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Nicholas Matthew Balding (born July 5, 1989), known professionally as Nic Nac, is an American record producer and songwriter from El Cerrito, California. He is best known for producing a string of successful hip hop singles during the mid-2010s, including "Loyal" for Chris Brown, "Do It Again" for Pia Mia, and DJ Khaled's "I'm the One" and "No Brainer".[1] He began his career as part of the regional hip hop production group Go Dav[2] in the early 2000s, and has since formed the similar musical group, Starting Six.
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Nic Nac | |
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 Nic Nac in 2014 | |
| Background information | |
| Birth name | Nicholas Matthew Balding |
| Also known as | LetMeSeeYou |
| Born | July 5, 1989 El Monte, California, U.S. |
| Origin | El Cerrito, California, U.S. |
| Genres | |
| Occupations |
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| Instruments |
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| Years active | 2003–present |
His productions can be identified by the producer tag "Let Me See You!", a voice clip sampled from Wallpaper.'s 2013 song "Hesher". His musical style has been described as similar to fellow California-based producer Mustard, with whom he often collaborates.[3]
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Nicholas Balding was born on July 5, 1989, in El Cerrito. He started to DJ when he was in fifth grade. His parents got him something called a "DJ In A Box" that came with two turn tables, a mixer, and two speakers. He just used basic drum beats and didn't know how to play piano yet at the time, as he does now. He started to DJ because he lived up the street from a Guitar Center and went there everyday to hang around the people who worked there. They showed him how to DJ, so by the time he got to high school, he met a kid in his class who made beats and he gave him a program. In 2003, when he was in the eighth grade, Balding and his cousin started a DJing group; they were DJing for their friends parties, for school dances, and so on. He was playing songs by different rappers such as the Ying Yang Twins, E-40, Lil Jon, and Too $hort.[4]
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He got into production when he was fourteen years old in high school and was using Fruity Loops (now FL Studio). Later in high school, Nicholas formed a group with four rappers and one singer called, Go Dav. Nick was the only member that wasn't from Oakland, California. They got famous for their song "Ride or Die Chick" and were known mainly in the East Bay area. Being in the group, made him more interested in furthering his career in music. In his first year he got together with some of his best friends at St Mary's High School in Berkeley, and started a group, going by the name Starting Six.[6]
His first major success as a producer was the song, "143" by Bobby Brackins and Ray J. He made enough money from that song and was able to move out of his mother's house and relocated to Los Angeles. He got a manager after moving to L.A. but things didn't work out between them later on.[5]
After "143", the next big hit he produced was "Beat It" by Sean Kingston, Chris Brown, and Wiz Khalifa. After making "Beat It", Balding was trying to get a manager and was trying to get better at producing. Nicholas's and Chris Brown's managers were close friends.[5] Later in 2013, he produced the single by Chris Brown titled "Loyal". During the making of "Loyal", rappers Ty Dolla Sign and B.o.B wrote the chorus and first verse. Balding's manager played the beat for Chris Brown's manager and Chris took the beat for his own the same day.[4] He cut the track that night and got Lil Wayne, French Montana, and Too Short on it all within a week. Balding currently lives with six of his high school friends, one of them being his cousin that he grew up with. They have a front and back house, (three live in the front, three in the back). They formed the group called Starting Six and have released several videos online.[5]
In 2015, he then produced Chris Brown and Tyga's single "Ayo". Balding delivered, his production replete with an echoing "I neeeed you" helium vocal sample.[6]
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Nic Nac describes his melodies as "video gamey", with heavy R&B chords underneath.[4] He frequently uses a voice loop in his productions: "Let me see you!", which is heard prominently in perhaps his most famous production, Chris Brown's 2013 single "Loyal".
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![[icon]](#/media/File:Wiki_letter_w_cropped.svg){kind=small} | This section needs expansion. You can help by adding to it. (September 2018) |
| Year | Song | Artist(s) | Album |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2007 | "Demo On Wax" | Team Knoc | The Makeover |
| 2010 | "Rocket" | Yuna | Decorate |
| "Random Awesome" | |||
| "I'm Ready" | Bobby Brackins, Marc E. Bassy | Live Good 0.5 | |
| "143" | Bobby Brackins, Ray J | ||
| "Nighttime" | Young Murph | Nighttime Sunshine | |
| "Nighttime 2.0" | |||
| "Little Devil" | Campa | — | |
| 2011 | "180" | Bobby Brackins, Jeremih | |
| "Bout That Life" | Mann | ||
| 2012 | "Chainless" | Tinashe | In Case We Die |
| "Young Booty" | Bobby Brackins | Stay On It | |
| "B.Y.O.B." | Bobby Brackins, Wallpaper | ||
| "Yanking" | Bobby Brackins | ||
| "Breeder" | Bobby Brackins, Starting Six | ||
| "Like Me Revemped" | Bobby Brackins, Nic Nac | ||
| "S.O.D" | Starting Six, Aliky | On Yo Beach | |
| 2013 | "I Hit It First" | Ray J, Bobby Brackins | — |
| "Open Yo Legs" | Bobby Brackins | Maxwell Park | |
| "Big Body" | Bobby Brackins, Clyde Carson, Ty Dolla $ign | ||
| "Jungle Fever" | Bobby Brackins | ||
| "Kindergarten" | |||
| "Rari" | Bobby Brackins, Ray J | ||
| "Westside" | Bobby Brackins, Marc E. Bassy | ||
| "Beat It" | Sean Kingston, Chris Brown, Wiz Khalifa | Back 2 Life | |
| "Hold That" | Sean Kingston, Yo Gotti | ||
| "Seasonal Love" | Sean Kingston, Wale | ||
| "Shotta Luv" | Sean Kingston, 2 Chainz | ||
| "Ayo (16th Floor)" | Sean Kingston | ||
| "Save One For Me" | |||
| "My Baby" | Zendaya | Zendaya | |
| "Wake Up In It" | Mally Mall, Sean Kingston, Tyga, French Montana, Pusha T | Well Done IV | |
| "GLOBE" | YMTK, Bread | MPL 2: Murphy Pan's Labyrinth | |
| "Hotel Party" | YMTK, The Six | ||
| 2014 | "Dolo" | Kid Ink, R. Kelly | Full Speed |
| "Fucking Around" | 100s | Ivry | |
| "Nothing" | Ma$e, Eric Bellinger | Now We Even | |
| "2 Blessed" | Roach Gigz | Roachy Balboa Round 4 | |
| "Loyal" | Chris Brown, Lil Wayne, Tyga | X | |
| "Came To Do" | Chris Brown, Akon | ||
| "Fill Me In" | Pia Mia, Austin Mahone | TBA | |
| "Fuck With You" | Pia Mia | ||
| "Watch Me Work" | Tinashe | Aquarius | |
| "I Don't Get Tired" | Kevin Gates, August Alsina | Luca Brasi 2 | |
| "Say What" | Ernest Rush | STRT TRBL | |
| 2015 | "Dolo" | Kid Ink, R. Kelly | Full Speed |
| "Ayo" | Chris Brown, Tyga | Fan of a Fan: The Album | |
| "Bitches N Marijuana" | Chris Brown, Tyga, Schoolboy Q | ||
| "I'm Up" | Omarion, French Montana, Kid Ink | I'm Up – Single | |
| "Do It Again" | Pia Mia featuring Chris Brown and Tyga | Do It Again – Single | |
| 2016 | "Faithful" | Bobby Brackins, Ty Dolla Sign | To Live For |
| "Back to the Crib" | Bobby Brackins, Wash | ||
| "Joy Ride" | Bobby Brackins, Austin Mahone | ||
| 2017 | "I'm the One" | DJ Khaled featuring Justin Bieber, Quavo, Chance the Rapper and Lil Wayne | Grateful |
| 2018 | "No Brainer" | DJ Khaled featuring Justin Bieber, Quavo, and Chance the Rapper | Father of Asahd |
| 2019 | "All I Do Is Cry" | Kim Petras | Clarity |
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