On the latest installment of our podcast series, YESTERDAY, TODAY, TOMORROW we chop it up with exemplary Milwaukee MC, NileXNile. From his early days beatboxing in the lunchroom at Atlas Preparatory Academy to becoming a "Crown Jewel" of the Milwaukee music scene, NilexNile’s journey is a masterclass in staying true to your creative pulse. In this episode of Yesterday, Today, Tomorrow, the Fat Nerds co-founder reflects on the "aha" moments that defined his path—from witnessing the power of rhythm to captivate a rowdy crowd of students to the pivotal realization that he wanted to be a star after singing along to Usher as a child. His sound is a diverse "gumbo" of influences, rooted in his mother's love for icons like Whitney Houston and Beyoncé and his father's collection of raw hip-hop legends like NWA and Snoop Dogg.

Despite early struggles as a "bad student" in a traditional academic setting, Nile found a lifeline through teachers like Mr. Myers, who recognized his notebook full of raps as a sign of true passion rather than a lack of discipline. This encouragement led to a life-changing pivot to the Milwaukee High School of the Arts, where he successfully auditioned with a rap and began proving his skeptics wrong. Today, Nile remains grounded by an "underdog" mentality, balancing his artistic evolution with the reality of a part-time gig to "feed the beast" of his creative career while staying focused on health and his signature "Pastel Views".