SHINING STARS AT MIDNIGHT: NATE NICE

Nathanial Allen a.k.a. Nate Nice grew up in Washington D.C. in the neighborhood of Georgia-Petworth. His Hip Hop focus in being a Master of Ceremony or M.C. As part of The Midnight Forum DC Metro Youth Development Program, he has written five songs and performed at several public events.

Nate says the The Midnight Forum trainings have helped him enhance his control of breath, rhythm, and voice—skills that are critical when performing or recording a song. As a result, Nate’s self-confidence has increased, both in how he sees himself and in music and performing arts.

In addition to these critical musical skills, Nate says he has gained invaluable knowledge he will use to start his own business, including basic entrepreneur skills and awareness of how a recording studio works. He especially credits Midnight Forum’s Tru, Volunteer Music Producer, DJ, and Asset-Based Mapping Trainer.

Nate Nice can tell you exactly how far he has come: in 1996, he heard the KRS-One song Sound of the Police and tried to write like that but could not. In 1999 he wrote a song about what he wanted to do in life which was to be an MC. Steve Jones, his guidance counselor at high school recognized Nate’s talents but let him know he had several areas he needed to work on. Steve suggested Nate use a dictionary to improve his vocabulary and that he practices over instrumentals with his experienced high school classmate, ET to improve on his freestyle.

Nate can look back now and laugh at how his first performance at an open mike freestyle performance at school led to his being booed off the stage by fellow school classmates. A year in later, May of 2001, he tried again: this time he was cheered and supported by his fellow school classmates. That second attempt also led to his being recruited by The Midnight Forum.

Nate Nice is rolling up a nice public performance record. He has been noticed by the general public in his outings with The Midnight Forum at Latin American Youth Center in August and September 2002, Arts-On-Foot in September 2002, Eastern Market Day in May of 2003, and Mount Pleasant Day in June 2003.

Ask Nate and he will tell you how The Midnight Forum Youth Program made him a better person and added both skills and depth to the songs he wrote.

"It keeps me out of the streets and helps me get better at what I like doing which is writing, recording, and performing hip-hop songs. The three songs I wrote during the youth program. One, Puffin Poison was written by me and another youth in the program about an anti-smoking education song which had energy and was done for W.A.Y Too Cool To Smoke! Two, Corrupted World is about all of the drama in the world and how things happen that don’t need to; Massive Mission also has a political side—it’s about the Iraq war and the unfinished historical business in Iraq."

You can hear most of Nate Nice’s songs on The Midnight Forum Freestyle Compilation Album in fall of 2003 — or checkout the Midnight Forum web site.