WU grad gets props from NPR
By: Brittney French
Issue date: 1/29/09 Section: Lifestyle
About seven years ago, Nathan Womack decided he wanted to do more than just listen to music. He wanted to get involved.
Womack, who graduated from Webster University in Dec. 2008, began making music with vinyl records and a small electronic keyboard. He started producing instrumental hip-hop songs and experimenting with different types of music to fill his musical void.
"I loved music so much," Womack said. "I was so motivated to just do it."
After making music every day for seven years, Womack was recently featured on National Public Radio and released two full-length hip-hop albums in 2008, "Raydeeohh" and "The Face In A Crowd," under his stage name Splitface.
He went from making music exclusively for himself to performing for millions.
On Aug. 28, 2008, the song "Calm After the Storm," produced by Womack and local hip-hop artist Chris "June 16th" Krug, received NPR's acclaim as the Song of the Day. The track is off Womack and Krug's debut album "Raydeeohh."
Womack and Krug heard through other local musicians that they were the first underground hip-hop artists from the St. Louis area to be featured on the program.
"We get thousands of songs a day," said an NPR representative. "It's really hard to even be considered for the program because of the amount of songs and suggestions we receive daily."
NPR is a privately funded, nonprofit organization that produces and distributes news, talk and entertainment programming to 860 independent radio stations throughout the U.S. Each week, NPR is heard by about 26 million Americans.
"NPR is an important media outlet," Womack said. "I've been listening to all of their programs for years. It was important to get on there. I never thought I'd be on there, but I was honored to do it."
This past summer while interning at Caroline Distribution in New York City, Womack hoped to expand his fan base and spread the word about "Raydeeohh," which was released on April 22, 2008. He gave a copy of the album to a freelance musician who submitted the CD to NPR a week after Womack returned to St. Louis.
Womack, who graduated from Webster University in Dec. 2008, began making music with vinyl records and a small electronic keyboard. He started producing instrumental hip-hop songs and experimenting with different types of music to fill his musical void.
"I loved music so much," Womack said. "I was so motivated to just do it."
After making music every day for seven years, Womack was recently featured on National Public Radio and released two full-length hip-hop albums in 2008, "Raydeeohh" and "The Face In A Crowd," under his stage name Splitface.
He went from making music exclusively for himself to performing for millions.
On Aug. 28, 2008, the song "Calm After the Storm," produced by Womack and local hip-hop artist Chris "June 16th" Krug, received NPR's acclaim as the Song of the Day. The track is off Womack and Krug's debut album "Raydeeohh."
Womack and Krug heard through other local musicians that they were the first underground hip-hop artists from the St. Louis area to be featured on the program.
"We get thousands of songs a day," said an NPR representative. "It's really hard to even be considered for the program because of the amount of songs and suggestions we receive daily."
NPR is a privately funded, nonprofit organization that produces and distributes news, talk and entertainment programming to 860 independent radio stations throughout the U.S. Each week, NPR is heard by about 26 million Americans.
"NPR is an important media outlet," Womack said. "I've been listening to all of their programs for years. It was important to get on there. I never thought I'd be on there, but I was honored to do it."
This past summer while interning at Caroline Distribution in New York City, Womack hoped to expand his fan base and spread the word about "Raydeeohh," which was released on April 22, 2008. He gave a copy of the album to a freelance musician who submitted the CD to NPR a week after Womack returned to St. Louis.
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