Up next in 10
Experience a gripping journey with Neek Bucks on "Sway In The Morning," as he opens up about surviving a bullet and how it transformed his life. In this exclusive interview on Sway’s Universe, Neek reflects on his decade-long evolution from a budding MC to a devoted father and resilient artist. Dive deep into how pivotal moments, like fatherhood and a near-death experience, reshaped his perspective and music. Gain insight into his newest project "Unique," and discover how focus, faith, and determination drive his artistry. Don't miss out on his thoughts about the music industry's evolution and personal growth. Subscribe now to join a community of hip-hop enthusiasts and stay updated with more powerful narratives. Uncover the stories that shape music and culture today, only on Sway's Universe!
#CreativeProcess #LifeChanges #HarlemRapper #HipHopJourney #EmotionalExpressionInMusic
CHAPTERS:
00:00 - Neek Bucks Journey New Project
01:18 - Advice to Younger Self
03:51 - Manifesting Your Reality
06:18 - Financial Literacy Importance
07:21 - Finding Nick Buxx Online
09:08 - Changes in Music Industry
10:04 - Lessons from the Music Industry
11:09 - Trust Issues in Life
14:38 - Purpose and Reason
15:39 - Freestyle Performance Round 1
17:53 - Freestyle Performance Round 2
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Show More Show Less View Video Transcript
0:00
10 years ago this man was spitting bars
0:02
I remember he came up here when he
0:03
walked away we thought he was something
0:05
special that was before neighborhood ho
0:07
come on that was 10 years ago when they
0:10
say what are it 10,000 hours yep exactly
0:13
in order for you to master your
0:15
craft that was 10 years ago that was
0:18
before bless to the max that was 10
0:20
years ago that was before thankful that
0:21
was 10 years ago that was before unique
0:25
and look what he's done with it citizens
0:27
we want to welcome him back to the show
0:29
a true him
0:31
a real MC he's beyond the hyena I
0:35
watched him over the last 10 years with
0:37
pride watched him face adversities he's
0:40
not the same person he was 10 years ago
0:42
he wasn't a father 10 years ago were you
0:45
no
0:46
no look at him now right come on I want
0:51
to welcome him back to the show and say
0:53
I'm very proud of you I love the new
0:56
project your heart is all over give it
0:57
up for the one and only Nick bucks true
1:00
MC nck bucks come on man welcome back 10
1:05
Years bro yeah that's crazy I ain't
1:07
going to lie I just me hearing that
1:09
voice it just made me think about that
1:12
person you know what I'm saying so yeah
1:14
man I came a long way you came a long
1:16
way I love this question Tracy usually
1:18
ask it I'mma take it from her um let me
1:21
see what what would he say to that
1:24
version of you 10 years ago um I
1:27
probably say you going to be all right
1:29
just keep going just keep doing what you
1:30
doing you know at that time um even even
1:33
now my you know sometimes your vision
1:35
get blurry you don't really know what's
1:36
next for you mhm but I would just say yo
1:39
just keep doing what you doing just stay
1:41
true to yourself keep doing what you
1:43
doing did it turn out better than what
1:45
you initially expected N I definitely
1:47
did because I just stayed focused you
1:49
know that's right it's a lot of focus
1:51
bro like listening to your music even
1:53
the projects um the past projects as
1:55
well you you you really uh developed a a
1:59
skill to express your emotions um in
2:02
your music and when I look at this title
2:04
unique of this project um I want to ask
2:08
you what do you feel like is one of the
2:09
most unique qualities you possess right
2:12
now as a human being who you are as a
2:14
man um I I just think staying focused
2:18
you know and just not worrying about
2:20
everything else that's going around me
2:21
you know it's easy to get distracted now
2:24
well um with everything that's just
2:25
going on period you know social media
2:27
every time you scroll it's just
2:29
something new going on a new trend it's
2:31
just everything changed and I just feel
2:33
like what's unique about myself is I
2:35
just always stay focused on what I'm
2:37
doing you know just locked in on what
2:39
I'm doing my path my journey and it's
2:42
hard to do you know that's hard to do
2:44
and that's that it's hard to come to
2:45
that that real that Crossroad where you
2:48
make that decision man I got to focus on
2:50
me I'm in traffic too much it's too much
2:52
chaos what was that moment like what
2:54
what was that definitive moment that
2:56
changed your trajectory to who you are
2:58
now would you say I think ever since I
3:01
had my kid you know when I got my
3:02
daughter um say her name man Harmony
3:05
Harmony man come on right that'll do it
3:08
many how old is she now she five now
3:11
okay five so I think you know from when
3:12
she was born I kind of I kind of manned
3:14
up from right there and say man I just
3:16
got to focus on what I'm doing I got it
3:18
like you know what I'm saying what are
3:20
some examples of your routines your
3:23
habits before Harmony existed versus who
3:27
you are now and how you move I mean I
3:30
think I didn't take my time as serious
3:31
you know like before her it was like I
3:33
was kind of like freestyling life just
3:35
trying to you know wake up you know Thug
3:37
it out figure out that day get to the
3:39
next one you know it wasn't really no
3:41
path I ain't really have no Direction
3:43
but you know when she came I had to you
3:45
know figure out what was my purpose what
3:47
direction I'm going in and how I'm going
3:49
to make sure she's straight neck bucks
3:51
is here 888 742 3345 lot of lot of
3:56
bangers on this project unique um when
3:59
you walk then I was talking about the
4:00
song Dreams and prayers that we we just
4:03
played and you know music art is
4:07
interpreted differently by different
4:09
people but listening to this music I
4:11
feel like you tapped into prayer um and
4:16
determination uh creating your reality
4:19
right you bring up prayer a lot yeah and
4:21
throughout this whole Project true uh
4:23
can you speak to that uh when did you
4:25
really
4:27
start understanding that you're
4:28
manifesting your own reality M I think
4:32
like a year ago um I got I had got shot
4:35
in the chest you know what I'm saying so
4:37
me me like a lot of people don't got hit
4:40
the same place as I got hit and wasn't
4:42
able to survive you know what I'm saying
4:43
and when that happened I'm like nah you
4:45
know like like God is really on my side
4:47
so I really just surrendered myself to
4:50
the most high you know what I'm saying
4:51
like yeah this this my like this what
4:53
I'm on you heard and it it been working
4:56
for me I've been happy ever since I'm
4:57
like the happiest I ever been in my life
5:00
so so a bullet in the chest improved
5:02
your life yeah no for sure for sure yo
5:06
that [ __ ] that just the thought of that
5:08
what could take your life yeah gave you
5:10
new life now I just looked at it like yo
5:12
I ain't before that happened I ain't
5:13
never even I ain't even stamped my
5:15
passport I never been out the country
5:17
you know what I'm saying it was mad
5:18
stuff that I ain't even do so it made me
5:20
look at it like damn if I would have
5:22
checked out I ain't even do nothing you
5:24
get what I'm saying the only thing I did
5:26
was been here so you know after that I
5:28
traveled went to Jamaica you know what
5:29
I'm saying just doing more stuff cuz I I
5:32
just I just noticed that time is limited
5:34
you heard you don't got that much time
5:35
so you got to you got to do everything
5:38
you got to do out here man you better go
5:40
get it um and and then also man I know
5:44
when my daughter was born my daughter's
5:46
26 now you know doing really well for
5:49
herself I'm extremely proud for proud of
5:51
her I was a wildly dude when she was
5:53
born that I was like you I was Sway With
5:55
the lock you know locks life is
5:57
different y'all
5:59
that L man and when she was born it it
6:03
just I didn't argue with dudes in public
6:05
no more like all this stuff that used to
6:07
make me want to right you know I realize
6:09
I have to stop because if I get hurt
6:12
right you know what I mean who's going
6:13
to take care of her so salute to your
6:15
daughter Harmony you also talk about um
6:19
I want to say in and having a bz in 2019
6:22
you had a bz in 2019 2019 y mhm I was a
6:26
kid I was young M and you know that's
6:28
that's that's what you want you know I
6:30
always wanted a Mercedes Benz so you
6:32
know soon as I got a few dollars I
6:33
wouldn't got that you you wouldn't have
6:35
got that um but you also talked about
6:38
man maybe I I feel like you said maybe I
6:40
shouldn't have got it right so you start
6:42
why why is that what have you learned
6:43
about finances you know as an artist and
6:46
just even outside the art why why did
6:48
you realize not having the bins might
6:50
not uh having the bins might not have
6:52
been the best choice because I feel like
6:54
you know when you you got to save your
6:56
money cuz it's going to save you you
6:57
know what I'm saying so like um back
6:59
then I was a little more Reckless with
7:01
my purchases now I understand that you
7:03
know what I mean that that whatever
7:05
payment I'mma put on that could go to
7:07
something that's way more important you
7:08
know what I'm saying like like like my
7:10
kid yeah you know what I mean so it's
7:12
it's good to enjoy you know yourself and
7:14
and treat yourself to things but I mean
7:16
you just got to make sure you could buy
7:17
it twice or three times you know what
7:19
I'm saying before you just go jump out
7:20
the window Nick bucks you still in
7:22
Harlem yeah still in Harlem he's still
7:24
in Harlem Tor I don't I don't see y'all
7:26
in Harlem no more I'm I'm I walk in the
7:28
streets I don't see n Tor I don't see y
7:30
be out like that no more you don't be
7:31
out like that no more still around you
7:33
still around still around I'll be on the
7:35
east side though you know I'm you got
7:37
come to the east side sway you on the
7:38
east side though right I used to be you
7:40
used to be on the east side yeah but I'm
7:41
on another side
7:45
now my make me
7:48
an I was on you remember I was on 112 on
7:51
11th and I was on Fifth for a while I
7:53
used to bump into y'all used to bump
7:55
into V all the time Davies right now
7:58
that's dope though CUA you know people
7:59
could get a chance to see you and and
8:01
when people bump into you for for those
8:03
who haven't messed with you know he he
8:05
he just leave you with that positive
8:07
energy give you some game real quick and
8:08
you know like it's just always love
8:10
always like you I feel like you just
8:12
watched us grow up you know what I'm
8:13
saying yo thank you for saying that bro
8:15
n that's what this energy from man I
8:17
don't see y'all I see y'all as artists
8:20
but I see you as people like y'all like
8:22
my little Bros BR I remember when you
8:25
first came up here and everybody's
8:27
excited and their eyes open it's like
8:29
you living out your [ __ ] dream right
8:31
and then we're like The Whiz you know so
8:35
for we ain't fake right part and so for
8:38
us it's you know what a what a and this
8:40
is my own personal story what a joy it
8:42
is that I gu I've seen so many people's
8:45
beginnings of their careers and then
8:47
watch them do like you and grow and
8:49
evolve and now this conversation 10
8:51
years later is way different than n th%
8:54
10 years ago right all right um man we
8:57
got Nick bucks in here what we want to
8:59
play next
9:00
torch H let's do that blessings o Joey
9:05
Badass Nick bucks ni we often speak
9:09
about the whole timeline of the music
9:12
industry um in terms of how things have
9:15
changed like for instance Now personal
9:17
branding social media as you know very
9:20
well can help shape your audience can
9:23
help you almost use that platform as
9:25
like a focus group to see okay what are
9:27
my fans feeling what should I change etc
9:30
etc and that's something that's new that
9:32
hasn't always been present but when you
9:35
were talking about getting these pport
9:37
stamps right seeing what life is outside
9:40
of Harlem it brought to mind something
9:42
that will never change in the music
9:44
industry which is how going on tour
9:47
doing these shows will give you a whole
9:49
different perspective approach to your
9:51
music and you've had the blessing of
9:54
being on tour of a bunch of people
9:56
whether it's yfn whether it's dipet
9:59
whether it's our homie Benny The Butcher
10:02
what have these shows taught you about
10:04
the music industry that you did not know
10:06
prior how have they shaped your approach
10:09
to music and what's the feedback that
10:11
you receive when you're out there on
10:13
stage um so it it showed me that it's
10:16
like bigger than your area you know what
10:18
I'm saying sometimes when you coming up
10:19
you get caught up in you know like being
10:21
popular where you from and you know that
10:23
hood Fame and just the love you get
10:25
there but when you go other places you
10:27
see that you look in the crowd they know
10:29
your your song's word for word like your
10:31
music touched somebody in Portland
10:33
Oregon um and and and and Albuquerque
10:36
you know what I'm saying like it's just
10:38
it's just amazing it's a great feeling
10:40
like for real for real and it's
10:41
something I would want to do for the
10:42
rest of my life no matter you know I I
10:45
always hear people say yo um they want
10:47
to get to where they don't got to work
10:48
no more they want to be so successful to
10:50
where you ain't got to go on shows you
10:51
don't got to do tours but that's
10:53
something I would want to do for the
10:54
rest of my life because the energy is
10:55
just amazing anything crazy happened on
10:57
tour once that just kind of nah I ain't
10:59
I ain't get my crazy to moment yet you
11:02
get first one not yet okay not yet you
11:05
want to snitch on yourself n n not yet I
11:07
would I would have told this story okay
11:09
you would have told the story all right
11:10
well let me ask you about uh trust issue
11:13
yeah that's on the project right M and
11:15
you you talk about having a lack of U
11:18
confidence in in female in women's
11:20
sincerity yeah what happened man tell us
11:25
yo what happened n n it's not just
11:27
something it's it's you know it happens
11:29
it happens you know it's kind of hard oh
11:32
man I can't
11:33
really can't n it's experiences though
11:36
it's real experience is what is is is
11:38
just you know being hard to trust man
11:42
real hard to trust you got cheated on N
11:44
N I don't know
11:46
probably you caught somebody in
11:48
lie yeah I caught plenty of people in
11:51
lies yeah but it's hard to trust cuz you
11:53
really really never know though at the
11:55
end of the day is it is it about cuz you
11:58
know yourself yeah that's yeah that's a
12:00
major part the way you move let going to
12:02
walk it around right here so because a
12:04
lot of times when you have those type of
12:06
per that kind of um paranoia is because
12:09
you know what you're capable of mhm oh
12:12
oh I see how you spun it no no I'm just
12:14
was crazy that was crazy you okay with
12:17
that yeah I'm going let him go with that
12:19
one it's a little truth to it truth in
12:21
it right yeah yeah I'm just saying man
12:24
um how do you how do you get past that
12:27
you got to trust somebody something I
12:28
know I know I mean I'm still growing I'm
12:30
still growing I'm still learning that's
12:32
a real that's a real easy answer right
12:34
you can say that to anything like ask me
12:36
anything toward watch something even
12:38
anything like if I you know
12:41
anything anything when I'm going change
12:43
my ways my behavior go ahead when you
12:45
going to change your ways right man I'm
12:47
still growing you see how that works
12:49
ain't no real answer you just put it
12:54
anywhere when I'm going stop Robbin
12:56
Banks ask me that question when you
12:57
going to stop robing Banks I'm still
12:58
growing you know what I mean I feel you
13:02
but you know what to your point though
13:03
sway I think the way that I'm seeing it
13:06
nck is you can grow there life is going
13:09
to happen where you're going to have no
13:11
choice but to grow true but then there's
13:13
the other way of growing where you're
13:15
intentional about it you're practicing
13:18
new ways you know what I'm saying like
13:20
you're reflecting maybe you're seeing a
13:22
therapist right you're treating this
13:24
person as a their own individual and not
13:26
as a copy and paste version of folks
13:29
from the past mhm do you have examples
13:32
of new methods new ways of doing new
13:36
language that's helping your growth
13:38
currently um yeah I just my my thing is
13:42
the gym I just go work out all day
13:44
that's that's really My Vibe you heard I
13:46
just like to go work out every morning
13:48
that's your gu and yeah that just ease
13:49
my mind for real that it it changed my
13:51
life for real facts yo it's crazy when I
13:54
ain't seen you in a while we just did
13:55
the pound and a half hug I want to make
13:58
sure I specify only a half H not the
14:00
pound is a half h i he's Harlem man he
14:04
got paws on his brain I already know I
14:06
noce that like you in great shape right
14:09
and that helps that helps the physical
14:10
to help the mental right absolutely I
14:13
love that man working out and reading
14:16
working out in Reading what you reading
14:17
anything you can share um right now I
14:20
know I'm late to it but I'm reading 50
14:22
Cent book oh yeah super dope that one
14:25
that one is super dope that's a dope B
14:26
that one is super dope so I'm watching
14:28
I'm I'm reading that right now but I I
14:31
stole all like nipy hustle reads you
14:33
know I went to go look at all his reads
14:35
and I'm trying to you know catch up on
14:36
all those as well you got it man Nick
14:39
bucks let me tell you something anytime
14:40
you could survive in this game for 10
14:43
years bro you know how many people we I
14:46
I don't see 10 years later yeah right
14:48
that means you're here for a purpose
14:50
you're here on purpose there an intent
14:52
behind it right so I want to say
14:54
congratulations to you on that because
14:57
you never gotten the super duper
15:00
acknowledgement props you know you never
15:03
got the super duper big marketing plan
15:05
and the promotional thing but you've
15:08
always maintained super uh credibility
15:11
right and so you could sustain and have
15:13
a career and not be the number one on
15:15
the charts right is that is that is that
15:18
the status you're in right now yeah that
15:20
that's that's really my vbe I mean if it
15:21
come if that come and come but that's
15:23
not what I'm focused on I'm just focused
15:25
on moving forward and just growing as an
15:26
artist as far as I can you know
15:29
expanding my fan base you know just
15:30
putting more people on to myself you
15:32
know and I I just feel like when when
15:34
when people catch on is they going to be
15:36
here you know for for the longo oh they
15:38
already catching it hit maker man what's
15:40
the relationship with hitmaker that's my
15:42
guy you know um hit came in we did a
15:44
project together you know you know it
15:46
started off as just music but now that's
15:47
just a that's a friend you know somebody
15:49
I could call somebody that could call me
15:51
so yeah that's bro we like them y y
15:54
business partners as well just n no no
15:56
we he everything he did for me was was
15:58
cuz wanted to do it you know what I'm
16:00
saying it wasn't no I ain't signed to
16:02
him none of that it was just a real you
16:04
know respect and a relationship and yeah
16:07
we that's my friend that's my you sign
16:08
to yourself right you're lab here for a
16:09
Reason Record here for a reason yeah oh
16:11
[ __ ] I was just saying you here for a
16:13
reason that was oh I that wasn't even a
16:14
pun I was just n
16:17
words Nick bucks man hey brother this is
16:20
what I love to do man since we got you
16:22
here um this is easy work for him
16:24
citizens he's one of the people that
16:26
helped build this show mhm facts because
16:29
of him we got a lot of rappers who be
16:30
scared to come up here come on people
16:33
like Nick bucks people like Nino man
16:35
people like torch Harlem spitters that
16:37
got nothing but burners in their verses
16:40
I know you know where you are Nick bucks
16:42
right yeah you know some man s 1221 is
16:46
the address SiriusXM is the company but
16:48
the destination is the Valley of the
16:52
hyena
16:55
Dr 11 we got to bounce with this one too
16:59
let's go look you going to talk that
17:01
[ __ ] make sure you come correct when to
17:03
shout out my connect I made a killing In
17:04
My Jacks they know I did them numbers
17:06
cuz themselves ain't come direct when
17:08
the [ __ ] was looking slow I put the
17:09
trenches on my back facts pop out and
17:11
sway I'm in this [ __ ] comfy that [ __ ]
17:13
he don't like my but I bet this [ __ ]
17:15
love me I'm about to change my name I'm
17:17
thinking Bucky blue Huns stacking all
17:19
this paper I've been balling like I'm
17:20
Steph Curry 12 know how I operate we do
17:23
not cooperate I just bought a Glock
17:25
today I hope I see a op today rest in
17:27
peace to nip I feel like he should get a
17:29
holiday we stay away from sucker [ __ ] we
17:31
see that from a block away and money
17:32
make your closest friends change even
17:34
your family is switch on you you got to
17:36
watch these [ __ ] to don't let that
17:37
[ __ ] get to you should all a niggaer
17:39
know is be a solid individual but
17:41
throughout all the eyes and oo still
17:42
moving like a general sh I ain't get a
17:44
break since I've been running around
17:45
with mace just trying to check and I
17:47
don't need you bro I'm good I got some
17:48
cake I'm down at Mia with pretty [ __ ]
17:51
in my face game you know yeah okay Nick
17:55
give up for Nick when I say keep going
17:58
you call a bro
18:01
man wow what was you going to say y'all
18:03
down in Miami yeah I was I don't know
18:06
man I yeah I had to catch it you heard
18:08
sway this all up this all up the top I
18:09
had to come you know what I'm saying
18:11
could have take the cliff man I wanted
18:13
to know what happened in Miami you damn
18:15
I was the Beat It With You the
18:18
visualization me and sway in Miami and
18:20
we you could have threw me in there
18:22
stupid I love it you should have kep you
18:24
should have went S I should have almost
18:26
did I would have hit you with some ADL
18:28
you Pi the back up man give it up for ni
18:30
bucks man I love you brother
18:32
congratulations man I want to tell you
18:34
that live on there all right love you
18:36
family keep going unique is the project
18:39
sir you will always have support from us
18:41
thank you as long as I got a platform
18:43
you have a platform right I told grandm
18:46
D the same thing so his word this is
18:49
yeah this is yours man congratulations
18:51
give it up fori bucks man
#Arts & Entertainment