From vinyl manipulation on the turntables, to current production of jazz infused hiphop tracks, Crowd Control Records CEO, NickNack is a true soundcraftsman. His musical journey began in the late 80's after making the transition from hiphop spectator to participant. Cutting his teeth from the very beginning as a young appreciative turntablist knocking off rivals at Dallas' Sound Wars battles in the mid-nineties, Nick has worked hard to encompass a broad vision of ability, and a verbose sense of instrumentality, to match his already fruitful passion for music. More than just matching beats, hiphop, offered a sense of belonging, a foundation of culture that went far beyond the battles in his hometown of Dallas, TX. So when Nick packed up his tables for college life, he strove to unite the Austin hiphop community through 5 years of tireless effort at KVRX's "Bside Mixshow." He also co-founded HipHop Mecca in a very successful attempt to put Austin on the map by hosting and deejaying shows with the likes of Hieroglyphics, Organized Konfusion and icons Gangstarr, but more importantly set up a solid media network that extended far beyond university press into the realm of community activism. Nick found his niche within the music industry via radio and live shows by 1997. He had solidified his name and reputation as a pillar of the burgeoning Austin hiphop scene. It was time for this young man to begin to grow beyond his current boundaries. Reaching the peak of his career as a battle deejay, Nick placed fourth at the DMC Southwest Regionals in 1998. That same year Nick teamed up with Prince Poetry of Organized Konfusion and released the classic underground 12inch "Long Distance", which features native Texan emcee QB. The success of "Long Distance" inspired Nick to focus attention on his own productions and in the summer of 1998, he released "In the Nick of Time". This release introduced the world to Nick's unique mixture of turntablism and cinematic melodies. It also signified the first major release on Crowd Control Records. In 2000 Nick added to the Crowd Control Records catalog with the Soundscape "Listeners" 12-inch, which sold more than 1,000 copies and had more than 10 million copies distributed in mp3 format. It marked the beginning of his journey as an artist and record label owner. He went on to reinvent people's perception of the southern sound with the collaborative 26 self-produced all-Texas album, entitled simply "RE:Construction." With his newfound success as an artist, Nick was poised for his next musical expansion. In the summer of 2002 Nick linked up with drummer Brannen Temple and was instantly inducted into the jazz band BLAZE as the 5th member. Nick's chops as a turntablist drastically increased in his new musical surroundings. "Playing with a jazz band isn't exactly a cakewalk" Nick explains, "you have to know music...when to play and when not to." His ability to perform live improved as BLAZE toured US/Canada in the summer of 2003 and in the winter of 2004 the band hit Europe. These days you can find Nick performing/touring with the jazz band BLAZE, or hear him rocking dance floors at various downtown clubs. Most recently, Nick has been enjoying the success of his latest full length release, "Improving Silence". The record has garnered him international attention and sales have been phenomenal. His progression as an artist and deejay is quite obvious, but his job is never done. Always in exploration of advancing his full turntablist potentials, and with countless projects on the horizon, Nick has grown into a unique artist, in a constant search of endeavors new and improved. Stay tuned, because this is only the beginning.