Photo Credit: Samuel HTC Photography
Nitti Gritti, the south Florida DJ recently sat down with us at Okeechobee Arts and Music Festival to share a few words. The man of many faces plays all over Florida, and with many different aliases taking over every aspect of the scene. Check out the interview and delve into the mind of a man with many names.
RaverRafting- What made you decide that the music you release as Nitti Gritti didn’t fit under your other aliases?
Nitti Gritti – I never really took a trap and dubstep approach with more heavy party style music. I felt it was such its own thing especially with DJing that I should make something different with another name that’s more “DJesque.” I have way more fun with this name, and all that together made me think that I just need to start a whole other brand just start from zero. You know what I mean? I have everything else lets just start this one from the bottom and see what happens. It just so happen to work out.
RR – I really like Nitti Gritti as a DJ name.
NG – Yeah its fun and its stupid. Their are just so many plays on the words that you can do. It’s a fun time, with Nitti Gritti I just never want to take it too seriously. DJ’s we click buttons and make music you just need to enjoy it.
RR – I was reading an interview that you have done in the past about the name Nitti Gritti, and where it came from. You mentioned something about your grandmother and how you used to knit with her. Does she know about this? Does she love it or take pride in the fact that she gave you the name?
NG – Honestly….That was a fake story. The real story is that I was raised in Haiti with my parents as a missionary kid. My real name is Ricky, and the locals couldn’t pronounce Ricky. So they would say “Niittii Niittii” it used to sound like nicki or wicki and it ended up as Nitti. The people would say “Nitti Sak Pase?” which translates to Nitti whats up? I thought that was pretty cool. So I was with Paige and Daniel from Bonnie X Clyde and we were brainstorming on names. I brought up the fact that the Haitians used to call me Nitti. Paige suggested that I make it Nitti Gritti, and it turned into my name with that spelling. It could be Gritti Gang there are just so many possibilities. Their ya go you guys have the real story.
RR – Gritti gang that’s great!
NG – Gritti gang that’s the hashtag. Word!
RR – So you are booked for Okee, and you recently announced you were booked for Asteria. Is their any other shows we can look forward to this year?
NG – I think in between I have a lot for winter music conference, and for Ultra weekend. I am not playing Ultra, but there are a couple shows that NU management is throwing me, Bonnie X Clyde, and Nonsens. I play Orlando pretty soon this month, as well as Tampa and a lot of south Florida dates. Those are the ones that are soon to come.
RR – Speaking of shows to come are there any ideal stage that would be your “You Made It”stage?
NG – The you made it stage..hmm. Probably my own stage. There are a couple festivals, but it isn’t always about festivals to me. One of my real dreams was getting to playing a show other than that though is just to play the Grammy’s. Obviously playing Coachella and Bonnaroo would be nice, but I have never really gone to the festivals. I have been making the music so maybe the more I get into the festivals I will enjoy it and want to do it. But for now, for me I just want to look at the Grammy’s as the you made it stage. Regardless of winning or being nominated that is one of the dreams of mine.
RR – You recently released Snappin and Trappin with Part Native. How was it collaborating with them?
NG – It was fun, and Harvey J is on the track he is Chef Henny, he likes to pour Hennessy on everything. So I tracked with him almost a year ago, and I wasn’t completely happy with it so I sent it to Part Native to collaborate with. They killed it! It was a lot of fun to finally finish that. The video was honestly the best part, it’s funny because I don’t even like Hennessy that much personally, but he does. So you will see me in the video holding it, but I really don’t drink it that much. I just let everyone else do that part. Its stupid and cheesy, but its fun to just make that the easiest thing for a hard job.
RR – So lets backtrack for a second and go back to the Grammy’s. If you won a Grammy who would be on your list of people to thank?
NG – If I won a Grammy the first person I would thank is God, then my parents, then all my management team from Cheryl, Paul, Corynne, Shaq, and all these people. It really takes a team. It is not a solo thing regardless of how many aliases, everybody is involved in all of those. It is difficult to get anywhere without a team, and I would have to mention all those people. Straight real names like Mike, and my tour manager, there are so many names. I would definitely have to write it down so I don’t forget.
RR – So you have a super amazing talent with drums. What made you go with the EDM genre as opposed to any other genres?
NG – Short answer is I didn’t really stay in EDM. I actually do have another alias that is going to be focusing on live music. For right now though, you know not even just me my whole team was like listen lets go play some shows DJing. DJing is the easiest thing to plug into, and all of our connections are there. I thought this is perfect for me because I haven’t done it so I would really enjoy learning to do something I haven’t done. I am more used to playing the drums so this has been a new challenge, and something I could really enjoy. It is a playlist essentially you are playing music that you think people are going to like. Curating music so it’s a lot of fun especially when you make music its almost more of a party vibe. It really depends on the artist, but for me its about having other people enjoy it.
RR – So for your personal playlist of who inspired you. Who would be on it?
NG – The music that I really find myself listening to Brand New, Alt Rock, Taking Back Sunday. For my Ricky Mears alias I drew inspiration from Seven Lions. I just won something for Above & Beyond where I will be going into the studio with them. A lot of the melodic stuff Flume and then other Rock bands, Hip-Hop, Trap. I love Childish Gambino, and Lupe Fiasco those are some of my favorite rappers. So it is a cumulative thing.
RR – I want to see a collaboration between Nitti Gritti and Childish Gambino.
NG – That is a dream for sure. That will happen one day.
RR – Has their been one specific song that you have enjoyed remixing or one of your original songs that you put your whole heart into were it just really stands out to you?
NG – For remixes this year I had the opportunity to do a Krewella remix were I put a lot of effort in. You know what is crazy I actually did two of them. The first one I did six times and when I got to the sixth version someone else did one so similar that I didn’t even put it out. It was good, but I was just like lets not fight for the same sound. So I decided I was not quitting and I asked for another song did three versions of that and then they took it. It was just so much work. I was determined I knew I was going to get it. They ended up taking it and loving it and they even play some of my other music so that was one I remember working really hard on.
RR – Okay for the final question. If you had a spirit animal what would it be?
NG – A spirit animal… I really like dogs. Literally right before this interview there was a dog right by the golf cart. I was like, “What is your dogs name? Its so nice.” I don’t like cats though, but I love dogs. My favorite breed would probably be a Rottweiler or a Lab or even Pit Bulls. I love Pitt Bulls.
Nitti Gritti just got through playing all over Miami for Music Week. Check out his new single Snappin and Trappin here.
Connect with Nitti Gritti:
https://www.facebook.com/djnittigritti
https://twitter.com/DJNittiGritti
https://soundcloud.com/nittigritti
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