Nate Walka
Encyclopedia
Nathan L. Walker better known by his stage name, Nate Walka is an American recording artist, Grammy Award
winning songwriter, music producer and vocal producer based in Atlanta, Georgia.
As a child, Walker grew up in an artistic and musical household and sang gospel songs in choir, his uncle a baritone and his sister an alto. At an early age, Walker began developing a passion for writing. His mother mistook his songs for poetry and entered him in to literary competitions, winning several international poetry competitions. From very early on, Walker was showing signs of becoming a talented and multi-faceted artist.
Walker attended Whitehaven High School. He later transferred to Overton High in the middle of 10th grade before moving to Warren Township High in Illinois to complete his studies, receive his high school diploma and finish out the school year. During this time, Walker worked on his music and sold CDs in high school and other local high schools, he accumulated around $6,000 in a single semester.
In college Walker’s reputation grew in battle rapping. He won the Xbox 360 battling competition in 2006 and won the Boost Mobile battle rap competition in the same year. Walker also took part in several talent shows at school and the local surrounding areas to gain experience on stage and to increase his profile.
In 2007 in his junior year, Walker dropped out of college and moved to Carmel Indiana to live with his sister. His intention was to clear his head, map out his plan for his music career and to act on it. While figuring this out, Nate got a job in clothing retail and worked for almost a year, he soon realized that he was falling into the 9-5 trap and was getting off course, so made a conscious decision to move once again, but this time to Atlanta.
and DJ Knuckles. The electro hip-hop sound showcased Walker’s lyricism and sense of humor.
’s Buzzin’ reality TV star, Shwayze
on tour. He was initially signed up to open for Shwayze for just one performance, however his response from the crowd was so well received, that Shwayze and his team asked him to continue on as the opener for an additional 30 cities. During this time, Walker secured his first placement with “Blame It
” on Jamie Foxx
’s Intuition
LP.
winning song “Blame It”. The idea for the song came about when Walker was on the phone to his grandmother who was complaining about his uncle. “That’s when the idea of the song came to me,” said Walker, “it was so obvious, it was a cool concept. I started Googling to see if anyone had come up with a song about this, and didn’t find anything, so came up with the hook and the rest just unfolded.” For fourteen weeks, “Blame It” performed by Jamie Fox featuring T-Pain
held the #1 position, and broke national records, replacing Beyonce's “Single Ladies
”. It was also awarded ASCAP's Rhythm & Soul Music Award for Best Song.
’s “Make Her Say
”, garnered Walker 4 Grammy nominations including: Best Contemporary R&B Album (Intuition, Jamie Foxx), Best R&B Song ("Blame It", Jamie Foxx), Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals ("Blame It", Jamie Foxx featuring T-Pain) and Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group ("Make Her Say", Kid Cudi featuring Kanye West & Common).
Walker continued to chart singles landing another placement, penning, “Say Aah” for R&B artist, Trey Songz
’s Ready LP. “Say Aah” peaked at #3 on the Billboard Charts
and reached Gold Status, becoming Songz’s first ever single to do so. He also received his fifth Grammy Nomination for Best Contemporary R&B Album ("Ready", Trey Songz
).
, Clinton Sparks
, Kendrick Dean, 3GP Music, David Ballard to name a few, and his ever growing demand as a writer has garnered the attention of international superstars Rihanna
, Travis Barker
(Blink 182), Bizarre
(D12) & Tech n9ne, Jesse McCartney
, Flo Rida
and Lupe Fiasco
.
Grammy Award
A Grammy Award — or Grammy — is an accolade by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences of the United States to recognize outstanding achievement in the music industry...
winning songwriter, music producer and vocal producer based in Atlanta, Georgia.
Early life
Nathan L. Walker was born on June 25, 1986, in the community of Whitehaven in Memphis TN, with his older sister Shimura. His mother Cheri Denise Akins worked in real estate and was a professional artist specifically working in abstract portraits and photography. His father, Larry Walker worked as visual artists and drew landscape portraits. His parents divorced when he was three years old.As a child, Walker grew up in an artistic and musical household and sang gospel songs in choir, his uncle a baritone and his sister an alto. At an early age, Walker began developing a passion for writing. His mother mistook his songs for poetry and entered him in to literary competitions, winning several international poetry competitions. From very early on, Walker was showing signs of becoming a talented and multi-faceted artist.
Walker attended Whitehaven High School. He later transferred to Overton High in the middle of 10th grade before moving to Warren Township High in Illinois to complete his studies, receive his high school diploma and finish out the school year. During this time, Walker worked on his music and sold CDs in high school and other local high schools, he accumulated around $6,000 in a single semester.
College and battle rapping
In 2004 Walker found himself in Alabama. He enrolled in Alabama AM, to study business marketing with the intention of pursuing a career in marketing, however he soon realized, after his junior year at around 20 years old, that this was not for him.In college Walker’s reputation grew in battle rapping. He won the Xbox 360 battling competition in 2006 and won the Boost Mobile battle rap competition in the same year. Walker also took part in several talent shows at school and the local surrounding areas to gain experience on stage and to increase his profile.
In 2007 in his junior year, Walker dropped out of college and moved to Carmel Indiana to live with his sister. His intention was to clear his head, map out his plan for his music career and to act on it. While figuring this out, Nate got a job in clothing retail and worked for almost a year, he soon realized that he was falling into the 9-5 trap and was getting off course, so made a conscious decision to move once again, but this time to Atlanta.
Move to Atlanta
Walker slept on the living room floor of his high school friend and current production partner David Ballard’s apartment. He spent most of his time writing to the songs Ballard produced and started selling CDs again to make a living. It was during this time where he met his current manager Askia Fountain (Timeless Entertainment). Fountain was immediately impressed with Walker’s sound and became his manager on the spot.Mixtapes
While in Atlanta, Walker immediately began working on tracks for his first mixtape NateObama, presented by DJ Shakim (Superfriends) with production by David Ballard. NateObama showcased Walker’s free styling abilities. In Spring 2009 Walker released his follow up mixtape The Inauguration hosted by Don CannonDon Cannon
Donald Cannon is an American record producer and DJ. At the age of five, Donald Cannon began his musical career with his first a set of turntables, a mixer and a karaoke machine...
and DJ Knuckles. The electro hip-hop sound showcased Walker’s lyricism and sense of humor.
Touring
From the success of his two mixtapes, Walker joined MTVMTV
MTV, formerly an initialism of Music Television, is an American network based in New York City that launched on August 1, 1981. The original purpose of the channel was to play music videos guided by on-air hosts known as VJs....
’s Buzzin’ reality TV star, Shwayze
Shwayze
Aaron Smith , better known by his stage name Shwayze, is an American rapper.Born and raised in Malibu, California, Shwayze worked at a local Starbucks coffee shop until he met Whitestarr frontman Cisco Adler at a nightclub. One night Shwayze jumped on stage during Whitestarr's performance and...
on tour. He was initially signed up to open for Shwayze for just one performance, however his response from the crowd was so well received, that Shwayze and his team asked him to continue on as the opener for an additional 30 cities. During this time, Walker secured his first placement with “Blame It
Blame It
"Blame It" is a song by American singer Jamie Foxx, released as the second official single from his third studio album, Intuition. It features singer T-Pain and was written by Christopher "Deep" Henderson, Nate Walker, James T. Brown, John Conte Jr., and Brandon Melanchon and produced by...
” on Jamie Foxx
Jamie Foxx
Eric Marlon Bishop , professionally known as Jamie Foxx, is an American actor, singer-songwriter, stand-up comedian, and talk radio host. As an actor, his work in the film Ray earned him the Academy Award and BAFTA Award for Best Actor as well as the Golden Globe Award for Best Actor in a...
’s Intuition
Intuition (Jamie Foxx album)
Intuition is the third studio album by R&B singer Jamie Foxx. It was released on December 16, 2008 in the United States under J Records....
LP.
"Blame It"
In the midst of working on his mixtapes, Walker began working on the Grammy AwardGrammy Award
A Grammy Award — or Grammy — is an accolade by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences of the United States to recognize outstanding achievement in the music industry...
winning song “Blame It”. The idea for the song came about when Walker was on the phone to his grandmother who was complaining about his uncle. “That’s when the idea of the song came to me,” said Walker, “it was so obvious, it was a cool concept. I started Googling to see if anyone had come up with a song about this, and didn’t find anything, so came up with the hook and the rest just unfolded.” For fourteen weeks, “Blame It” performed by Jamie Fox featuring T-Pain
T-Pain
Faheem Rasheed Najm , better known by his stage name T-Pain, is an American singer-songwriter, rapper, record producer, and actor, currently signed to Young Money Entertainment. His debut album, Rappa Ternt Sanga, was released in 2005. In 2007, T-Pain released his second studio album Epiphany,...
held the #1 position, and broke national records, replacing Beyonce's “Single Ladies
Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)
"Single Ladies " is a song by American recording artist Beyoncé Knowles from her third studio album, I Am... Sasha Fierce. It was released by Columbia Records on October 12, 2008 as the album's lead single, and appeared with "If I Were a Boy" as a double A-side single, demonstrating the...
”. It was also awarded ASCAP's Rhythm & Soul Music Award for Best Song.
Grammy win
The success of “Blame It”, and the “Blame It” sample on Kid CudiKid Cudi
Scott Ramon Seguro Mescudi , better known by his stage name Kid Cudi , sometimes stylized KiD CuDi, is an American rapper, singer and actor. He first gained major attention after the release of his debut mixtape A Kid Named Cudi. In 2009, his single "Day 'n' Nite" reached the top five of the...
’s “Make Her Say
Make Her Say
"Make Her Say" is a song by American hip hop artist Kid Cudi, released as a the second single from his album Man on the Moon: The End of Day. The single was digitally released to iTunes on June 9, 2009. The song was originally entitled "I Poke Her Face" but was changed to make it more acceptable...
”, garnered Walker 4 Grammy nominations including: Best Contemporary R&B Album (Intuition, Jamie Foxx), Best R&B Song ("Blame It", Jamie Foxx), Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals ("Blame It", Jamie Foxx featuring T-Pain) and Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group ("Make Her Say", Kid Cudi featuring Kanye West & Common).
Walker continued to chart singles landing another placement, penning, “Say Aah” for R&B artist, Trey Songz
Trey Songz
Tremaine "Trey" Aldon Neverson , better known by his stage name Trey Songz, is an American singer-songwriter, rapper, record producer and actor. His debut album, I Gotta Make It, was released in 2005, while his second album, Trey Day, was released in 2007...
’s Ready LP. “Say Aah” peaked at #3 on the Billboard Charts
Billboard charts
The Billboard charts tabulate the relative weekly popularity of songs or albums in the United States. The results are published in Billboard magazine...
and reached Gold Status, becoming Songz’s first ever single to do so. He also received his fifth Grammy Nomination for Best Contemporary R&B Album ("Ready", Trey Songz
Trey Songz
Tremaine "Trey" Aldon Neverson , better known by his stage name Trey Songz, is an American singer-songwriter, rapper, record producer and actor. His debut album, I Gotta Make It, was released in 2005, while his second album, Trey Day, was released in 2007...
).
Present
Walker's musical journey has led him to collaborate with some of the most talented and diverse producers in the business; Chuck Harmony, Stargate, C-Note, Young Yonny, Bei Major, Chris HendersonChris Henderson
Christopher "Chris" Henderson is a former American soccer midfielder who earned 79 caps with the U.S. national team. He was part of the U.S...
, Clinton Sparks
Clinton Sparks
Clinton Sparks is a Boston-based radio, mixtape & Club DJ as well as a recording artist, writer, producer and TV personality.-Biography:...
, Kendrick Dean, 3GP Music, David Ballard to name a few, and his ever growing demand as a writer has garnered the attention of international superstars Rihanna
Rihanna
Robyn Rihanna Fenty , better known as simply Rihanna, is a Barbadian recording artist. Born in Saint Michael, Barbados, Rihanna moved to the United States at the age of 16 to pursue a recording career under the guidance of record producer Evan Rogers...
, Travis Barker
Travis Barker
Travis Landon Barker is an American musician, producer and entrepreneur, most noted as the drummer for the American pop punk band Blink-182, as well as the alternative rock band +44, the rap rock band The Transplants, and the alternative rock band Box Car Racer. He was a frequent collaborator with...
(Blink 182), Bizarre
Bizarre (rapper)
Rufus Arthur Johnson , better known as Bizarre is an American recording artist best known for his work with Detroit hip-hop group D12. His songs are often about subjects which create shock value such as rape and drugs.-Early life:Bizarre was born as Rufus Arthur Johnson on July 5, 1976 in Detroit,...
(D12) & Tech n9ne, Jesse McCartney
Jesse McCartney
Jesse McCartney is an American singer-songwriter, actor and voice actor. McCartney achieved fame in the late 1990s on the daytime drama All My Children as JR Chandler. He later joined boy band Dream Street, and eventually branched out into a solo musical career...
, Flo Rida
Flo Rida
Tramar Dillard , better known by his stage name Flo Rida , is an American rapper and singer-songwriter. He released his debut album, Mail on Sunday, in March 2008. His debut single "Low", featuring T-Pain, was a #1 hit for ten weeks in United States in early 2008. Two other singles resulted from...
and Lupe Fiasco
Lupe Fiasco
Wasalu Muhammad Jaco , better known by his stage name Lupe Fiasco , is an American rapper, record producer, and entrepreneur. As an entrepreneur, Lupe is the CEO of 1st and 15th Entertainment. He rose to fame in 2006 following the success of his critically acclaimed debut album, Lupe Fiasco's Food...
.
Discography
- “Blame It” – Jamie Foxx featuring T-Pain
- “Make Her Say” – Kid Cudi featuring Kanye West & Common
- “Say Aah” – Trey Songz
- “Rep My City” - DJ Khaled ft, Pitbull & Jarvis
- “Believer” - Bizarre (D12) featuring Tech N9ne
- “Have It All” – Jesse McCartney
- "Over Being Sober" - Nate Walka, Machine Gun Kelly, Mat Musto, Kyle Lucas
Awards and nominations
| Year | Award | Result |
|---|---|---|
| 2010 | Best Collaboration with T-Pain: BET Awards BET Awards The BET Awards were established in 2001 by the Black Entertainment Television network to celebrate African Americans and other minorities in music, acting, sports, and other fields of entertainment over the past year. The awards are presented annually and broadcast live on BET... . “Blame It” |
Won |
| 2010 | 2010 Best R&B Performance by Duo/Group: Grammy Awards. “Blame It” | Won |
| 2009 | Record of the Year: Soul Train Music Awards. “Blame It” | Won |
| 2010 | Best R&B Song: Grammy Awards “Blame It” | Nominated |
| 2010 | Best Contemporary R&B Album (Intuition) | Nominated |
| 2009 | Video of the Year: BET Awards. “Blame It” | Nominated |
| 2009 | Album of the Year: Soul Train Music Awards (Intuition) | Nominated |