It’s a balancing act for sure.

Where does your moniker originally derive from?

The Big Horse came from years of endless Polo. “Ralph Lauren was boring before I wore him!” Lol. That was a KanYe line, shout to him, but I really feel like that in real life.

What particular string of events actually led to your current signing to / with MNRK Music Group?

To be honest I just knew that the project I had with Statik was something I needed to make sure I got to the next level with. Prior to that, I had released High Horse 2, produced entirely by 183rd. And I did that totally independent and I received great reviews and media coverage, I charted on iTunes, I had a billboard in Harlem next to the Westside Highway, and all that off my own hustle and out my own pocket. So I decided to look for a company to partner with, and help expand on what I already know I could do and extend my reach. I was in talks with 4 different labels at the time and MNRK, Abe in particular, made me feel the most confident in his label’s infrastructure.

Switching gears here, what exactly do you want people to get from your music?

I want them to understand that you can win just being yourself. Don’t worry about what NOBODY else is doing. Comparison is the thief of joy. Do what you wanna do, work hard at whatever that is and be consistent and success will follow.

If you could collaborate with any one artist, living or dead, who would it be and why?

Hov! To me he epitomizes what success is in this field coming from where we come from. His hustle and talent has taken him further than any other Hip Hop artist in history, and now he’s created generational wealth for him and his family…and it started wit his pen and pad.

If you could play any venue in the world, which one would you choose and why?

MSG… being from NYC, The Garden is like the mountain top. Even if you ain’t from NYC, it is. Only the BIGGEST get to perform there, let alone headline!

On a more serious note, are you happy with the current state of Hip Hop?

Yes, I am. The gates have opened back up for what it is I do. And I love that! There was a time that what I do wasn’t as widely appreciated, and now it’s come back to a point where what I do is sought after.

What do you feel has and will continue to be the key to your longevity?

Being myself. I can’t ever lose being me. That’s something I will never lose consistency doing. So if you fwm, for me then you always gonna fwm because I’m always gonna be me no matter what.

Do you have any other outside / additional (future) aspirations, maybe even completely away from music?

Yeah, definitely! I wanna get into acting, real estate and champagne production.

To date, what has been your biggest career moment(s), at least thus far anyway?

Performing at the Hot97 show. That was bucket list for me. Hearing them advertising the show on the radio, and saying my name while I was in my whip was dope for me, too.

What’s an average day like for you?

Putting my little man on the school bus in the am, then hitting the gym. Then later on, hitting the studio and recording.

Please discuss how you interact with and respond to fans…

I show love when I can, wether it be in the streets or online. I love everybody that supports what I do.

What is your favorite part about this line of work? Your least favorite? And, why?

My favorite part is the process of making the music, and then seeing my supporters recite the words that I had in my head. That always trips me out.

What advice would you have for someone wanting to follow in your footsteps?

Commit. Give it your all: time, effort and money! Especially money. A lot of artist don’t invest in themselves, but expect to be taken seriously by fans who in reality are potential investors. That’s a big mistake a lot of artists make.

Looking ahead, say five or maybe even ten years from now, where do you all see yourself?

5 years…running my own successful label. Me and 183rd started a record label called Money Ink, so right now I’m building my name up so we can in turn build the brand up and start to develop other artists and their sound and put out timeless music. 10 yrs…retired, living out the country somewhere

As for the immediate, what’s next for Nym Lo?

More music, fire music! Me and 183rd got a project coming out this summer that’s gone shake the game up.

Is there anything I left out or just plain forgot to mention?

Nah, I think you covered it all! Lol.

Any “parting” words for our readers?

Looooooooooo 🐴🧲