7001 Ways To Make A Record: Review and Interview with N. C. Palma
On the first of February the Vernon Hills native N. C. Palma released his first cohesive project. The project titled “7001” is an EP consisting of five tracks. The project takes the listener on a vulnerable and lyrical journey from the beginning of a flourishing relationship, through the tumultuous water that often follow, all the way to the end. The project is rhymically and lyrically diverse but the thematics are consistent throughout keeping the audience engaged while not losing it’s storytelling qualities.
It’s evident that Palma really took the time to develop his own flow and sound on this project. Having followed his music since high school I can say with certainty that this is his best release to date and his progression as an artist shows in “7001”. After listening to the project through several times I had the opportunity to ask N. C. Palma a few questions about the project and his musical journey as a whole.
Where are you from, and how did you get your start in music?
I’m from Vernon Hills— a northern suburb of Chicago. The first content I released was in high school. I probably wouldn’t have continued without friends insisting that I release more; at some point along the way it all started to sound good.
Who or what inspires your music?
Inspiration for me is more spontaneous— if I’m really feeling some type of way about something it’ll probably come out in the music.
What first got you interested in writing songs, specifically the hip-hop genre?
I was born in 98’, so hip hop is really what I was most exposed to— I can’t imagine doing any other genre. That being said, I think a lot more influences than just hip hop come through in the work.
What’s your favorite style of hip-hop/sub-genre and why?
I don’t know that I see subgenres as rigid enough for me to pick a singular favorite. I like good songs
Can you elaborate on how you approach the writing and creation process?
I don’t have a real process— I like to start with a concept and a tentative cut of the instrumental, but by the time it gets to the writing I typically have a good idea of where I want a piece to go.
What’s the meaning behind the Title of your project “7001”?
When we were working on the project, each update of a given mix would get a version number; after five or six versions we couldn’t remember what number we were on, and so we started giving songs tags like ‘v5000.’ The final bounce for one of the songs was marked ‘v7001’— I felt like it reflected the content of the EP, the trials of interpersonal relationships, and so ‘7001’ as a title aligned thematically: 7,001 tries to get the music right, 7,001 tries to get these relationships right— if nothing else it’s to say that sometimes things take more than a single try.
Social Media Snap: @iAmNickPalma Insta: @iAmNickPalma Twitter: @iAmNickPalma
Track List: Down the Block, Icarus, Element, Fuckdemi, Champaign
Favorite Tracks: Icarus, Champaign
