Last week, I had the opportunity to interview nagi, a Japanese-American artist whose potential is palpable in the way he speaks about his craft with genuine passion and excitement. As of today, he only has three songs officially released, but his most recent single, “KENZO,” picked up in Spotify streams and YouTube views in the past two weeks. Opting to forego the constraints of genre, nagi looks to his greatest musical influences and the world around him for inspiration every day. Check out our full interview below:
When did you first become interested in music? Were there any specific albums, songs, artists, or moments in music that made you want to make your own?
I’ve been interested in music for as long as I can remember, bumping Beastie Boys, Green Day, and Coldplay on a weathered white thumbstick of an MP3 player – perfectly accompanied by the world’s oldest headphones from my dad. Around age 16 I started creating music on a dusty laptop, using a cracked FL studio (like most producers), tucking myself away in the basement making lofi hip-hop beats (a la KudasaiBeats and Barnes Blvd). What really kicked things into high gear was listening to Keshi – “2 soon” specifically. Man, that shit was and still is a bop. It gave me the courage to order a cheap mic on Amazon and begin to experiment with how to use my voice. Here I am, seven years later!
Your Spotify bio says that you refuse to pick a genre, so without boxing yourself into one, how would you describe your sound?
I actually have a really hard time describing my music to people. To be honest, I’m probably just inconsistent – but I’m inconsistently free. If I was an ingredient list, throw in some Channel Tres, Keshi, BROCKHAMPTON, and (my favorite, RIP) Mac Miller. I amalgamate my experiences in life, relationships, and past/present feelings into one big ol’ bowl of soundbites – enjoy!
Where did the name “nagi” come from? Why did you choose that as your artist identity?
As a Japanese-American, I grew up around a lotta Asian food (my mom is the best cook on this Earth, I swear). One of those dishes is a sweet, savory, fishy, lathered-in-Japanese-barbeque-sauce dish served over rice. That dish is the silent but succulent eel – Unagi. Reserved for birthday treats and sticky hot summer holidays in Japan, some of my fondest memories revolve around this dish. When starting my music career a year ago, it was no question. I even made a little eel mascot as a logo that I hide in the details on my album covers. That little eel summarizes my identity succinctly: Short, sweet, and deliciously Japanese.
Can you tell us about the process of creating your recent single, “KENZO”?
“KENZO” came around from that deep, punchy, elusive chopped bass sample. I wanted a song with some ((bounce)). Something that my girlfriends and friends could get up and shake some ass to, y’know? As soon as I heard that bass, I had the image down in my head. I set the stage: Club. Late Night Closing. Music Blasting. Sweat. Flashy clothes. Meeting a stranger for the first time with one simple devotion: to dance. The rush of that quite-possibly-one-in-a-million-small-chance of being able to go home with them and…. Anyway, that was the idea. I didn’t keep things very serious for this song. There are lots of disco thematics, sweaty references, and a sweet sax solo.
Your music videos for “HALFWAY” and “KENZO” gained some traction on YouTube recently. What are your favorite aspects of translating your music visually for listeners?
“HALFWAY” was a recurring dream I had, which, if you listen to the lyrics, is actually quite morbid. But I had to confront it. I had to come to terms with myself and this dream that plagued me for months. Now, did I have any idea what I was getting into for my first music video? Producing, directing, acting, editing, and publishing it myself? No. But, without the help of my friends coming from all over (for ONE night) and my talented crew manning the camera and lights, none of it would have been possible. I am forever grateful.
On the other hand, “KENZO” was me giving myself a bit of a break video production-wise, but not conceptually. All I had was the grace of my friends, a plethora of alcohol and pizza from a local ‘za joint (as promised), a couple bucks for some rented lights, and a dream. One shot, one take, one song. I think it worked out! The reception has been super positive, which is gratifying.
Are there any musical styles you want to tap into or inspirations you want to emulate in the future?
I always deeply respected artists that, despite blowing up with a certain sound or trend, evolve beyond that and innovate in ways that are unique to them. Artists like Mac Miller, who is borderline unrecognizable from his early work, or Vaundy, who has such a wide range in his writing and style. I really, really strive to be authentic to myself and connect what I feel into a cohesive song. Piece by piece, line by line. Some smaller artists I’d like to give some spotlight that inspire me: Rocco, Greek, RUBII, bixby, rhyu… these guys are excellent. Check ’em out!
What is your biggest goal as an emerging artist?
Next goal right now is to hit 10k streams on a song for Spotify, (KENZO is at 2.9k!!), but the BIG goal is to do a small tour. It’s traveling across state lines with friends, staying up until 4am on the edge of utter exhaustion, eating greasy roadstop food at every brief glimpse of a passed-by sign. Is all of that too much for a simple guy to ask for? The dream!
Are you working on any new music that you can let us in on?
Got so much on my mind! I try to work on music for at least an hour a day, which leads to a lot of half ideated demos that will never see the light of day… But! I’m experimenting. Creating. Failing. Singing. “2StepLuv” is a hip-hop ballad professing to the entire city about how in love I am with a complete stranger. “Jade” is an alt-R&B tune with Japanese hip-hop influences about a failing relationship. “Midori Fizz” is a pop-esque love letter to bartenders in Shinjuku. Will these ever come out? Your guess is as good as mine. But gat-dammit am I going to stumble, trip, roll, and scrape myself together to share my music with the world, as terrifying as it can be. So, ありがとう! Thank you for taking this time with me here today. Means the world 🙂
P.S. Something really cool is Spotify’s “who’s listening right now?” feature. Right now, as I write this (10pm on a Friday), two people are listening to my music. Somewhere on this vast, dumb, crazy world. Two people, right now! And that’s cool man – really, really cool that I get to share my human experience with complete strangers and friends alike. So thank you, two people. I hope you enjoy.
Stream nagi’s music below and follow him on Instagram!
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