INTERVIEW:Nick Grant Talks New Album 'Sunday Dinner', Knowing Your Worth, Making A Classic + More

Wake that ass up in the morning.

Breakfast Club Morning, everybody is Steen, j n V. Charlamagne the guy, we are the Breakfast Club. Jesscellaris is here. Of course, we got a special guest in the building. This new album, Sunday Dinner, is available now. Ladies and gentlemen, Nick Grant, Nick, what.

Y'all, thank you for having me. I appreciate it.

Apologies, man, please forgive me for sleeping on Sunday.

Nah. So good.

I got I just got to it, man, I really just got to it. One of the best rap albums of the year. I got it. I got it right under Killer Mike by Just the Hair, by Just the Hair, by Killing Mike Michael.

Nick's like, all right, man, I respect it. I respect it. You know. I feel like this is the best album of I think it's the best wrap album sure for sure. Yeah.

Why do you feel that way? It's other than other than because it's you.

M just lyrically, I think I'm like above a lot of people. I just don't get that credit just because you know, I don't have certain backing, I don't have certain things that you know, or I might or I might just be a threat to a lot of different. You say that, Yeah, for sure, for sure. So yeah, that's that's just what I feel. Explain, I'm not favorite Sunday Dinner's just basically me just growing up in my

Now when you talk about rapping, you talk about the way that you wrap. You don't really hear that nowadays, right, Does that bother you? Deter you from from you spitting? Because you know, growing up, I'm sure there were so many there was. You could go from Nas to Jade, you can go from Tai Lib the most Death, you can go to Kanye. It was so many people that were doing lyricism. You don't really hear that much.

I used to be pissed off about it. But I feel like my purpose and my story is just a little differ, you know. I feel like I'm meant to be in this error just because maybe because it's lacking in this time, and that's my job to kind of carry on tradition in a way. I used to be upset about it, but it doesn't bout.

That point in my opinion.

You have soundtrack music like I'm talking about, like, yeah, I like that because I listened to it and I'm like, okay, I hear Belly state Property.

I'm like, Okay, now he really really.

Is spitting like ain't nobody else you know out here, like really really getting.

Like I like that. The second hand music on the soundtrack.

What second hand music? No?

No, When they make the soundtrack, they be like, I'm gonna say this ship for the album.

See so said Now I was gonna be like, you know what, because we ain't got good movies like that no more? All right, so we need that took me back to like Belly. I ain't say Belly that was trash, but you know the first Belly all right? Then the state property, all right, you know what I mean? Minne society takes me back to good movies like that.

Now I'm with your which, yeah.

I disagree with what he said though only because when you look at the last decade or so with hip hop, the top rappers, the top three rappers are all literally yeah you know what I mean, and that's Cole, Kendrick and Drake. And then you still got your wallet's and your big Sean. You had your nipsies, you know, you had like all of those people rahapsy snaps, Like I think all of those people dope. I just think sometimes it's just a matter of time.

I agree with that. With that, more have you have?

You had your I made it moment yet.

I think one of I had. I had a few moments. Now I'm like proud of I think like touring with like Nas and Lauren Hills, it was like a good one for me. Yeah, just the experience of it was like, it's dope.

You said that on the album and I'm like, I missed When he was on tour with Lauren Hill.

The line somebody missed that show when she was they had.

To do more songs, perform the whole album Jesus again to come out.

What was the boar you said you used to?

I used to watch Sister acts my cousin passed away, like on the field trip, So I wrapped about it on the album. I remember everybody like just going to see him. I didn't want to see him like that. This was like my best friend. So I was like, Yo, I'm gonna watch this movie. I'm gonna sit here and watch this movie. I'm ten years old in the crib watching this movie by myself. It kind of helped just

So was it that moment on tour with Lauren remembering yourself watching Sister that made you finally deal with the passing?

Absolutely? Absolutely? This This is an album that I wanted to put out a mirror tell you this is like one of the albums I wanted to put out when I first came out, But I don't. I don't think I was like much sure enough to tell it the way that I'm telling it now. When I first came in, I was, you know, like a wide eyed child. But now I'm just in a place where I'm like, you know, I'm matured enough. I'm thirty five now, so it's like, okay, and you still.

Look younger, you know what I mean?

Was it growth? Did you do some work on yourself?

Absolutely? Therapy for sure? For sure, Like you know, you're not you're not You're like, you're not in control of anything for real. You're under God's law. And you got to find a way to fit into that. And I had to. I had to, you know, figure that out. And I just found found the courage to tell the story. Like even when you listen to like the intro of the album, it's like my mom, you know, my mom is like yelling at a boyfriend, but you know, and it's and it's it's a way that I never wanted

So do you have a favorite song on their or what song means the most? A?

Yeah, I like that. What song makes you most emotional?

Most emotional? I think it's the intro ar about classic, worry about the Classic, like just talking about all of that stuff. And I remember going to like my neighborhood and I remember he wa Mir pulled up one day and he was like, Yo, ain't a windows on these buildings? And the whole time I lived there, I never really noticed that because it was like normal to me. So those things, those little things on the album was like

That's a great record. And you say in the hook, you say I'm trying to get my people right, but y'all worried about the Classic. Explain that because I got some thoughts.

For me, it was like yo, I'm like I'm going through like different things. I'm like mature and I'm like finding myself. I'm going through like a whole bunch of stuff, just family wise, career wise as well. And while I'm going through these things, you get people like yo when the album coming. When the album drop, it like Nigga

Because I would think getting your people right would be part of you making a classic record. Like if you make a classic and it takes off, that's more money for sure, you know. So you kind of do. Got to focus on.

The album, absolutely, you do, you do. But I feel like the kind of person I am, the kind of artist I am. You got to live life as well. Absolutely, you gotta live life and you know.

Because that's what creates absolutely that class people.

I mean, I don't I would imagine I'm not an artist never then yeah.

But I'm saying like in form of music, like I mean, I spit a little u bit of buzz too, But you know we're.

Not gonna get there all right, wait ripping on any beasts Like.

Right, No, what I'm saying, I think you you would.

Have to go through live life and go through your just just your your trying times and challenges. That's what makes the classic. Nobody goes in the studio like yo, I'm gonna in.

The class of today.

You don't know too.

It's you don't know until the people tell.

You, removed by the spirit, made to be moved by something bigger than you, you know, and me a lot of times, it's all about just carrying the integrity in there. Like I read something like that Quincy Jones said, He's like, Yo, when you think about money while you're creating, God walks out of the rooms. You know, so you gotta you gotta keep that first, you gotta keep you know, the story.

And I always wonder why when it comes to music, they want artists to be everything but themselves, Like they'll bring you in the studios and you need to make this kind of record and that kind of record, but none of it is what you actually want to make, right, So sure, what's easier? Is it easier to make those bullshit records? Are it easier to do this?

It's easier to do this for me? Okay, this is easier for me. I think the hardest part was facing it. But now that once I got into the groove of it, I won't say it was the easiest thing because the hardest thing was the internal work. But you know, once I got into like making the album, it became it's like, Yo, this ain't that bad, you know what I'm saying naturally kind of just putting the words together. That's like my that's like my ship. So it's like perfect.

I love the line. It's like the niggas player a game called Who Could Die the Fast? Yeah, I mean I know it inspired it, but what was it had to be like a moment that inspired that?

Just hearing about this kid that I knew like like growing up, like man, he's just wilding, you know, just outside you know what I'm saying, just and just hearing about that.

And living like they have nothing to live for.

Like you're gonna get a you know, extra man and some shit like it's crazy. Like so yeah, I felt like I had to start start that hook off right. The hook is one of the most important things to me. Now that's something that I learned. So it's like, yeah, I gotta I gotta say something that's like, you know, don't stick to them like soul food, Sunday dinner.

Let's let's go to know your worth. You know. Another great record is that something you have to tell yourself constantly.

Not constantly, but it was something like like I felt like I have to like celebrate, celebrate myself a little more because it's like work, work, work, figure out my problems, figure out the problems of the family, figure out all this other shit, and just having so much on my

So because women say that often, you don't really hear men say that, like.

For sure, for sure.

But that's that's the problem. No, it ain't no little sassy know what. Ain't you gotta know your worth?

Ain't nothing sassy about knowing your work just saying about it. It's just that women.

We we like to say it a lot, and sometimes women say it and don't even know they worth. They just shouted because it's something to be said now. But not knowing you worth, that's for all human beings.

Like you have to know for sure what is a man's worth though, because you know, most of the time men uh, people based all work on what we can provide.

I hate when they ask questions like that, So what's really a man's worth?

Like, yo, it's always right, But what really is a man's work?

I don't know, you.

For it's based on like like just the person you are, Like yeah, you know what you what you think, what you deem is like you know important? You know me, I'm all about family, I'm all about you know, just helping people My whole mentality is like lif as you climbing and like when you get to you do this ship very well. If you guys, thank you, but you've been supporting me, like since day one. It's like even just being from Carolina, that ship is hard to make

Is it hard though? Because you know your family see you and you're rapping, and you know they see you on TV or whatever, and they think that you might have more than what you have.

Absolutely absolutely niggas a quate TV with money, niggas videos with money. It's like, you know, I ain't struggling. I'm good, but I'm like I could be in better positions to help you if you just kind of let me give me some grace to kind of grow a little more, you know what I'm saying.

So, yeah, do they believe that?

Huh?

Do they believe?

You can get a couple more calls?

You drop to there.

And he was asking your word and how much.

Was that interview with.

You for real?

Sure? Watching for sure?

Yeah, I want to I want to jump to the record heaven. Mmm where did tweet? Where you get tweet from?

Now?

DM tweet? You know, I'm like a huge fan of tweet, Like the whole I always say, like, Yo, when I was growing up, if I was signed to anybody, it'd have been Missy tweets. Yeah, just that, just that whole camp just so innovative, so creative, and man, I just loved her voice. Southern humber Bird, Southern hummer bird is like a classic to me, So I just DM it. She hit me back like, Yo, you're incredible. I would love to Oh wow, I came by the studio just

Did you already have the record playing out? Did you know what you want to do?

I had to beat and I wrote the hook, and she came in and sung the hook like I like demoed it. But I was like stuck, like stuck creating the records. But once you get the hook, my shit just came so naturally. I was like, man, you can't play with this one. You've been trying to get this feature forever.

That's what's up.

Okay, So what's the story. What's the story you're trying to tell on Heaven? You're trying to convic.

The story on Heaven is basically it's still in theme, still in theme with the album, and still align with

That's the strangest thing when you're in the industry there, right, because you're young, you really don't know yourself, right, but now you they want you to be something that you're not. You feel like you gotta be something that you show. So how do you when do you? When do you do you feel like you finally find yourself.

Absolutely okay, not not not one hundred percent, but enough to where I found a foundation, you know what I'm saying, and out of like just just just the simple things. Man, smile when you see people pull your pants up. I was raised by my grandma. She was born in nineteen nineteen.

So so is that why Grandma said is wouldn't know your work? Because absolutely go hand in hand Like your grandmother had.

Absolutely a million a million percent, Like even with my cousin from the beginning, like Nigga get in the house. It's like certain things that trigger certain ones, trigger certain words and kind of helps the album flow. You're doing homework, yeah on this own?

Yeah, not for really over there yo.

Once you know he listened to every.

Song, So tell me about heaven like lyrics, like so when.

You said looking out on the box, look up lyrics and so did your grandmother help you write in number six?

Like, yo, come on, are they putting pressure on you to put off for South Carolina?

Oh? Man, it's a good question. I'm putting pressure on myself. Really. It's a lot of people that still don't know from South Carolina, even though I waved the flag so heavily, and you influenced me with that in a way, like even we're coming out, like yo, you got a whole state to yourself, Like yeah, you gotta do that. And these are like my experiences, like even when I went home, I shot a movie. It's always love. I shot a

Hear that you got to go to the International African American Museum. Man, you ain't been there yet, not yet, not yet.

I'm gonna go open over the summer for sure over the I'm gonna go for sure.

Now, what what does success mean to you? Right? Because you put, you poured your heart into this album, So what do you want it to do? Because I don't know. If you have a goal in mind, and if you don't hit that goal, you know you're gonna start doing to work records.

I don't.

I don't know, Like what you see, what a success? What a success means to you?

What you what you?

What does success mean you? That's like somebody said, what do you see yourself? As questions Like I want.

Everybody to grab it and listen, nigga.

This is what I want niggas to know you want and listen and just love it.

What success means to me for this project? For this project is project man, I want to I want to kill that listens to hip hop the way I used to listen to hip hop growing up, Say yo, I kind of relate to him the same way I listened to jay Z, the same way I listened to Andre three thousand, the same way I listened to Nas, same way I listened to Big and still catch stuff from like twenty years ago. Like he said that, like I want a kid to have that that perspective of the album.

Yeah, with Dope Fens Theme for your.

Parents, Dope Fience Steam. Yeah, yeah, it was, of course it was. I threw a little bit of like, you know, stuff about the music industry and stuff that I was going through in it. But yeah, it was, yeah for sure.

Because you if you show you heard MIC's album and he got something for junkies. Yeah, and he did that, you know, because basically he was saying that, you know, there's no uh, I don't want to say celebratory way, but when people are addicted, it's actually an addiction, like it's something that's not something that should be looked down upon.

But sure, absolutely it's it's you know, it's a disease, you know what I'm saying. So like for me, it was it changed my life. I didn't see I didn't see it that way at the time, Like I didn't see like my mom like I would be angry a lot of times because the back and forth. So it went on council blessings, Like, Yo, I went to thirteen schools by the age of fourteen. Yeah, just because it's just because my mom's addiction and around my dad trying to work it out and arguing and you know, trying

So did that help you with because I'm you know that those stuff can be traumatic for sure, So when you realize that they're just humans trying to figure it out, that that helped you to.

Help absolutely absolutely that that allowed me to give myself grace. I just had a son, by the way, so yeah, yeah, I was just about to have I just had a son. So yeah, so I found myself like just correcting a lot of stuff that my my parents did. I'm just correcting, like, Yo, they did this, I don't think that's good because you know, that's that's something that was traumatic for me. So yeah, it's like loud talking and cursing around your kids, just

You don't want to be an eighties parent.

Yeah, yeah, I.

Just want to be a good parent.

Yeah, we don't want to be a two thousand parents going. But but you know, you can control that for sure.

But how do you even learn how to how do we learn how to be good parents if we didn't see good parents and we all parents?

Yeah, yeah, I'm thinking just correcting, you know, I don't know if I'm doing the best job. I think I might ask my kids at that at some point, but I think just starting with correcting my parents, you know, the things that they did with me.

You see it like you see it in your parenting, you know, And then it can go either way either way. No, matter how your cause a doubt, Like I grew up in the house with my mom and my dad married, you know what I mean, And I turned out great. But then I had a friend who grew up with their parents in the house didn't turn out great.

You know.

It's just whatever your hand is, you just gotta roll with the punches. It don't mean because you grew up in a single family home that you're going to be a certain way, and it don't. It don't mean, and vice versa, you know what I mean. So it's all about your household.

Absolutely absolutely.

Who was you mad at? Don't catch this fade man?

What number was that you only got to listen to three songs? Were number twenty? You know? So who was you trying to fight?

I mean, just when you shot out eight for three on that though me deal for your s Who was you mad at? You thought about shooting at people? And no I wasn't.

I was saying, like, put the girls down and fight, saying.

Wall is having it. See, look y'all see.

The pop listen. I'm gonna fund you, he said, pop pop pop?

What he saying?

He said, you try me?

You on your pop? Yeah, pop, I'm gonna pop you in your mom.

I didn't think that. I was thinking shooting. Then you came back and said, which one of you try to catch his feet?

And even like on the second verse, I talked about like my first fight, got you got you just fighting somebody And I went in the house crying, and my dad was like, nigga, by the crying, you wanted to fight, came in the house already won.

And what what verse was that?

No?

Who first was that? Yeah, listen to that.

Last verse.

He just was listening to.

The first verse.

So like so when you say about the pops, he.

Was like.

Listening on the song.

That's that's.

Why were you crying? That's interesting? Why was you crying? It was my first one. I was the first fight.

You know.

You had one of those dads like if you come in the house and you crying, I'm gonna make you go fight him again type ship.

Yeah that's how my dad was too.

Yeah for sure. Wow, I don't know why I started crying. My feelings was hurt.

That's your first fight.

It don't matter what boy, girl, whatever, your first fight and you feel like you lost.

Hell, no, you're coming. I was crying And if you got dad like him, Oh you want. You was crying because you want? Oh no, I don't know what was up with you.

He was crying because you meet him him.

It was like enough you would have lost you wouldn't you get angry?

No? Okay, okay, that was the childhood. Yeah, that was like in the lifetime, not once in a lifetime.

You know when I was younger, I would I would cry time you fight, not every time. Okay, if they said the wrong ship or some ship where it was like I hurt my feelings, Sure, try to help build you up, nigga, that's what.

It definitely made you cry and you used to cry.

H they say the wrong ship. Because everybody knew each other, they'd be.

Like, niggah, I know, like talking about your parents.

Yeah like that, but everybody will it be that's everybody's story. Where I'm from, it's like welfare niggas everybody everybody.

Yeah, you just get a dollar more, nigga.

That's crazy, that's crazy.

Break Down two sides, Two sides was just like something fun. I didn't want to. I didn't.

Come break it down here we're talking about it last. Breaking down.

Two sides, Yeah, two sides is basically me just wanting to have fun and like just looking at the industry, man, I just I'll be frustrated because I feel like, yo, I feel like the certain Niggas ship is the lift that you climb. Mentality, man, just help certain niggas. And I be feeling like people say certain things to you in this business and none of them come true. I also feel like having integrity makes you a trouble maker,

I could definitely relate to that. You're definitely right when you Yeah, I.

Don't like maker the trouble maker.

Yes, all right, I'll be standing on real stuff and they'd be like, what, No, that's messed up. I'm like, yo, it's just how I how what I believe and may get mad at that.

They don't like confident people.

For sure, Yeah, for sure. Yeah.

Another common thing throughout the album is you keep repeating that you you're a threat to people. You feel like people look at you as a threat.

Yeah. Lyrically, Yeah, lyrically, I think a lot of people stay away from me. For sure.

Was there any particular moments that made you realize like, oh, they really scared of me. A men over there in the corner, like, please tell this story. He's which story is it? I can see what happened, what happened. It's been I've been on record, won't names.

I've been on records with like people that probably loving respect because the verses better when it comes out. I don't hear it off the record.

I believe like that happens.

That happens a lot to me.

What's so yo?

Look at you don't even worry about it.

It's been a lot of stuff.

Did you have a conversation with the artist after that, like why y'all took me off? No?

I was just like, yeah, I ain't you know, we ain't built the light. I would have never did that. I would have been like, nigga, you killed me. You gotta write something else.

They wanted you to be Nick Cannon.

You're like, nah, I'm Nick Grant.

I really.

I don't be coming here playing with I don't be wilding.

I'm dead crazy? All right? What did you put TD?

At one point it felt like it was a TD Nick Grant thing happening that one point.

Yeah, it was it was I was. I was working with Punch on some stuff, just creative differences. He had a group and I just felt like that wasn't the direction I was going. Yeah, and I had I had to get this story out. So yeah, or they wanted you to be in a group, Yeah, we did. I actually did a group project with him. Yeah, that one, it came out, came out.

I don't remember that at all.

Yeah. I don't want to promote it because I ain't over there no more.

But yeah, who.

Was it you?

Was you punching some other people in the group, Yes, of other people?

Yeah?

Who else?

Yo, I don't remember, Yo, he don't know the other niggas.

This nigga's crazy. Who else? I mean, I know you just said you don't want.

To talk about it.

Who else?

Yeah, yeah, just creative differences. It's just creative differences though. Yeah. Yeah, but yeah, I got a lot of respect for Punch for sure, a lot of that.

But do you think stuff like that is one of the reasons that Nick Grant isn't in the conversations that he probably needs to be, because people take you off of records that probably would have been.

As fucking Lily one hundred million percent for sure. For sure, I'll be feeling like, Yo, the only person that kind of like ran to it, like ran to it and like respected it was Kendrick mm hmm. He was like, Yo, you're one of my favorite rappers. This project is crazy. You know when we do our record, I'm not gonna hold no punches, yo. And we talked like that, like just as rappers, like, Yo, this's gonna be the fight of your life, you know, fucking with me, it's gonna be.

So why not reach out to somebody like him? Him and Dave got this situation now, like.

Yeah with a camera, Yeah, yeah, situation the time.

How about you reach out for him? Damn about you help him out?

No, I mean, I know Dave, I mean I know Kendrick, but I'm sorry. I love Kendrick, but you know I have a relationship with him like that, Dave. I talked to Dave, Yeah.

Asked what's up, so see what you can do?

Questions, any conversation. I'm not sure. I'm not sure. We talk through like a mutual friend. But like when I've seen him, it was that was that was a conversation with us.

Well, Nick Grant Sunday dinner. Man, let's get into a record off the album.

What you want to playing?

Man, Let's play? Uh play whatever? Let's play Uh Bravo?

You want to play Bravo?

Yeah?

What Brobo is like? That's you celebrate yourself again?

Yeah?

Okay, okay, what is this? I like to see people celebrating themselves? Man? What told you.

Down necessarily about just about everybody? Okay? Yeah?

What told you down to break this to bring this this about?

Yeah? Damn niggas don't care.

About don't all? Right?

Up?

All right, so we listen.

The other day, doctor Drake called you the other day.

Look you're looking up ship who said that online?

Y'all?

Somebody just told me Doctor Drake called you.

Drake caught that's crazy.

Allegedly, all right, Doctor dre allegedly called him saying, what, yo.

Let's get it. I don't know why I have to gonna.

Say no, you're not about to tell us doctor you want to jump on Bravo? You know how to tell us that, y'all.

He's so stupid man. You play Bravo is Nick Grand? Nick Grant? Thank you for coming brother.

How long is that was? Fifteen minutes? I'm trying to beat my record for last time. Had me up at fifteen?

Hey, oh no, no, no, it's forty five.

You know what I'm saying.

Let's do that.

That's when you asked nig about every single song individually to try to get like.

It is. Nick Grant is the breakfast club. Wake that ass up in the morning, the breakfast th