Nino Paid’s tone in his music comes off cold and maybe even nonchalant, but the words that pair with it prove that to be far from the truth. The DMV rapper elevated his game with his second album Love Me As I Am which features a booming 18 songs that clock in at a very digestible 36 minutes. When you rap as matter-of-factly as Nino Paid does, you don’t need that much time to get your point across.
As Nino describes it, Love Me As I Am is an account of “the pain, the hardships, and even the good times.” He added, “This tape is everything I been thru and everything in between.” Nino’s truth may not be be pretty, but he’s not afraid of it and he’s not afraid to tell his story. Numerous examples of this come alive on Love Me As I Am like on “Joey Story” where recounts the suicide of a lonely friend in pursuit of riches as a potential companion. Nino retrospection on “Play This At My Funeral” is drowned in eerie foreshadowing while “Tears In The Hotbox” looks up at the cloudy skies in search of a silver lining regardless of whether the sun comes back out.
With Love Me As I Am and “Regular Type” out now, we placed Nino Paid under the Uproxx Music 20 spotlight to learn more about his influences, inspirations, and aspirations. Scroll down to discover the best of Nino Paid.
- Jazlyn Martin’s Goodbye To An ‘Easy’ Love Is A Cinematic Masterpiece That Tugs At The Heart
- Simone Joy Jones Charms Through Love And Lust On The Exquisite ‘Magnet’
- Noah Guy Bares His Heart, Soul, And Everything In Between On ‘It Must Be Love’
- Mack Keane Is Back And So Much Better On ‘Entries’
- Aqyila’s ‘Wolf’ Is A Triumphant Breakthrough Ahead Of Her ‘Falling Into Place’ Debut
What is your earliest memory of music?
Listening to it in the car on the radio was my first memory of hearing music for the first time.
Who or what inspired you to take music seriously?
I don’t really have any inspirations on why I take music seriously, I had to do it for myself.
Do you know how to play an instrument? If so, which one? If not, which instrument do you want to learn how to play?
I don’t know how to play any instruments, but I want to learn how to play the guitar and piano.
What was your first job?
Six flags in park services.
What is your most prized possession?
My YouTube plaque, my chains (trophies), and of course my daughter is my #1.
What is your biggest fear?
My biggest fear is heights.
Who is on your music Mt. Rushmore?
Eminem, Lil Wayne, J. Cole, and Juice WRLD.
You get 24 hours to yourself to do anything you want, with unlimited resources: What are you doing? And spare no details!
I’d gather up as much money as I can so I can prepare for the next 24 hours…
What is the best song you’ve ever made?
It would be “Feel Better” it felt like I was rawer back then, and I love the beat and lyrics and anytime it comes on. It’s always a vibe I f*ck with.
What’s a feature you need to secure before you die?
I have to get something with Adele or someone like that singing on my song.
If you could appear in a future season of a current TV show, which one would it be and why?
Adventure Time because they put real life characters in cartoons sometimes, so I’d want to be in a cartoon.
Which celebrity do you admire or respect for their personality and why?
I really couldn’t tell you that one, I ain’t gonna lie,
Share your opinion on something no one could ever change your mind about.
Aliens are real, God is Real, and that’s it.
What is the best song you’ve ever heard in your life and what do you love about it?
Probably something from the late ’90s or early 2000s but I can’t say one
What’s your favorite city in the world to perform, and what’s a city you’re excited to perform in for the first time?
My favorite city to perform in so far is Virginia, but I’m looking forward to Toronto on this tour. I also can’t wait to get to Europe.
You are throwing a music festival. Give us the dream lineup of 5 artists that will perform with you and the location where it would be held.
I’d do all up-and-coming artists: Myself, Benji Blue Bills, RRoxket, Lil Tony, and Karrahbooo.
What would you be doing now if it weren’t for music?
I don’t even know, can’t see myself doing anything else.
If you could see five years into the future or go five years into the past, which one would you pick and why?
Five years into the future because me seeing 5 years into the past isn’t gonna do anything. I’d rather see the future than the past, I’ve already been through the past.
What’s one piece of advice you’d go back in time to give to your 18-year-old self?
Finish school and go to college for business major.
It’s 2050. The world hasn’t ended, and people are still listening to your music. How would you like it to be remembered?
I want it to be like therapy some sh*t you put on and make you feel better, timeless music forever.
Love Me As I Am is out now via Signal Records/Columbia Records. Find out more information here.