If this is someone’s FIRST introduction to you as an artist, how would you describe your music?
I Make Hip-Hop and Eat People.
What year did you start your music journey? Who or what inspired you?
I’ve been writing music since 2004 and started recording with my friends in high school around 2009. I dropped my first mixtape, “Stepping Stone to Greatness,” in 2013 and have been putting out projects ever since. My newest EP, “Fear Food,” will be my 5th project and will be dropping this year. I’ve played a ton of shows in Madison over the last couple of years post-covid, and the momentum has been great. I’m hoping this year brings me more opportunities and successes as I continue to evolve. Pro-tip: If you don’t sound better than you did in high school, then quit clogging the airwaves with your bs.
Some artists put a lot of thought into their artist name; some go with the first one that comes to mind. Can you tell the reader how you landed on yours?
NGS comes from the initials in my name, which is Natawhis Gauge Schuldt. I used to have add-ons like “NGS The Kryptkeeper” or “NGS The Witch,” but I’ve carved it down to just NGS these days. It can stand for whatever it needs to, but typically, I say it stands for Mr. Never Gonna Stop, Next Gen Sickness, No Good Sinner etc. People have asked me if there is a distinction between me and my “NGS Rap Persona,” but I don’t think there is. I’m not the monster I play in my songs, but there’s clearly some truth woven into certain tracks. The Cannibalism might be real, tho. Just kidding. Maybe. Who knows?
Thinking back to your youth, what kind of music did you hear playing around you? And how do you think these artists impacted the music you create?
I heard a lot of different music from my Mom, which gave me a broad interest in many genres. She used to play a lot of Rolling Stones, Beatles, Johnny Cash & Pixies, but also played P!nk, Cake, Amy Winehouse, and Sublime. I love the Beastie Boys and Bloodhound Gang to this day. My late uncle introduced me to Insane Clown Posse and Twiztid when I was 11, and from there, I dove deep into the Juggalo world and the horrorcore genre beyond. My best friends in high school showed me Wu-Tang, and from there, I grew a love for East Coast Hip-Hop. All this gave me a profound love of music.
Can you describe your creative process of creating music? Do you write the hook first? Where do you find inspiration for your lyrics?
Finding a good beat is a crucial first step to me. Sometimes, I will have ideas for songs I want to write, like if there’s some topic or theme I want to explore or maybe a story I want to tell, but the ideas don’t start to really take hold until I hear the music. The beat tells me the atmosphere I should be going for, and often, I follow its lead. There is a lot of horror in my music, and it comes to me naturally. I choose horror as a subject to write about because that’s what interests me. It’s not soley to be shocking, I’d rather be considered clever than offensive. Call me a smart-ass, I guess.
Lately, what has been your motivation to keep making music?
You ever listen to a song 50 times in a row? Like it just hits you the right way sonically or emotionally, and you have to play it over and over again? I want to write a song like that. Something really moving or groovy or captivating that makes people hit that replay button. I haven’t done that yet, and I need to. I aim to take everything I’ve learned while making music and use it to evolve my sound. I’ll never stop making Hip-Hop, but I also want to branch out to other genres so I can try to make tunes that are reminiscent of what I listen to. Maybe do some synth-pop industrial or folk music.
Do you have any passions or hobbies outside of music?
Movies, I fuckin love em. Especially Horror. I love going to the theater. I was cracking up watching Terrifier 3, and it was great just laughing in my seat at the gore when nobody else was. I also love reading books (Stephen King is the GOAT) and gaming. I would love to make a movie someday, even though it looks like an immense undertaking. Music truly is my greatest passion, though. I couldn’t get thru life without singing and dancing. Get some good music in your life and have fun dammit! Take it from this lunatic, we could all use some more peace and love. Ya heard it from me, the cannibal MC NGS.
Find more NGS here. Follow him on Instagram.
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