Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to NIC@NITE And KONG. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Hi NIC@NITE and KONG, thanks for joining us today. Are you happier as a creative? Do you sometimes think about what it would be like to just have a regular job? Can you talk to us about how you think through these emotions?

NIC@NITE: We both choose to do the things we do every day. Whether we’re happy or not, we’re both fulfilled by what we do.

KONG: I don’t necessarily think about having a full time job, in fact I think I would hate having a full time job. But I constantly think of the opportunities that I’ve sacrificed or jobs that I’ve lost in pursuit of a career in art. Some of it haunts me to this day. On paper other opportunities might have been perfect for me. I just couldn’t stop performing.

N: We’re creatives, but we also have lives. It’s always going to be harder to shoot in the dark and go somewhere only you can go. But it’s a trade off, because when we were kids we didn’t dream about working for insurance companies or law firms. We wanted to make the things that were in our heads real.

K: Not only did nobody say this would be easy, everyone (when we told them we wanted to be artists) said this would be difficult or told us not to do it. And they’re right. It’s very difficult. But that makes each accomplishment that much sweeter. It’s harder earned.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

K: Since I was a kid I’ve been a nerd, high-key. I love learning new stuff. And I can’t like a thing without my brain eventually wanting to know how it works. That leads me down so many rabbit holes. Anything I create is really a byproduct of me learning how the art form works and using it to tell my own stories or explore things that I think are at least interesting. Right around the time I figured out my voice on wax was when I met Nico (NIC@NITE), Just Rich, and the squad at Lyrical Therapy. The heart of the urban underground in St. Louis. I spent most of my time just learning from them and exploring.

N: We both got into music, film, and arts when we were kids. We grew up in it. I used to make movies with my sister in our backyard and I spent most of middle school and high-school screaming Nirvana songs at college kids and hip moms and dads. I didn’t have the confidence to network or build a community back then. Most of my creative background has been a coming-of-age story in that regard.

The two of us met through my sister in Meramec’s cafeteria when I was still in high-school. We clicked hard because we just loved all of it so much. When I think about what makes us different from others that exist in the same space as us, I think it mostly boils down to us not compromising on what we want to do and who we are. When everybody is dedicated to being themselves, everyone is different. We’re working together right now because we’re so aligned on that front. It also helps that we’re both huge nerds and fell in love with so many of the same things.

What can society do to ensure an environment that’s helpful to artists and creatives?

K: The biggest hurdles for me are money and networking. That and knowing where to even look for this kind of information as a junior college dropout. A few different people have attempted to find solutions for this. I want to throw a particular shout out to Julian Keaton at Stereo Assault. He used to book recording sessions at Webster University and invite artists and producers. No fee, just work and relationship building over an extended period of time. I met a ton of people that not only helped me through the uncharted waters of “art for commerce,” but many of whom I would call friends, to this day.

N: There are tons of things, both large-scale and more accessible that we can all be doing to build up the scene. Pop out to events. Buy a shirt. Give to someone’s Patreon. Re-post a story. Pay attention and get gung-ho about your peers, especially when you really resonate with what they have to say and to share. If you’re rich, buy real estate and offer up your spaces for filming, hosting events, or workspaces. We need more people with resources platforming creatives who are in the trenches. And we need creatives in the trenches to be ready and willing to take advantage of those resources.

Also, just keep doing the work and celebrate when we take the steps that need to be taken. St. Louis has tons of people and groups working on the behalf of making the city a better place for creatives and for people in general. The Kre8Place, everything Mvstermind is doing, and the Improv Shop all come to mind. It’s important to focus on doing better and how we can improve. But it’s also important to celebrate when the community gets a win. Missouri has tax breaks for filmmakers now. That’s a big thing we were gunning for that we’re finally seeing some progress on.

Is there a particular goal or mission driving your creative journey?

K: Every individual project has its own goals, right? But the overall mission was really always creativity itself. Exploration. Finding new ideas that cycle into inspiration, build into a song, then inspire someone else and bring them something new. Not only that but exploring new areas, sounds, ways of communicating on wax and to an audience. New cultures, new philosophies, new techniques. *Chefs kiss*

N: If there was just one reason for doing what we’re doing, I wouldn’t be doing it. I think art is almost as broad as life. And I have a lot of reasons for living. I make things for the sake of self-expression. I make things to build community. I make things that I want to see and hear and experience. I make things to keep sculpting the culture. But if I had to boil it down to one reason why I do what I do, it’s just compulsion. Dan Harmon compares creativity to a spider spinning its web. We just do it because it’s what we do.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://beacons.ai/nicatniteandkong
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nicatniteandkong/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@nicatniteandkong
• Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/nicatnitemusic/sets/big-cheese
• Other: https://ffm.to/bigcheese

Image Credits

1. Memri Media
2. Kre8 Spaces
3. Abigail Platte
4. KONG
5. Memri Media
6. James Wurthy