Manny King John
Sometimes it takes more than just the music to give you that extra push to explore the unknown. As an artist, you tend to criticize yourself. However, with all that comes your inner artistic self, ready to show the world. While some artists feel comfort in staying in a box, there are artistic individuals willing to experiment with different sounds, stirring away from clichés. The DMV-native rapper, Nando McFlyy, has gone through a journey from being just an everyday individual to an artist leading his own path. Get to know Nando McFlyy a little more in this interview.
Let’s start off with, is it cold out where you are located?
Hell yeah. It’s really cold and I’m trying stay warm, man.
Well, I’m from LA. Out here it is warm, and the complete opposite.
Definitely, indeed.
Laughing.
Are you working on any music besides your “Whatchutalmbout” track?
I’m always working on a project. I put together as many songs as I like, and just pick the absolutely best out of those 30-40 songs.
Are you recording an EP, mixtape, and / or an album?
All of that.
Laughing.
For real, for real. I’m trying to do everything at once. I’m just, I don’t know. I like to work on multiple things at one time because I got like ADD or something. I don’t know.
I think a lot of us do.
I try to work as much as possible because people may like this and may not like this. I try to come out with different types of sounds. I experiment with sounds. So, I just don’t really cater to one particular type of sound. As far as Hip-Hop, I try to experiment as much as possible.
Do you record in the studio or how do you go about it?
I go to the studio from time to time. I got a home-setup. That’s pretty much where I work out of and I don’t know. I just feel comfortable working alone, kinda. It’s nothing. It’s not like I don’t like working with people. It’s just about me being comfortable. I need to be alone.
Yeah, I think that’s the best way: For some artists to just work in their own space, and you don’t have too many people on you.
Yeah, it’s like too much pressure when you got a bunch of people. No pressure here, no pressure.
Do you listen and like OG Maco?
Yes, I do. I like Trap music.
Laughing.
So, your latest track is “Whatchutalmbout”?
It’s just a record that I wrote a couple of days ago. Literally, I wrote it a couple of days ago.
What inspired you to do the song?
Just, what inspired me to do the song? It’s kind of like being tired of being boxed in a particular type of sound or doing a particular type. Usually, I do a lot of boom-bap stuff to chill. I just wanted to do something free. Something to express how I felt. Everybody is always talking but like, what are they talking about for real? Like ‘Whatchutalmbout’? Like really, whatchutalmbout? It is just a moment. I just captured a moment. I mean, it is not really that complicated. It’s not complicated. It’s just like, listen to the record. You can connect with it. If you cannot connect with it then, that’s it. I really don’t like to be one of those real deep —
“You know when I was making this record yo… I was thinking like…”
You’re not trying to be like Drake?
No, I’m not trying to do that shit. I like doing music and I like making art. It’s art at the end of the day. People get so caught up in the message behind the fucking music, it takes away from the actual song. It’s not about that all the time. It’s about having a moment and about putting something out there that people can relate to or a feeling they can relate to. Bringing the good mood out of the people, you know what I mean? That’s what I am into when I am making music. I care about changing shit but it’s not always about that.
People get caught up with the past a lot and people forget what’s actually going on right now. Yeah, we definitely like and enjoy the track.
Thank you. I appreciate that and I’m glad you like it. I was actually scared to put that project out, scared to send it to anybody.
And why is that? Did you think no one was going to fuck with it?
That, as well as it’s just so different. I’ve always been doing this one particular thing or I’m switching it up. I experiment a lot. It’s either people like it or people think it’s okay. I’m honest with myself. A lot of the stuff I have has not always been great because sometimes it has not come from a genuine place. I think too hard when I’m writing. I just don’t let it go. It just comes out as crap but if I’m writing and just listening to the beat, that’s what happens.
You just decided to write it one day or were you just in the studio?
No, I was just sitting and thinking.
Sometimes I like to sit in silence and just think. You know, just clear my mind and not think about anything.
I’ve been watching this documentary, “The Legend of Cool ‘Disco’ Dan”. He is a graffiti artist from the DC area, like a legendary graffiti artist. Just seeing the history about the generation before my generation in DC. Learning where go-go came from, Chuck Brown, Rare Essence, and people like that. It inspired me. So looking at that, I’m looking at the stuff my mom listened to, stuff that my uncles, and older cousins listened to. How they were having fun and Black people all together having fun like crazy. Just having a good time. Right after, that’s when the crack epidemic hit and it got real. It wasn’t so much fun anymore. So, what I got from it was pretty much like, it took me back to a place where I was younger. I’m 26 now but when I was younger — like 16-19 and I was creating. I would sit down and write every day. I would come up with these rhymes. I come up with these clever rhymes that gave me that excitement again.
Basically, you’re saying it’s about letting it go and letting it flow.
Yeah, pretty much.
Okay, that’s what’s up and you are sincere about your answers. You are just being you at the end of the day.
That’s all I can really be. I’m not trying to be anybody else.
Laughing.
I feel like everybody tries to be a rapper. Like I’m not trying, listen I love doing music and this is one of the things I love to do. I want to be successful at you know what I mean and at the end of the day I want to do this to be able to support my family. To give my grandmother and to pay back my grandmother for all the things she did for raising me. That’s what I am doing it for the ultimate goal to take care of her. It’s not for nobody else or it ain’t for the other dumb shit I’m just me and I’m not putting up a front.
From what I see, did you change your stage name?
Yea, my name at first was Nando McFlyy Then, I changed it to Nike Nando. This year, I changed it back to Nando McFlyy
Did you just want to change it, to change it?
I just feel like it was a negative stigma with that name and not even because of the Nike. Just the things were talking place at the moment in my life, like they were so negative. I was carrying the name as the negative things were going in my life. I just wanted to detach myself from it and start from square one. Start fresh. The past few years of my life have been kinda really tough, you know? So, I’ve just been trying to figure out a way to believe in myself again.
Yeah, you got to.
Yeah, because I kinda lost faith in myself. I would have these notebooks full of rhymes and shit. I would be like nobody is going to like this. Just being a human, and being insecure about things. I started doubting myself like crazy but something came over me. I pretty much had to cut it out. My grandmother telling me she believes in me was one of the things that kind of woke me up. It snapped me out of my depression. Me and my grandmother never had that type of relationship. We never been really close, so when she told me that I was good. I can get back to being me.
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