Few go from recording songs on a friend’s equipment to a nationwide tour in one day, but Seanil “Nilly” Reed is one of them.
The mechanical engineering freshman won a spot on the URock Tour, which pairs unsigned artists with mainstream performers, after submitting an entry form with encouragement from his younger sister.
The URock Tour is a contest featuring selected musicians from all musical genres who will perform across the country from Los Angeles to New York. The tour will include shows by popular hip-hop artists like T.I., Wale, Big Sean and Soulja Boy.
Reed will compete to win $10,000 in cash, $30,000 in prizes from Def Jam Recordings, a record deal, a major tour contract and studio time for upcoming projects.
The tour partners with major record labels like Def Jam Recordings, Capital City Promotions and MTV.
“The fast acceptance was pretty over the top for me,” Reed said.
He submitted two songs, a photo and a biography and was told he would receive a response after three to five days. The URock Tour emailed him back the next day. Reed said he didn’t know how to process the news at first.
“People started telling me, ‘Do you know how big this is? You know that such-and-such is going to be there?'” he said.
But this isn’t the beginning of this rapper’s musical career. Reed released three mixtapes in the last year, as well as a song about LSU football. He hopes to continue to create, despite the inconvenience of using recording equipment of a friend who lives in Dallas.
“If I had my own recording space, I would put out more,” he explained. “I’m just using what I have right now.”
Reed said he also hopes to create music videos because he sees YouTube as a great promotional tool.
“My music can only go so far in the amount of people it reaches, and YouTube is the best outlet for that,” he said.
Some of Reed’s tracks on YouTube have reached thousands of hits, with his LSU football song boasting more than 50,000 views.
Reed’s music career began with basketball.
“My varsity basketball team needed a song to warm up to,” Reed said. “That was my first time actually writing my own lyrics. It went from there, to a mixtape, to two mixtapes, to three mixtapes, to all of this.”
Along the way, Reed developed a unique style. He seeks to drive home a message and wants to separate from distasteful mainstream rap.
“My rhymes are clean and respectable, but at the same time it gives that edge that explicit lyrics do,” he explained. “I want my lyrics to have substance. I don’t want it to be me just talking.”
Reed searches for substance every day, carrying a notebook to jot down anything he can transform into thoughtful lyricism.
“Any time I have a thought, I just pull it out and write it down,” Reed said.
He explained his style exhibits elements of fellow URock Tour performer Wale’s music.
“Some of his lyrics can be seen through some of my lyrics — like similar flow and similar ideas,” Reed said.
But Reed said he derives inspiration primarily from rapper-producer J. Cole.
“From metaphors, to lyrics, to style, to the substance in which he’s talking about something, he’s that guy,” Reed said.
URock allowed Reed to choose six dates of the 13 available shows. He selected Miami, Los Angeles, New York, Las Vegas, Dallas and New Orleans.
“I want to go back home because I’m originally from New Orleans,” he said. “That will be exciting because a lot of my family and friends are there.”
Reed can’t decide which city is most exciting.
“I’ve never been to Los Angeles, I’ve never been to New York City, so it has to be a tie between L.A. and New York,” he said.
Even before the tour begins, Reed has received support from a growing number of fans, he said.
“Ever since this has happened, all kind of people have been coming out of nowhere with all kinds of support,” he said. “I’ve been waiting on a break like this.”
Reed said he wants the University behind him. Specifically, his goal is to have a song played in Tiger Stadium. Reed has contacted multiple sources in an attempt to organize a song broadcast and is still working at it.
“If I get the school behind me, locally, I feel like I can do anything,” he said. “To hear my song in Tiger Stadium — other than me getting a record deal — that’s top notch.”
 
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Contact Austen Krantz at [email protected]