Nicky Will

Nicky Will, a young hip-hop/pop singer/songwriter based in Atlanta, GA, has won the SongwriterUniverse “Best Song Of The Month” Contest for March, for his song “Summer Love" (co-written by Brad Cox). This song is the title cut of his EP Summer Love, which he released independently last September (2013).

“Summer Love” is a fresh, contemporary tune which combines a energetic music track and catchy pop hooks with a descriptive rap story. The song's highlight is an infectious chorus which is easy to sing along to. Will impressively handles both singing (in the choruses) and rapping (in the verses). This recording was expertly produced by Brad Cox (who is the lead singer & songwriter of the rock band Grayson Manor) and it sounds ready for pop radio airplay.

Will grew up in Rochester (in upstate New York), where he lived until moving to Atlanta 18 months ago. He has been inspired by listening to a wide range of music artists, and his current favorites include Travie McCoy, Asher Roth, Eminem and Mos Def. Will played in punk rock band for awhile, and during high school he started to write songs, and recorded demos with his home studio equipment.

Gradually, Will learned how to produce his own recordings, and he released a self-titled, debut album. Then in 2010, he released his next album, called On A Mission. "I learned how to produce myself, and I became more comfortable with my music," Will explained. "I also started booking my shows in New York, and I went to hip-hop conventions, to network and meet people." He also was the opening act for several known artists such as the Cataracs, Donnie Klang, MC Lars and Chris Webby.

It was in the summer of 2012 that Will decided to move to Atlanta, and in the fall he met Brad Cox, who would produce "Summer Love" and the song 'Hands High" for Will's EP. "Working with Brad has been great," said Will. "He's a mentor and he's like an older brother. He's guided me and helped me make the right decisions."

Will continues to collaborate with Cox, and they've recorded a new song called "Feelin' It," which will be Will's next single. In addition, Will has been performing live shows, and he's filmed an excellent video of "Summer Love," which was directed by EJ Alvarez and produced by his company, Digital Dinosaur.

Will has been keeping busy and making good progress in Atlanta, but he also wanted to say thanks to his friends and family in New York. "I really appreciate my friends and family back in New York for supporting me and believing in me," he said. - Dale Kawashima

On March 17, hip-hop artist Nicky Will will debut the music video for his new single "Save Me," which he co-wrote with Bess. Not only did Will co-write the song with Bess, but she also is a featured vocalist in the music video. The music video is being debuted on YouTube, and AXS readers will have the first chance to see it.

Originally from Rochester, New York, Will is a suburban white rapper who has since relocated to Atlanta, Georgia. He started developing his own unique style as a teenager to accommodate his delivery style, which is best described as "in-your-face." Much of his early inspiration came from some of his favorite performers - Eminem, Ludacris and Asher Roth.

Nicky Will, his first self-titled album was released independently. Will wrote all the tunes on the album and also produced it. This project received praise from local critics. Encouraged by this, Will began work on his second album On a Mission, which he released in 2010.

Utilizing the myriad of opportunities for exposure through social media outlets like Facebook and Twitter allowed Will to successfully break out his first single, the title track "On a Mission" and gain recognition for his brand. This prompted the top promoters in upstate New York to offer Will multiple opportunities to perform with some of the industry's hottest acts, including The Cataracs, Maino, Donnie Klang, MC Lars and Hoodie Allen.

His next project, 2012's Write Around the Block, used the influences of jazz, folk rock and blues combined with rap to make an impact on the hip-hop community, and garnered him additional praise for his maturity and creativity.

Will moved to Atlanta in the fall of 2012, to pursue a larger part in the hip-hop market and to work with top artist developers. In Atlanta, he was introduced to Bess, who had begun making a name for herself as a singer/songwriter, and a valuable collaborator. They wrote the song about a year ago.

"Save Me" deals with the sensitive subjects of cutting, bulimia and body image acceptance, with the message that we can and should help those who are dealing with "the demons in their heads."

For more information on Will, check out his Facebook page or follow him on Twitter. Likewise, check out more on Bess through her Facebook and Twitter pages. - Bob Leggett

Nicky Will, Nick Hargarther, is a suburban-white rapper from Rochester, New York currently based in Atlanta, Georgia. As a teenager, Nicky began artfully crafting a unique style of lyrical flow to accommodate his in-your-face delivery drawing inspiration predominantly from the likes of mainstream performers such as Eminem, Asher Roth, and Ludacris. Nicky’s first album, self-titled, was released independently having been written and produced completely by Nicky himself. The project was well received by local critics prompting Nicky to immediately begin work on the 2010 release of his second full length album, “On A Mission.” Utilizing the exposure opportunities of social networks the album’s breakout single, holding the same name, gained recognition from top promoters in Upstate New York, offering Nicky various opportunities to perform alongside top touring industry acts such as The Cataracs, Maino, Donnie Klang, MC Lars, and Hoodie Allen.

After taking some time in 2011 to perform and promote himself as an artist within the underground rap scene, Nicky began constructing his most recent project, the “Write Around The Block” mixtape. Wanting to make a true impact on the hip-hop community, Nicky wrote and produced the album to take influence from the roots of jazz, folk rock, and blues blending it with the contemporary sounds of today’s rap. With the mixtape’s digital release in summer of 2012, Nicky was praised equally for his matured sound and the creativity of the instrumentals by a variety of critics in producers, DJs, artists, and most importantly his fans.

Having successfully generated an underground buzz for his work, Nicky has since begun to gauge the interest of recognized talent management companies, agents, and producers. Taking advantage of the opportunity in fall of 2012, Nicky moved to a larger market in Atlanta, Georgia working closely with top artist developers helping to ensure his upcoming breakout into the national spotlight.

Official website: www.IamNickyWill.com
Soundcloud link: www.soundcloud.com/iamnickywill - Rude Boy Magazine

Nicky Will (Nick Hargarther), was born March 21st 1991 in the small suburb of Greece New York. As a young child Nicky was exposed to a broad spectrum of music initially starting with 80’s rock, going to the current most popular country music, all the way into 90’s Pop. Growing up with sisters, his initial musical interest came from 90’s pop, including the Backstreet Boys, Nsync, and O-Town who came a little bit later. 6 Year old Nicky was at a family get together for the holiday’s which included televised performances in which he was first introduced to Aaron Carter, the brother of Nick Carter who was a member in the Backstreet boys. It was that moment where he realized that being on stage was something he wanted to do. Throughout the years Nicky attended choir from 2nd grade up until 7th Grade where he was taken out of Chorus to get tutored due to his grades. The next few years he participated in various sports consisting of Baseball, Football, and Basketball eventually playing for his High School Team. Nicky hinted to his parents that he would like to drop sports and maybe get some vocal lessons because that’s what he really was passionate about. At the time his parents weren’t sure how serious he was and kept him in sports. In the summer of 2009 after graduation Nicky was visiting family for the summer where he talked with his uncle who was also a musician about his possibilities and where to go. With some creative angst and drive Nicky returned home and began working with a local producer. Over the next 2 ½ years he put out his very first album along with 3 self-produced projects. In October of 2012 Will decided to make the big move to Atlanta Georgia to pursue his career further. Before leaving for the “A” Nicky dropped his last project “Write Around The Block” which was also self-produced. Now in 2015, Nicky has 4 singles on ITunes and has been working with Atlanta producer Brad Cox. With more music on deck, Nicky’s passion for the game continues to the next phase. - Tattoo Twisted

It is amazing when one thinks of the power of words. The ability to be able to masterfully rhyme with words is a skill that many claim to have but only a few truly possess. Atlanta Based Hip-Hop/Pop Artist Nicky Will certainly fits into the category of those artists with the amazing ability to inspire and entertain others with their rhymes. For those readers of this online publication who enjoy reading about performers who are taking brave steps away from the traditional style of music, this is the interview for you. Check out what formulated from our interview with Nicky Will.

Isaac: I would like to ask you for the readers of this online publication who have never heard your music, explain your sound in 5 words:

Nicky: Pop, Top 40, Hip-Hop, Upbeat, and Story-Drivin’.

Isaac: With respect to musical icons, who would you consider to be your most significant musical influences?






Nicky: When I first realized I wanted to be a musician, I was listening to a lot of the 90’s pop music just because I grew up with 2 older sisters. As I got older, I was exposed to Rap and Hip-Hop where I discovered Eminem and Ludacris, which around that point in my life were two of the artists coming up. I went through a very eclectic Hip-Hop stage where I had Mos Def and Nas on replay. Nowadays I listen to a lot of the upcoming artists from Kendric Lamar all the way to Justin Bieber, J Cole and The Weeknd.

Isaac: Do you have a favorite song to play from your collection so far?

Nicky: I have this old school type track called ” Feelin’ It” that I really love performing because of the energy it brings to the crowd. It’s part of my roots and where I originally started this journey.

Isaac: I am interested to know who you are listening to at the moment. What bands and artists should we have our ears on right now who you think deserve the spotlight?

Nicky: I really dig what Kendric Lamar and J Cole are doing with the Hip-Hop genre right now. People are sleeping on them because they haven’t fully went mainstream but for me that’s highly respectable. One of my latest favorites is The Weeknd. I can’t personally define his style because it’s so unique and for me that’s a huge selling point for me when I listen to a new artist. The Weeknd has been around for a while now and he’s really just beginning to get the recognition he deserves.

Isaac: Since you write your own music; where do you draw inspiration from when you write songs and what’s your favorite part about the process?

Nicky: I really like to listen to the plain music on repeat and dig deep into what my latest emotions have been. I realized that doing so allowed for amazing songs that people could connect to but my downfall was that I would write about similar subjects quite often. Lately, I go into a song with a specific topic in mind and get into character and put myself in the shoes as if I was in the situation. That method has allowed me to expand my writing ability and to relate and reach more of my audience.

Isaac: If you could go open up for any artist on tour right now who would it be?

Nicky: I would really love to open for Jake Miller. I check in on him regularly to see what he’s doing and he’s such a positive dude and is changing people’s lives which inspires me musically. I always strive to surround myself with positive people with common goals.

Isaac: So, what is y our favorite thing to do when you aren’t writing/producing/playing etc?

Nicky: I am a big family person. When I have the free time, I enjoy being able to visit family and spend time with people who I don’t get to see too often. I’m also big on supporting locals so when I can get to the local farmers market and check out people doing what they love it makes me happy.

Isaac: Now for our non-music question: Name five things you can’t live without?

Nicky: Mac & Cheese, guitar, phone, family, & Orange Juice.

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Atlanta Based Hip-Hop/Pop Artist Nicky Will
Photo Courtesy of Nicky Will


Isaac: What is the most trouble you’ve ever gotten into when you are performing or on the road that you can let us in on?

Nicky: So far I haven’t really got yelled at too much. I did jump off stage at one of my shows and after the show I got yelled at by security because it was a hazard of some sort.

Isaac: Knowing what you know now, would you do it again?

Nicky: Absolutely. I did it to give a more intimate performance and I knew what I was doing. If I thought it was a hazard I wouldn’t have done it

Isaac: If you were not performing, what do you think you would be doing professionally and why?

Nicky: I would probably organize charity events and other organizations to help people who need it. Part of my vision with my career now is to be in the position to help people and have an impact on a greater scale.

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Isaac: What’s your motto or the advice you live by? ”

Nicky: “Dream Big”…I also constantly tell people to keep smiling.

Isaac: Ten years from now you will be….

Nicky: “…performing on occasion and focusing more on being a producer and running things behind the scenes”.

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Isaac: As a great send off, tell us about one of your greatest moments as a performer.

Nicky: I got the awesome opportunity to open up for Aaron Carter which was one of my main inspirations when I was like 6 years old. It was his performance I saw when I was younger that made me want to be a musician. I didn’t actually speak to him but to just the moment on stage and being able to open for his show was pretty awesome. - Issac Davis, JR