Houston based artists Yves (MC), Candlestick (DJ), Free (Producer), and Christolph (Producer), are the move. Collectively known as The Nice Guys, the quartet have release an EP entitle The Green Room and their debut LP  The Show, which dropped on September 28th. Emcee Yves Saint chatted with HipHopSite about crafting the debut LP, group dynamics, energy and what’s on deck.

HHS: So you guys released your album The Show on September 28^th. I know it’s been out for a while now, but can you talk about the album and what went into crafting it?

Yves Saint: Well, a few key words I’d like to stress in relation to the album are; cohesiveness, fluidity, layers, replay value and content. We started off wanting the album to be a high energy EP of performance tracks. But it evolved into something more organic. Things were going on in our lives and with me particularly, being the writer, a lot was going on in my life and I couldn’t ignore it lyrically. As we started making songs it just grew. We knew how we wanted it to feel, but not necessarily how we wanted it to sound. So we would do songs and see if it fit or didn’t fit. It worked out that almost everything fit and we didn’t have to cut out a lot of songs. So, from Free’s work on the transitions, to the song placement from Joseph Dexter, to the intros and outros, there were a lot of subtle things that took it from a collection of songs to a whole mood. We focused on the subtleties because those were the things that people would like but couldn’t put their finger on.

HHS: How does the dynamic work in the group? There are four members but you are the only emcee and do all of the writing, so when you’re putting an album together do you all get together and discuss the subject matter of the song or is it just you?

Yves: There’s a mutual trust among us in the group, so when they make a beat, they don’t tell me what to write about. Sometimes I’ll ask if there’s anything specific, but for it to have any validity to me I have to write it because I can’t express how somebody else is feeling. So we trust each other, I do my job and I let them do their jobs.

HHS: HipHop from south and specifically from where you are in Texas has a specific sound, but you’re originally from New York. How does that effect your music? Is there a difference in how the sound comes out?

Yves: I’m blessed to be in Houston and have people accept me for who I am, even if I am an “outsider” and welcome me into the fold. It’s a blessing to be a New Yorker because that’s how a lot of the lyrics and songs come off, but at the same time I’m blessed to be in the south. There are really beautiful people here and the energy is amazing. I have the best of both worlds and getting the opportunity to make more dynamic music.

HHS:What projects are you working on now, with the album already being out?

Yves: By default we’re working on the second album. You’re always working on the next project. But as far as other projects, I’ve had a few people interested in my doing features and videos and things of that nature. I’m very particular as far as collaborations because I feel there needs to be a mutual respect or shared energy.  We’ve all heard collaborations that don’t have glue and that’s what I want to avoid. It just increases the overall quality of the music.

HHS:As you move forward do you want to do collaborations with big names artists or are you primarily keeping it in house?

Yves:We keep it in house most of the time. We have good home cooking here. We have a lot of respect for a lot of other artists. A lot of people perceive it as a negative, but I want to see a hiphop that has more individual efforts that respect other people’s individual efforts and do their own thing. Being here in Houston and being deep in the culture, if I got the opportunity to collab with legends like Big Pokey, Slim Thug, Lil Keke and Bun B, those are people that are kings of the castle. Those dudes are titans. Those are the people that at some point in the future, I’d love to wipe my feet on the rug and work with those legends.

HHS: One thing about your tracks is the incredible amount of energy. Your videos and tracks look and sound like a live show or performance. Is there a reason for that?

Yves: We have that youthful exuberance. We’re so free. When you don’t have a label or blueprint and you aren’t following anybody’s mold, all you have is you, your niggas, your music and your confidence. You think about what’s on the line, you think about your family, you think about what could have if you do it the right way, you think about your love of music, you think about loving to be in front of girls screaming in the crowd. You put everything on the line, so why could not you be high energy and put balls to the wall. Everything is so important. None of it do it on purpose, it just comes out.

HHS:It’s like with athletes. You could have the calmest guy before a game, but when he gets on the field, he’s a completely different person.

Yves: It just comes out. It gets triggered. When it’s time to do a song, it just snaps on. Some people respond to pressure. People told us that we couldn’t make our kind of music in Texas, but we took the challenge. Put us anywhere and we’re going to perform. 

HS: Any Shout Outs?

Yves: I want to give one solid super shout-out to James Kelley and the Pi Group. He’s the studio owner and our engineer. We came in contact with James around May 2010 and instantly clicked. We have a mutual love of music and he helped to take our project to the next level. The Pi Group have really helped us to come together and make special things happen. A lot of special things are going to happen. I just want to commend everybody for stepping out there and trying to make nothing from something.

HHS: Last words?

Yves: We are trying to do what has been done but hasn’t been done. I want people to understand that before they judge the situation, they should know the whole story and know why people are doing things. We don’t want the same results, so we have to do something different if we want that different result. It’s using what we know and don’t know. The more we do this music the more we realize that we don’t know shit, but we know a lot. We know that we’re doing something right and with experience we’ll be able to fine-tune things. Things are constantly and you have to be always ready to call an audible.

HHS: Outkast is the perfect example. They took a complete left turn as the moved from Southernplayalistic to AtLiens. But, they did what they wanted and people jumped on the bandwagon.

Yves: It’s not an exact science, but that’s what is invigorating about it. It keeps you on your toes and it’s fun. I appreciate it for what it’s worth.

Check out the Nice Guys:

On their website: http://thenicelook.com

On twitter @ TheNiiceguys

The Nice Guys blog – http://theniceguysrule.com/