Nicholas Lorenz Graham, known as Nick Grams in the hip hop community, is an American Hip Hop/Pop recording artist, rapper, performer, and songwriter. He was born in St. Paul, Minnesota, and spent the majority of his childhood moving all around the Northern region of Virginia. It wasn’t until he was 15 that he moved back to MN, where two years later he started pursuing his music career. His first love of music was MC Hammer, and he started out performing for fun. His first public performance was when he was 7, in VA for a talent show in front of the whole school. He remembers performing an MC Hammer song that was popular at the time, blowing away all of his classmates and school staff with his energetic, funny and carefree performance.
Nick's parents were singers that traveled together in a Rock band. Although they moved around a lot and it was a struggle, he does recall his parents eventually sacrificing the music life to raise Nick and his sister, and older brother. It wasn’t until the kids were raised when his Father, a Jewish African American singer, started pursuing his music again, sparking the divorce between his parents. His Mother, a Polish woman raised Catholic, became a devout Christian at this time and decided the Rock scene wasn’t what she desired anymore.
Nick recalls his first recognition of his musical talent at the age of 2. He states, “My first song I wrote was when I was 2 called “Up the world.” I sang it to my Mom, and she still has the recording! It was about taking her around the world. I was a Mama’s boy for sure. But I thank God I was, because my Mom and Jesus have made me into the Man I am today.” Nick realized he loved rap in the early 90’s when he lived in the DMV, listening to legendary hip hop stations 93.9 and 95.5. He was 14 when he started free styling over beats to songs on the radio. It wasn’t until the age of 17, that he took his passion and love for music to the next level. It began at a Talib Kweli Concert, where he was given the opportunity by Talib to free style for a few minutes up on stage afterwards. Talib said Nick’s rap was “Nice,” aka “Dope.” He was blown away because that was coming from one of his “all-time favorite Emcees.”
Nick’s first professional recording was when he was 21. It was a feature on a song. Shortly after that, he recorded one of his own called “Provide the Vibe,” an upbeat Hip Hop anthem. Nick had officially found a home in Hip Hop, and began seeing regional success. His song, “Yeah No” was chosen as a finalist for a Dodge Dart commercial. Then he was in the running for Coca Cola’s Indie Icon for the Mid West Region finals. Shortly after, he had multiple show cases with Coast to Coast mix tapes, and they featured his song on their mix tape. He began doing shows outside his region, one he recalls in NYC at Webster Hall, where a Def Jam A&R told him that he “Killed his performance and had never seen anything like it!”
R&B singer R. Kelly was Nick’s biggest musical inspiration when he started. He remembers hearing that he was illiterate, and used his passion and talent to succeed beyond struggle. Biggie was his greatest Hip Hop influence. In Nick’s words, “His lyrics were so genuine and sincere, and he exploded although he went against the grain.”
Nick is a well diverse artist. He sings and raps, as well as writes his own lyrics and hooks. He has the ability to rap and sing like B.O.B. or Drake, the lyrical content of a Kendrick Lamar or NAS, and the Pop potential of Bruno Mars on a Hip Hop Level. His profound lyrics and unique rap style alone are enough to rave about. On top of his sexy and sultry tone to his voice, along with creatively sending positive messages, his genius rhyme patterns and hooks set him apart on the Hip Hop scene. His vibrant image is also one of a kind, and he has a matching personality. Nick is the most energetic, outrageous, charismatic, fun-loving and passionate person. When he performs, it pours out on the stage and fills the entire room like a heat wave. People are in utter awe and amazement.
In 2011, Nick started working with local artist Jaysen Kingsmen, CEO of Kingsmen Entertainment. They started collaborating together and in 2013, wrote “Sweet Thing,” Nick’s first single featuring Kingsmen.