Niontay needs no introduction — his early-career co-signs say it all.
At just 26 years old, the 10K rapper has garnered support and collaborations from Earl Sweatshirt and MIKE, the latter of whom has played a key role in the kickstart of the rapper’s uprising from the confines of the East Coast underground.
“MIKE put a battery in my back before I even released music,” Niontay told Hypebeast, the pair boasting five studio tracks as a unit.
Now, with two studio albums under his belt — fresh off the release of Fada<3of$ at the end of April — the Milwaukee-born, Florida-raised, Brooklyn-based rapper has established a tight-knit, symbiotic network of creative collaborators, including MAVI and Sideshow with Tony Seltzer on production.
Nayquan Shuler
What he hasn’t established, per se, is a signature sound — because he doesn’t necessarily want to. “I don’t think I’ll ever make two albums that sound entirely the same,” he shared, explaining that he doesn’t approach writing in a routine, structural way at all. Sometimes the first four bars he spits land perfectly as the hook, while in others, the final verse comes first. All the while, he ponders: “What even is structure in a song anymore?”
When the rapper pulled up to the Hypebeast studio, he donned a custom dark denim zip-up work jacket with “Sex after church” embroidered on the back of the silhouette. That’s the rapper’s producer’s name, and his original artist name that he ended up changing after deciding it was too raunchy. He still wanted to keep it for something, so it’s still his Instagram name and producer tag, though not an alias. That’s where lil peanutbutter comes in. A listed featured artist on Fada<3of$, peanutbutter delivers some of bars on Tay’s favorite track on the album “Stuntin’ like my baba,” taking a higher-pitched voice than the rapper’s typical persona.
With his primed production background and peanutbutter in tow, Niontay’s come-up is in progress, and we’re privy to it live.
Nayquan Shuler
Nayquan Shuler
Nayquan Shuler
We’re just over a month off from the release of Fada<3of$ – how are you feeling?
I’m feeling good. I’m happy with the reception. I think the release party was what really showed me the impact the project had and put that in perspective for me. People coming up to me and telling me they f*cked with it and that they bought the vinyl. Sh*t’s not cheap.
How has your connection with MIKE impacted your career?
It would have taken me so much longer to figure it all out and get to where I am today if I didn’t know MIKE. He opened so many doors for me. I’ll tell him that forever. He put a battery in my back before I even released music. While I was in my head, he was just reassuring me like “You got it. Don’t even trip.”
When did you first start making music?
I started playing around with making music in 2015 when I was 16. I downloaded this platform called Mixpad. You could record yourself and make beats on it – kinda Ableton-ish.
When did you drop the first piece of music that you felt good about?
Probably in 2019. That was when I started dropping sh*t that I didn’t feel bad about telling people to listen to and saying “I’m a rapper.”
Nayquan Shuler
Who is Sexafterchurch (your producer alias) in relation to Niontay and your credited alter ego, lil peanutbutter?
Sexafterchurch isn’t really an alias. It was my artist name at first, but then I decided to change it because it felt a little too raunchy. People were like “We f*ck with bro, but he should change his name.” So I changed my name. But it’s still my Instagram name, so I wanted to keep it for something. lil peanutbutter is my alter ego.
How do you know when you want to tap into lil peanutbutter?
It’s really all about the subject matter. I just think about who would be the better rapper to deliver the lyrics.
“I feel like a real rockstar.”
What was your mindset going into building this album?
Honestly, I wasn’t thinking about it too hard. I wasn’t trying to make an album. That wasn’t the goal. I was just making music. I didn’t put that pressure on myself of “Every song has to be for the album.” After about two years, I ended up with a bunch of songs, and I finally started going through all of them. I knew certain ones had to be on the album, like “Top da top” and “mumbleman.” I played the rest for the homies and got their input, and that’s how I made the album.
Did you ever feel pressure to drop a project?
Toward the end of the two years. I started getting on myself more like, “Tighten up. Drop. You got all this music. Put it all together. Come on.” So I finally did.
Nayquan Shuler
How do you approach the writing process?
It depends. Sometimes, I hear a beat, and I know the first four bars I say will be the hook. Other times, it’ll just be whatever I’m feeling. What even is “structure” in a song anymore? You hear rappers rap what you think is the hook, but it’s really the verse, and then you think it’s finally the hook, but it’s still the first verse.
How would you describe this album in relation to Diontay’s inferno?
Diontay’s Inferno was me finding myself. I think n*ggas like it a lot because it’s so raw. I was playing with a lot of different sounds. But this album is me coming in as a more established artist and acknowledging that, like, “I am an artist, let me speak more clearly. Let me put more energy into this verse.” Overall, it’s just a more polished project. I don’t think I’ll ever make two albums that sound entirely the same.
Nayquan Shuler
Nayquan Shuler
Nayquan Shuler
Why didn’t you choose to produce the entire project?
I thought about producing the whole thing but there are too many good ass producers out right now who I wanted on there – MIKE, Harrison, Tony Seltzer, WTFOMARI!, Evilgiane.
Something unique about this project is the inclusion of speaking parts as interludes or added onto the end of tracks. Could you say more on this?
On “32ummers,” that’s my mom talking at the end. That’s her funny ass. The rest of the album’s interludes come from videos I like on YouTube. The one on “FULLCOURTPRESSHA” comes from this old gangster documentary I watched in London with Omari.
Where else do you draw inspiration from?
I really admire the way rockstars carry themselves. I feel like a real rockstar. I draw a lot of inspiration from the golden age of rock n’ roll, like Ozzy Osbourne. I try to keep that mindset when I approach designing my merch and my live performances.
What’s next for you?
10K is gonna have a crazy year. MIKE’s got 30 tapes ready to go, so how can I not be ready to go myself?
