It has to be surreal going from making beats in your grandma’s basement one year to working with hip-hop mainstay Nas the next. But C-Sick, the winner of the Red Bull Big Tune 2008 beat battle, doesn’t come off as nervous about being a part of this landmark collaboration. Instead, I see this 18-year-old newcomer as quietly confident and eager, not wanting to draw attention to his own anticipation.

Nas- Film

After C-Sick was taken on a sightseeing tour of L.A. by the Red Bull staff, he sits down to talk with me the day before his big studio session. On this cool evening poolside at the Sheraton Delfina in Santa Monica, he tells me, “Working with Nas is a good look for me so it’s going through the right path, the right direction for becoming who I want to be—my dream of being a music producer.”

Eight months following the first time I heard C-Sick’s beats at the Chicago stop of the Red Bull Big Tune battle, and it’s amazing how far this kid has come with his production. On the day of the studio session with Nas, he sits inside Red Bull’s spacious studios with his Toshiba laptop, running his beats off of FL Studios 7 onto the massive sound system. From harder hitting epic tracks, to a neo soul version of Nas’ “One Love,” C-Sick is proudly playing his best work for those in attendance, including Big Tune co-founders Jake One, Jonathan Moore, and Vitamin D.

Before Nas arrives I ask C-Sick if he cares which beat the MC will use and he tells me, “I’m satisfied with whatever beat he chooses.” And he says that not out of indifference, but because he’s so easygoing.

Following an extended delay in Nas’ arrival and the morale in the studio slows. But the moment we hear that the MC is in the building and the anticipation builds right back up. After getting a tour of the studio and doing a photo shoot, Nas speaks to me and proves to be surprisingly approachable. Kicking back in his chair with his fitted Mets cap on, he sounds impressed by C-Sick’s work and says in his raspy resonance, “everything he played was tight and I could tell he’s serious about what he does.”

Once Nas selected the beat with C-Sick, he enters his own world, only talking briefly to his manager and A&R who sit nearby. While C-Sick sits with the studio engineer at the control board blasting the crisp yet emotive beat, Nas scrolls through his Blackberry looking through lyrics, constructing the track in is mind.

There are a few points where most of us are asked to leave the studio so that Nas can concentrate on writing. But when he enters the vocal booth, I’m able to sit in the control room observing him spit his raps about loosing innocence, dining amongst made men, and other random thoughts over C-Sick’s track. And at this point, I again think of how surreal this situation must be for the rookie. Looking at the producer’s expression, he remains reserved yet he can’t completely hide his enthusiasm.

During a quick food break, I ask him how it’s going, he answers simply with a slight grin, “It’s amazing—exactly what I expected,” and we both agree how well his beat suits Nas’ delivery.

Considering that Nas expressed that he hopes to work with C-Sick again, this collaboration could be the catalyst for career-defining collaborations to come.

Words by: Max Herman, photos by Robert Downs / Red Bull Photofiles