Today we’d like to introduce you to Nick Nelson.
Hi Nick, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I’ve always had a passion for writing in all of its forms. My dad is a phenomenal writer and creative mind, and I feel lucky to have had those proclivities passed down to me. When I was a kid I punched up neighborhood newspapers on an Apple II computer and delivered them to doorsteps around the block in South Minneapolis. I went to college at the U of MN for Journalism & Mass Comms, I’m currently living with my lovely wife in a western suburb, but I can see the downtown skyline from my roof.
These days, my writing passion and purpose manifests in several different ways, in addition my day job as a content marketing manager for a local B2B agency (which I love!).
– I am the co-owner of a Twins baseball site where I am able to write opinion and analysis pieces for a large audience of fellow diehards, as well as help develop other writers in the same pursuit.
– In 2020, along with my design partner Jerrald Spencer Jr., I published an illustrated book called VERSUS, which chronicles the evolution of video games through a unique lens. Check it out at VersusBook.com!
– I write a lot of lyrically robust raps under the pen name Nickle Nelly. One of my best friends also happens to be a very prolific hip-hop producer, so when we get together we naturally create a lot of music together. These collaborations have yielded a pair of albums: Wrong to Remain Silent (2018) and Bar City Blues (2021).
The music I create mostly pertains to the things that matter most to me, or the messages that I think are most important to get across. Given my background and interests, there’s a lot of attention to the power of words and language. Given the recent social climate in the Twin Cities, there’s a lot of attention to social inequality and racial disparity.
I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey have been a fairly smooth road?
There are always challenges. But as I riffed in a lyric on my latest album: “Who am I but a white guy / my troubles bite-sized.” Many people have it much harder than me. I’ve been extremely lucky and privileged in many ways so I try to always keep that in perspective.
In terms of breaking through, and finding what many would define as “success” in these endeavors, sure, that’s a struggle. My book wasn’t a best-seller. I don’t make money off music and all of my songs are under 1,000 streams on Spotify. But because none of these hustles are my main livelihood, I have the luxury of not depending on them, nor viewing them as anything more than creative outlets and experiments. Again, that’s a privilege that many people do not share. I’m just thankful and trying to stay hungry.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I’d like to hope that I’m known as a straight shooter who speaks his mind and follows his heart. My sense of pride in creativity comes largely from being able to complete the projects I set my mind to. Creating and releasing an album (let alone two) takes commitment and follow-through. Same with conceiving, writing, and publishing a 250-page book. We’re fortunate to live in a world where people can self-publish and self-promote these things without needing a professional agent, or big connections, or major financial backing. All you need is the will and some imagination.
What does success mean to you?
Creatively? Success is doing what you want to do, and staying true to yourself. It sounds simple but surprisingly few are able to achieve both.
Sometimes because we don’t truly know what we want to do and who we are. Things like ego, life, and relationships often get in the way of seeing clearly.
Contact Info:
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: www.versusbook.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nicklenelly/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/nicklenelly
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/nicklenelly
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCDtsTgXTYfgo8CUMN7BZX_g
