Nate Husser for Atelier New Regime
How would you describe what you do and who you are?
I’m a healthy ass, skin well-taken-care-of, lady lovin’, respectful ass, intelligent ass, creative ass, hardworking ass hood nigga… I just have a special kinda love for music.
I do everything in music. I produce, I play instruments, I sing (well, I try), I can rap, I DJ, I write, I do a lot of things. I’m a business man, too, but that’s just my business.
How is Nate, the person, different than Husser, the artist?
We’re no different, it’s the same. It’s no kinda thing, like, on camera I’m one way and off camera I’m another way. No, it’s the same all the time.
It’s super important to leave a legacy. It’s, like, number one.
What do you think is the biggest misconception that people have about you?
That I give a fuck. Most the things people give a fuck about, I just don’t.
What’s something that people don’t know about you?
I'm a fucking germaphobe. I don’t sit on toilets. Like any. Unless they’re brand spankin’ new and I’m the first ass on that porcelain. I don’t shower without flip flops. I wash my hands after touching anything that a lot of people touch.
But… I eat ass and p*ssy in the same BREATH!
You’ve been in the Montreal scene for a while, how have you seen it change over the years? Is there something you wish hadn’t changed? Is there something you want to see change?
It’s just got a whole lot more talent now. Not that there wasn’t before… but it’s just at a whole new level that it’s never been at before.
Is there something I wish hadn’t changed? No. Something I wanna see change? No.
It’s just gonna progress how it’s been progressing — it’s going upwards, ain’t no telling what it could be… what’s gonna happen next. As long as we keep working, keep pushing the culture forward, that’s all there is to it.
What’s it like being a creative in an age where anybody can pick up a smartphone and lay claim to that title?
It’s funny, it’s a lil’ annoying sometimes, cause people can just come in and cloud you out. There’s some pros and cons to it.
Like, it makes it so that there’s so many artists popping out… so many names saying they do this and that and it saturates the whole market. But it also gives you a chance to really break through that and to show that you’ve got something different from all these others, you know.
If you’re doing shit that’s ground breaking, innovative and different, but still true to you, it’ll show. It’s ‘bout who’s doing it right, not who’s doing it.
Does it help having other like-minded people around you?
Yeah it helps having like-minded people…. All the time. The like-mindedness, creatively, is what makes collaboration easier. It makes collaboration a possibility. You get to see how somebody works and vice versa. You learn different tricks of the trade. That’s how I see it. It’s always good to have like-minded people around, cause you just get to share different ways of doing the same shit.
Does competition help or hurt creatives?
I think competition hurts and helps. It does both, depending how you look at it. In a way you can’t be competing with anybody but yourself when it comes to creativity and shit. You wanna do the best that you can do and do it better than the day before, you know, just make the best shit you can possibly make. But, at the same time, you gotta know the standard and level of shit that’s going on out there in order to even be considered a competitor. Nah mean? So, yes and no.
What does your creative process entail? How would you describe yourself when you’re working? How does a song get from your head to someone’s speakers?
I don’t have any one specific process, I just go with the flow. I catch a wave and ride it and just go as hard as I can. Whatever it be: if i start a beat, if I’m just walking or smoking a joint in my bed or if I’m taking a shit and I got some lyrics that pop up in my head I write ‘em down. If i got any kind of idea that I can act on right away, I just act on it right away.
Which track are you most proud of from your repertoire? What’s the most memorable show you’ve been a part of?
I guess Catherine. If we’re talking about music that’s out, it’s Catherine. ‘Cause I captured a sound and vibe that I really wanted to and had been exploring and trying for a long time. I also got some shit I’m real proud of right now.. but it’s just not out yet.
I would say Mural Fest with Post Malone last year. That was epic. Rocked the crowd out and fucked the shit up with songs I just made in my bedroom a few days before. It was wild.
What’s collaboration like when it comes to making music? If you could pick one artist to work with, who would it be?
Right now? On some real shit… In this very very specific moment, that I’m speaking in right now, XXXTentacion. If we’re talking about dead? ‘Pac.
Go back ten years… if you didn’t start making music, what would you be doing today?
That’s easy. I’d be in the NBA. I’d have three rings by now.
Ultimately, if you could accomplish one thing, what would it be? How important is it for you to leave a legacy… both in your industry and beyond it?
Bring my city to somewhere it’s never been musically, hip-hop wise. Fill stadiums up. Buy my moms a mansion type shit. I’m talking bringing other artists up… Changing the game film-wise, festivals, charities, several businesses… It’s all part of one big picture.
It’s super important to leave a legacy. It’s, like, number one. And it’s not for myself. Like, the type of shit you need to do to leave a legacy, that’s what it’s about. And the people who it affects, you know, and whatever it effects. It’s about what I did… not about me.
Listen to Bourbon & Lemonade on Soundcloud
Artist: Nate Husser @nate_husser
photography: Sylvain Granier & Koku Awuye
Words: Marc Richardson
