Nic The Graduate is truly a jack of all trades, making up one-half of reggae/hip hop duo Illuminati Congo, as well as being a professional photographer, a multi-instrumentalist, and one of Chicago’s best DJs and producers.
A serious collector of reggae records, the Graduate boasts one of the best collections in the city, and his love affair with reggae goes way back. “I laugh when people say they have been into something their whole life but I feel like I have been into reggae pretty much my whole life! My parents used to play Bob Marley around the house when I was in infant and they say the first song I ever requested when I was a kid was “Buffalo Soldier.” Over the years reggae has seemed to play a larger and larger role in my life. I have continued to collect and discover new (or new to me) reggae records and find every opportunity to play them out for the people. I have met so many great friends through collecting and djing reggae.”
As a DJ, The Graduate joined forces with Cosmos Ray, Akasha and Selector Aaron in 2012 as an original member of the crew running what was then known as Simmer Down Sundays at the Double Door. He is also currently has a residency at the Whistler on Second Fridays.
As a producer, The Graduate has put out three albums with Illuminati Congo and has participated in international collaborations with Lee “Scratch” Perry, Anthony B, Lutan Fyah, Midnite, Pressure, Big Youth, Burro Banton, King Kong, Pressure and JahDan Blakkamoore. We at Simmer Down are happily anticipating imminent vinyl and digital releases of The Graduate’s productions on the Happy as a Lark label.
The Graduate’s sensibilities with respect to reggae have definitely played a role in shaping Simmer Down Sound’s vision and mission with respect to embracing diversity and inclusivity. When we asked him about how he felt about the role of reggae with respect to raising social consciousness, Nic said, “Part of my interest in reggae and hip hop especially is the very broad range of messages that can be found in the songs. When I DJ I try to cover as much of this range as possible because it is all interesting to me – often the message is something I can relate to, but sometimes it is so foreign I can only try to imagine what life is like for this person. It is good to see a strong new roots movement currently happening in Jamaica and around the world. Making this positive message more and more acceptable in the mainstream can definitely inspire change for the better.” We at Simmer Down wholeheartedly concur with him, and are very happy to have The Graduate help us celebrate five years of building our movement this Saturday, May 13th at Subterranean!