Emcee N.I.C.E.

Christian rapper, songwriter, and producer Aulsondro "Novelist" Hamilton has recorded as Emcee N.I.C.E. since 2012, though his music career dates back to the ’90s. Born in Los Angeles, California, he was raised in El Paso, Texas and Topeka, Kansas — hence the name of his label, Gypsy City. He was one-half of KansasCali, who released an album in 2002 and appeared on the soundtracks of Mr. and Mrs. Smith and Crash. The duo made a stylistic shift into the Rocturnals, who issued a 2010 album prior to recording a cover of Prince and the Revolution’s “Pop Life” with the Revolution’s Dr. Fink. Shortly thereafter, Hamilton began recording as a solo artist under the alias Emcee N.I.C.E. (Novelist Is Constantly Evolving). His successes have included the 2014 single “Tonight,” which reached number eight on Billboard’s Hot Singles Sales chart, and the 2017 album Praise, a number one hit on Top Gospel Albums. Hamilton’s extensive collaborative work can be heard on releases by the likes of A Lighter Shade of Brown, Aaron Hall, and K-Ci. Outside the music industry, he co-founded Toon Farm Animation and co-created the Netflix-licensed series Da Jammies. ~ Andy Kellman