Fourth-year branded entertainment student Nate Mcphee, also known as NXTETG, is one of SCAD Atlanta’s most hard-working students, as he hasn’t let the distance from campus stop him from completing his artistic projects. Nate has spent the last months in his home at the Bahamas, where he reached out to local artists for collaborations, and to help them amplify their voices in the music industry.
One of Nate’s first projects was with Bahamian singer and songwriter Davonya, who reached out to him to request his expertise for an upcoming song. Nate produced the track and brought the project to life, working exclusively with Bahamian creatives, including Big Vezy and Daniel Hall II. Together they attracted the attention of Rodney Jerkins, a prominent figure in the global music scene.
Among the production team was a photographer and creative director by the name Raegan, from the company Sixseven Multimedia, who was in charge of all the digital content creation and the cover shoot. Nate knew he also needed an expert in the fashion industry. He consulted closely with the world-renowned designer Theodore Elyett, who provided counsel for Davonya’s styling in the cover of her song “Bye is Forever.”
According to Nate, social media was the best tool to network and collaborate with other Bahamian artists, as these platforms provided massive spaces full of opportunities. Davonya’s song posed a challenge at first, as he’d never worked on a pop-ballad before, so Nate sought inspiration in older music to learn what the greats did in their time and then created his own version with a fresher sound.
Nate said that when learning from different genres, you can enjoy multiple aspects of music, and you need to be exposed to everything to have more tools at your disposal. He still remembers the day when he got his first Bob Marley CD, and holds that as a special moment in his life when he discovered the joy of music. His curiosity peaked when his parents (both with drastically different tastes) introduced him to their favorite artists. Nate became a walking encyclopedia in all things music … and now he makes it.
Since last summer, Nate has experimented with songwriting and making original music. With his prior knowledge as a producer, he could rely on himself to see the project through and start a new creative journey. Around that time, hip-hop legend Timbaland launched a platform called BeatClub, where young producers could submit their work and create a community, featuring big showcases with other big artists. Nate was inspired by the initiative and seized the opportunity to submit one of his demos. Timbaland had always been one of his greatest inspirations, as he always created quality music and now strived to move the next generation into doing the same. Nate called the platform revolutionary and decided to give it a try.
His demo earned the praise of Timbaland’s manager Gary Marella, who reached out to Nate via Instagram with strong compliments and an invitation to join his platform. This moment meant the world to Nate, as he received validation from an icon in the music industry, and the artist who’d been hesitant to submit the demo now felt he could keep pursuing original music and find himself among his idols.
Nate stayed true to his roots when making music. He constantly studied alternative, rock, Afro-beat, folk afro music, rap, R&B and dancehall. When set to explore African music, his Zambian friend Makumbi Leba (also from SCAD) introduced him to Zamrock, which is African psychedelic rock music. But Nate was also influenced by the prominent music in Atlanta, especially hip-hop and R&B. He always felt connected to producers like MetroBoomin as he was tyring to incorporate a new sound into an already-established genre.
Nate is the guy you call when you have a project that needs legs, a solid foundation, and a personal touch that elevates the final result. He also worked with a fellow SCAD student DJ Mccall who goes by the artist name Thisis Prophet on a song called “Earthquake.” The cover was designed by another of SCAD’s prominent artists Raniah Halobaidi.
When Nate was asked to provide a selection of songs for a playlist, he delivered a diverse list that reflects some of his musical influences:
- “Peppers and Onions” – Tierra Whack
- “Bajo el Agua” – J Balvin and Tainy
- “Say something” – Brandy
- “Same old mistakes” Tame Impala
- “Yallah” – ABIR
