[Nykobandz](https://www.instagram.com/nykobandz/?hl=en) is the definition of a trap rockstar, and he’s taking his fans with him all the way to the top. Hailing from New Orleans, Louisiana, the rising star prides himself in his versatility, creating a way different sound than what people would expect given his roots. In fact, the rising star even deems himself the first from his city to experiment with these new sounds and styles, opening the doors for other local artists to follow suit.
In 2016, Nyko was going to school studying fashion before unexpectedly landing in the studio and creating a song over Future’s “F\*ck Up The Commas.” Uploading it to SoundCloud, Nyko quickly gained a buzz online. Later, he dropped “Goyard” which got his name known and out there in the local scene back home.
The nickname Lil Swim explains his endless sauce, drip, and even live performances. Back when tours were still a thing, Nyko would throw water on everybody in attendance, raging and embodying the definition of lit. Currently signed to YNS (Young N Successful), Nyko’s most recent visual for “Yessir” has been holding fans over until his next release.
_Flaunt_ caught up with Nykobandz via FaceTime, who was located in his new home in Houston. Read below as we discuss his upbringing in New Orleans, the turning point in his music career, his work ethic, shooting with NLE Choppa, love for fashion, best encounter with a fan, goals, and more!
**What was it like growing up in New Orleans, Louisiana?**
Growing up it was 5 of us, my mom had 5 children, I was the youngest, it was me and my little sister, it was cool. She had a husband at a time, they got divorced. It was like any other growing up in the hood type stuff.
**When did music come into play for you?**
It’s crazy, I wasn't even rapping. I knew how to rap but I was actually in fashion school, I was going to The Art Institution in Atlanta. The guy I was staying next door to me, he had a studio. At Art Institution, they did a bunch of things. I did fashion, other people did audio engineering. He did audio engineering and had a whole studio next door. He’s trying to get through because I’m from New Orleans, he thought I knew how to rap Lil Wayne.
One day I ended up going over there, wanting to try it out. I did a song, I did a little freestyle to a Future beat. Future’s playing right now on my TV. \[laughs\] I did the song, then I sent it back home. People said “yeah upload this to SoundCloud!” I uploaded it, it got 50K plays in a week. I'm not knowing. This is my first song, I didn't really know how things go. I'm looking like that’s a lot compared to other stuff.
**What was the inspiration behind your name?**
It’s really a nickname my grandma be calling me, then Bandz is the money part. My homie in Atlanta around the time when I started rapping, we’d hang together. It was Nykobandz and Pesobandz, so I ran with it. Now I'm Nykobandz, he switched his name too.
**Why are you the “Hottest Ina City”?**
They got other people going crazy, but I'm so different. That’s the city. I like the city like that, they got a lot of good artists in the city but I be working. I really outwork everyone, every day. That's why I'm the hottest in the universe that’s coming up for real. That's how I feel, the world gon’ see that through.
**You just released the “Yessir” visual, how are you feeling?**
“Yessir” is going crazy, everybody picked up on it. SayCheese, DJ Ghost, it's going crazy on my Apple Music too. I think it’s on 80K views on Youtube in two weeks, so that's doing good.
**What is it you want fans to get from your story?**
Not gonna lie, it can't happen overnight. A lot of things happen overnight, but it's a grind for real. They be seeing the good things but it’s a grind. I want to let them know ever since I got into this music, I been grinding. A lot of young artists be thinking “oh, you can do this and blow right up. Do that and blow right up.” It can happen, things go viral these days, but I want them to know it’s a long story. Rags to riches for real.
**Was “99” with NoCap done in-person?**
Yeah, we did that in a session. He had his people in too, now that's bros as I fuck with. After Cap did his verse, you know how he raps, they’re pointing out his punchlines. They sound so hard because the whole studio already caught on to the song. I’m like damn, this song about to go up. It was a hard moment.
**Best memory from the video shoot with NLE Choppa?**
It's in the video, we recorded it on the phone. Everybody’s in the studio like “oooooh!” to the music because it was people that he was with, they haven't heard my stuff before. As soon as they heard me on the track, they went crazy. The whole room went up. We put that in the video, off my phone.
**What's your favorite part about LA?**
Really the beaches, but I hate the traffic. I love the LA house parties, they bring the vibes all the time. Even with COVID, it’s people I know. Every time I go, there’s a lot of people from New Orleans, people I've been knowing for years or been around. I’m not really worried about COVID like that but I’m masked up still. Every day I'm masked up. \[laughs\]
**What would you be doing if you weren’t doing music?**
At first, I wanted to be a basketball agent like Rich Paul. I was always on some fashion shit. I’d have a retail store, creative directing. I'm still gon’ have a retail store that’s going to get big enough to be around the world.
**What’s your love for fashion?**
I love clothes. I got merch coming up. If I do open up the store, I’d have different brands in the store. One of them stores. You're in LA, they got all the stores out there.
**Best encounter you had with a fan?**
A dude recently got out after a year, he had pulled up to get a shirt from me. He drove a couple hours, I was in New Orleans, he drove from Nashville. He listened to me so much that he used to have his people play my music, listening on the phone. He’s telling me everything, I would’ve never known if he hadn't come and got a shirt. It was a real moment. Now I'm trying to tap in more with the fans.
**Goals yourself as an artist at this point of your career?**
I got a label called Swim Cozy Records I just LLC’ed. I want to get that established, I want my label to be the biggest one. I want a Grammy, there's a lot that I want. I have goals that I'm about to make happen for real, that I'ma accomplish. Really for my whole team to win too, I'm I'm tryna get my whole team to win fasho.
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