So, I decided to embarrass myself by reenacting the Dave Season 1 finale—one of my favorite Lil Dicky freestyles ever. Even if it aired on TV, that verse? Iconic.
Living in Utica, NY, there aren’t exactly a ton of studios to pull something like this off. But I knew a guy. A local artist and producer who just so happened to own a studio.
He also happened to be the brother of my friend Dan Deloach, a talented photographer at the Utica Observer-Dispatch. Funny thing is—for years, I thought they were cousins. Mainly because they don’t really look alike. It’s the eyes for me—Naz’s are borderline angelic. Dan’s? Brown and boring like mine.
To be fair, thinking they were cousins isn’t that much of a stretch. But I’m sticking to that excuse because I refuse to accept the blame for being a bad friend who didn’t know they were siblings.
But it did get me thinking: it’s wild how two brothers from the same house ended up as such different—but equally talented—artists.
Dan discovered photography in college at MVCC. Once he got his hands on a camera, he never looked back. The dude has worked his ass off to become one of the best photographers around—period. He’s got a unique style, a cinematic eye, and the kind of vision that makes ordinary moments look epic. I’ve tried to steal a little of that magic for my own content.
Then there’s Naz. Like most of us, he fell in love with music at 16. But unlike most of us, he wanted to make it—like actually make it. Not freestyles in a car with your friends. Real tracks. Professional sound. Big-time ambition.
He’s produced some incredible songs and music videos over the years, but one track that sticks with me—every time—is Fine By Me.
That song is a vibe. I’ve probably listened to it a thousand times. (No exaggeration.) So when I asked Naz to play the role of Charlamagne from The Breakfast Club and help me reenact the finale of Dave, I made a promise: I’d do my best to promote him and his studio.
But I also knew… I was using Fine By Me as my track.
I learned a lot from this silly little skit with Naz. Here are my top 3 takeaways:
Because when a stranger comes up to you and says, “Hey, you’re Nazzy, right?”—and you still get butterflies?
Yeah. That’s what it’s all about.
Before I laid down my verse in the booth, Naz was nice enough to share his Take ’N Plate.
Naz is a show-over-movie guy. Films feel too quick for him — he likes the longer ride, the slow build, the time a series gives you to really sit with the story. The idea of watching something in one sitting and moving on doesn’t hit the same.
His favorite show? The Madness, starring Colman Domingo on Netflix. I’ll be honest… I haven’t seen it yet.
As for movies, Finding Nemo will always have a special place in his heart. Outside the childhood classics, he’s big on war films — Saving Private Ryan being another top pick.
When it comes to food, Naz is a true foodie, so picking one favorite is impossible. But he’s got a soft spot for Indian and Jamaican dishes — oxtails, rice and beans, cabbage… all the good stuff.
