Paul Nice

Paul came up in the early 80's as a snot nose DJ, making a name for himself spinning at hard scrabble community centers and parties in his hometown of Poughkeepsie, NY. Toward the later half of the decade, he began dabbling in production; first with local crew Magnum Force, then with early Source magazine Unsigned Hype winner, J Rock. After relocating to Manhattan in the 90's, Paul embraced the role of producing wholeheartedly when he purchased an Akai MPC-60 II. In quick succession, he began releasing his own material on wax, including the now classic "Beats Anonymous" and the best selling DJ Break series, "5 Fingers of Death" and "Drum Library" (which Kanye West has often relied on for his own production). His infamous "Fist of the White Lotus" instrumental has been freestyle'd over by countless rap legends including Biggie Smalls & Jay-Z. Paul spent a few years in the Bay Area of Oakland/San Francisco where he established himself as one of the more sought after beatsmiths during the thriving indie hip hop scene of the late 90's. With "production credits to die for" (Spine Magazine), Paul has produced & remixed some of the best from east to west and beyond, including Biz Markie's infectious comeback singe, "Turn The Party Out"; an exclusive remix of the Beastie Boys' "Hey Ladies" for their Anthology DVD (Criterion); "Conflict"- the only collaboration between rap legends Guru (Gangstarr) and Masta Ace; his own single "Definition of Nice" featuring AG (DITC), Genessee & Babu (Dilated Peoples) to name but a few. Other credits have Paul working with such luminaries as Mark Ronson, Sharon Jones, Quantic, Ol' Dirty Bastard, Black Thought (The Roots), Talib Kweli, Tony Touch, Lord Finesse, Party Arty, Phil Most Chill, Foreign Legion, Prozack, Rasco, Planet Asia, El Gant, Swollen Members (including 3 songs used on EA Sports' NBA LIVE franchise), Abstract Rude, Jamal-Ski, Agallah, Nightmares On Wax, DJ Yoda and Lady Kier (DeeeLite). Paul is also responsible for such critically acclaimed mix tapes as "Breaks For Days" and "Soul On The Grill". His remix of Jay-Z's entire "Black Album" was hailed as "a masterpiece" by XLR8R magazine and lauded by The New York Times as well. As a DJ, Paul has played all over the world including NY, LA, Las Vegas, London, Paris, Tokyo, Sydney and back again. He recently linked up with Richard Smith & his indy label powerhouse, Slice-Of-Spice Records, for several limited 7" collaborations featuring never-before-released rarities, coupled with some amazing artwork courtesy of Joe Buck (De La Soul). This inspired Paul to launch his new label, SURE SHOT! - which he founded in 2011 with his partner (and high school sweetheart), Desarée Colón. 2012 and beyond sees Paul as prolific as ever with the formation of "The Fabreeze Brothers", the long-awaited pairing of Paul Nice & Phill Most Chill. Died April 8th (?) 2024.

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