ROY WOOD, JR. (VOICEOVER): You've probably
heard of major Atlanta artists like Young Jeezy,
2 Chainz, and Bobby Valentino.
But you probably wouldn't know any of them
if it weren't for this guy, Nick "The Hitmaker" Love.
Atlanta born and raised, he's the reason
Atlanta artists go from local legends
to international stars.
If we're going to be in the city,
I had to sit down with the man himself.
Nick Love, now you're a humble brother.
Uh, you know.
But this is your chance to brag.
Give me some of the songs and artists that you helped
to break in Atlanta that eventually
became global touring success.
Like, I've touched everything that has
come out of this city, period.
And that's not a brag.
It's just kind of what it is.
I established a pipeline through working
with these guys that was like-- it
was just a blueprint, right?
So everybody said, OK, cool.
The thing that you did with Jeezy, can you do that for me?
You are a hitmaker.
That's true.
OK, so Jeezy, Luda, whoever, they give you a song.
What's the next thing?
You take it to a DJ where?
Everywhere.
Like, I'm hitting the strip clubs.
I'm hitting the regular clubs.
I'm hitting the mixtape guys.
I'm trying to put it in front of everybody
who has an ear that I respect.
And I'm saying, what do you think?
What is this? Because I like it.
You start to visualize, like, I can
see the girls dancing to this.
I can see the dudes riding in they
car down Peachtree Street, playing it outside they cars.
I know it.
ROY WOOD, JR. (VOICEOVER): So Nick Love's secret sauce
is just taking a song he likes and getting
it into Atlanta hot spots?
Sounds easy, but it's actually a lot of hard work.
You got to form relationships, get people to trust
your taste, and, apparently, you have
to hit the strip clubs a lot.
Nobody want to see the Magic City every day.
But in my 20s, I was willing to do it.
You were willing to go to a strip club.
NICK LOVE: It was a hard job.
You know, I was willing to sacrifice,
take one for the team, and sit in Magic City every day.
What is it about being butt naked that people are like,
I'm naked, now I can feel the music?
Pretty girls and money.
If you stick pretty girls and money in the same room,
there's influence there, right?
We want to do what the girls like.
We want to impress them.
You can catch both of those crowds.
Because those are the people who are dictating what's
popping in the city.
I get what you're saying, bro.
All of these transients from all over the country
and all over the world are here.
Right.
ROY WOOD, JR.: And they're all going to the clubs.
They all going to the strip clubs.
They're all going to the lounges.
So if you can play a song that pleases this demographic,
chances are, this demographic--
Yeah, it's going to go.
So this city just one big-ass focus group.
That's exactly what it is.
It's a research facility at the end of the day.
That's what it is. - With strippers.
With strippers and wings.
If this is such an effective way
of getting things in front of people,
why is music the only thing?
Do the politicians come to the club?
I mean, at the end of the day,
politics hasn't historically been cool, right?
We know how important it is.
But it's rarely been cool.
We know that cool sells.
From the time that puffy did the Vote or Die campaign,
that was the switchover of hip hop culture
being involved in politics.
We do influence what happens.
If we're on board, we can affect change.
ROY WOOD, JR. (VOICEOVER): Wait.
Nick Love makes hits.
The midterms are coming, and Georgia is a swing state.
If Diddy can do it, so can I, right?
ROY WOOD, JR.: So you can take any song
and get it in front of the people
who decide if it's a hit.
Any song. Get it to me.
I got you.
And no matter what it's about.
Any song, I got you.
People respect what I-- - Remember you said that.
Remember you said that. I got a song.
I got to go holla at my man.
ROY WOOD, JR. (VOICEOVER): There has to be a way
to activate Georgia voters.
REPORTER: Georgia is one of the key races that could decide--
NICK LOVE: Georgia remains the premiere battleground
state in the nation.
REPORTER: Raphael Warnock going against Herschel Walker.
[interposing voices]
REPORTER:
REPORTER: I think this is really critical election.
NICK LOVE: So I borrowed some cash from my cousin's cousin's
mother's aunt.
And I linked up with Suede The Remix God-- you know,
this guy.
(SINGING) Beans, greens, potatoes, tomatoes,
lamb, rams.
NICK LOVE: To make a hit in the studio.
ROY WOOD, JR.: It's good.
It's good.
Airdrop that though.
NICK LOVE: Time to take this heat to the street.
Hey, what's up, everybody? My name Roy.
I'm a rapper out of Birmingham.
I'm 43 years old.
It's never too late to chase your dreams.
This Nick "The Hitmaker."
I got a track I want to play to y'all.
And, you know, y'all let me know if y'all are
feeling it or not.
All right?
All right, it's called-- it's called "Get Out and Vote
with Your Voting Ass."
[laughter]
[music playing]
Midterm election, even the campaign is heating up,
(ECHOING) campaign is heating up.
Geor-- Geo-- Geor-- Geor--
Georgia is one of the key races that could
determine who gets control.
Senator Raphael Warnock going up against Herschel Walker.
Snap.
Whatever you need is in the house.
I-- I-- I-- I--
I want to make sure my vote is--
So not a hit.
I've heard worse.
I mean, you know what?
If you play with it a little bit,
turn the music up a little louder--
It's-- stop, stop, stop.
Just stop.
All right, so what did y'all think about my track?
It was-- it was pretty--
OK.
Yeah, it was pretty good.
Why are you stuttering then? Why are you stuttering?
What do you do?
I'm in the entertainment business.
I'm a club promoter.
Bitch, perfect.
[laughs]
You want to hear-- you want to hear it one more time?
- No. - We're good.
- No. - We good.
Good or not?
Where the lyrics?
You heard the lyrics.
He said he had a truck.
[music playing]
(SINGING) Been in the booth, [bleep]
got to go vote, [bleep] been in the booth.
And you get up in the booth.
Yeah, that was the song. What you did rap?
That was the song?
I ain't got time for haters.
Go vote.
ROY WOOD, JR.: Be honest with me.
OK.
Do I have a hit on my hands, yes or no?
I think you can get there.
You could get there.
That's like the nicest you ain't shit I've ever heard.
Do you feel more motivated to vote having heard my song?
I will say 100% yes.
I think you have a new career coming your way.
Thank you.
How much rap do you listen to?
More country than rap.
[laughter]
"Get Low"?
That's the last song you listened to is Lil John
"Get Low"?
WOMAN: Yeah.
[laughter]
I thought it was good.
ROY WOOD, JR.: What does the song mean?
Why is it not a hit to you?
I don't really hear you in it though.
Well, that was because I was sampling some other stuff.
And my rapping part I hadn't finished yet.
So no verses, just features.
ROY WOOD, JR.: So you're saying it needs a verse from me.
Yeah, yeah, because then that would make it you rapping.
NICK LOVE: Man, these Atlanta folks tripping.
This shit fire.
I know I can still make a hit.
And I think I have just the thing.
[music playing]
(SINGING) Suede the Remix God!
I-- I-- I--
I-- I want to make sure my vote is counted--
make sure my vote is counted-- counted.
We voting.
In Georgia, we voting.
We voting.
Let's go.
Woman control, gun control, police control.
Black folks going to vote in the 404, in the Fulton Co,
in the Cobb Co.
Her-- Herschel Walker might be your daddy.
Your mom gave him some acid in back of a Caddy.
Warnock's jacket too tight.
War-- Warnock's jacket too tight (ECHOING) too tight.
How a voter gonna trust you when they see your muscles?
Yeah, take that jacket back and swap it out.
MAN 1: Yeah!
MAN 2: Yes, sir! ROY WOOD, JR.: Yeah.
- Yes. - What's up?
What's up?
Yeah, that's hard.
That's the one right up.
ROY WOOD, JR.: That was the one?
- That was one right up. - OK.
You got it then.
[cheering]