Vulnerability is to hip-hop what a well-crafted sample is to beat-making—an essential element that provides depth, emotion, and authenticity to the final composition. 

After a five-year hiatus, rapper Nance, 32, injects more personal elements into his rap lyrics. On latest project Everydaydream, his conversational style—one which makes listeners feel as if they are listening in on a therapy session—allows him to demonstrate a genuine connection with his audience. 

Everydaydream begins with lead single “Just a Dream in Itself,” an introspective track that functions as the perfect opener, as it traces the Raleigh native’s struggle with chasing a specific rap dream: accolades, fame, and fortune. Nance then delves into the conflict between seeking artistic recognition and finding a broader purpose in life, rapping, “I’ve learned the hardest thing is recognizing that I’mma be fine if you don’t recognize me for my artistry / Part of me can’t let go of the fact that my therapist said there’s more to life than my raps / so I took a step back.”

In the past, Nance has faced criticism for trying to emulate Drake and occasionally falling short of the mark in the process. With Everydaydream, there are still shades of Drake and even hints of Big Sean (as in Nance’s “Hope in Time”), but it feels more apt to position this project within the realm of the early 2010s blog era as a whole, making it feel at times both nostalgic and outdated. 

Some of the project’s highlights include features from Skizzy Mars, 3amsound, and Azul, artists who shine so brightly at times that they momentarily steal the spotlight. But Nance’s decision to incorporate more singing into his music works well, and soothing tones create a captivating atmosphere that compel listeners to sing along. 

What stands out most in Everydaydream is Nance’s reflectiveness. We witness the concept of “making it” in rap evolving for him. On November 10, the Raleigh-based rapper celebrated the release of the album with a headlining show at the Pour House, with support from longtime collaborators Brian Kidd (engineer/DJ) and Alex Thompson (pianist). The live rendition of the album, in front of an audience of several hundred, brought the album to its live zenith, thanks to Nance’s stage presence and control of the crowd. He effortlessly demonstrates a level of stardom that few new artists can match. 

The INDY caught up with Nance to discuss his hiatus, the inspiration behind Everydaydream, his thoughts about success, and more. 

Nance. Photo by Linus Johnson.

INDY: It’s been five years—can you talk about the space between your last project and this one? 

NANCE: The space between my last project and this one wasn’t intentional at all. It was due to various life changes. I released my last album in the spring of 2018. A few months later, I had the idea for this album and started working on songs for it. However, in early 2019, my grandmother passed away, and I was going through significant life changes. It didn’t feel right to continue making the type of music I had been creating, so I decided to scrap the songs I had and start fresh.

Later, in 2019, my dad passed away. And then 2020 came around, and we all felt it. The pandemic just prolonged everything. The studio that I’m most comfortable recording in, the owner has an autoimmune to disease, so we had to be super careful. There would be months in between my recording sessions. And then I wanted to really take my time figuring out my visuals and how I wanted to present everything. I did continue to put out singles in between to hold everybody over.

Since becoming familiar with you and your work, I’ve always been impressed by your marketing. Can you talk about the inspiration behind how you have marketed this project?

Marketing this project involved a lot of experimentation and creativity. For example, when I announced my release date, Drake’s album was also scheduled for the same day. Instead of feeling overwhelmed, I decided to play into the situation and created funny skits inspired by TV shows like Dave and Atlanta. 

It’s not like everybody on the planet is gonna just stop for Drake. I mean, most people will, but it was one of those situations where if I play into it, the people that support me could find it funny. I also thought that if I hid the fact that the biggest rapper out right now is dropping on the same day as me that could be kind of a bad thing. So I just thought of funny skits. 

That would have been super dope, if Drake would have come across it, you know?

I’m definitely, like, dreaming big when it comes to him actually seeing something like that and understanding it. But yeah, I just thought it was funny.

How has the shift from making fun rap songs to more serious music been for you?

The idea of putting out the music is definitely uncomfortable. There’s a lot of songs on the album that I’ve actually had for years. One song in particular (“Hope in Time”), I’m singing on it, and I’ve always been nervous about the song. But one day at the studio, Pat Junior heard the song and he was like, “Dude, what are you doing? This is what you need to be putting out.” He kind of put that battery in my back to lean more into, you know, being open about that side of me, which was pretty difficult because I was looking at the music industry as a whole and what are people gravitating toward. For the most part, popular music doesn’t dive that deep, and for me personally, I was also thinking, “Who’s really gonna care about my story? I just need to do something to get people’s attention like rap well.”

Now that I’ve put the project out there, I’m getting some of the best messages I’ve ever received. All the people closest to me were excited about it, but I was extremely nervous about sharing this project with others.

Do you pay attention to metrics?

Metrics are interesting, because it does go up and down. I do pay attention to metrics, but I’ve learned to strike a balance. Metrics are essential for any artist looking to make music a full-time career. They provide insights into audience engagement and help in planning promotional strategies. However, it’s important not to be overly critical or obsessed with numbers. It can be challenging, as there’s always room for improvement, but I’ve learned to appreciate the journey, even if the numbers aren’t perfect. I aim to find joy in creating music and connecting with my audience while using metrics as a guide for growth.

How did you build your following?

I kind of look at it more as, like, relationship building. Ever since the beginning, I try to respond to every single comment and DM and actually have a conversation. I ask how people are doing and they tell me what songs they like. I thank them and just start actual conversation. I think that goes a lot further. And you know, it’s way more fun because then when people come to the show, it’s like, oh, I know these people. And you can actually talk about stuff. Many artists who are doing it at a high level have these niche fan bases. It’s more like a family experience, and everybody feels like they’re a part of this thing. And that’s how I’ve always wanted my music career to go as well.

Do you have specific rap dreams?

I used to stress so much about “making it.” I would always want to reach the next big thing. And I would always be frustrated. And at times, I wouldn’t even be happy about what I was doing. I took a step back, and the first song on the album has a line in it at the end, where it says chasing dreams is just a dream in itself. 

Meaning, like, my ability to do what I’m doing—that that is the dream. The fact that I’m able to rap. That’s a dream. The fact that I’m able to put out these songs and anybody listens to it. Like even if it’s just my mom, like that’s a dream. Somebody was able to listen to my music. I’m appreciating whatever level I’m on and enjoying it for what it is. I’m also continuing to push forward, but not being so hard on myself. The definition of what my dream is has changed so much. I think nowadays, more than ever, it is just being able to do this and kind of find my community of people in the world that will support it and resonate with the music.

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