Episode #5
S4:E5 | Country Fried Vision: Fish Scales on Nappy Roots, Southern Hip-Hop, and Craft Beer Culture
Connect with Fish Scales Fish Scales is a member of the Grammy-nominated group Nappy Roots , an artist, entrepreneur, brewer, and co-owner of Atlantucky Brewing in Atlanta. Ways to support and connect: Fish Scales Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nappyscales/ Nappy Roots Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nappyroots/ Atlantucky Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/atlantucky/ Nappy Roots Website: https://nappyroots.com Atlantucky Website: https://atlantucky.com Apple Music: https://music.apple.com/us/artist/nappy-roots/885525 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/3tCxM1rTj2qUXsiQZxvt2I YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCBPQKfPHf6F7K6wmmkpj7BA Episode Summary In this episode of Behind the Beat , Jeremy sits down with Fish Scales of the world-famous, Grammy-nominated group Nappy Roots for a conversation about music, brotherhood, perseverance, entrepreneurship, and the long road of building something that lasts. Fish Scales takes us back to Milledgeville, Georgia, where he started writing rhymes around age nine and became known early as "the kid who raps." From there, he shares how basketball took him to Western Kentucky University, where he eventually connected with the members who would become Nappy Roots. What started as college parties, cyphers, and a shared love for hip-hop became one of the most recognizable Southern rap groups of their era. The conversation explores how Nappy Roots landed a major label deal, what changed after leaving Atlantic Records, and how the group found its footing as an independent act. Fish Scales opens up about the hard years, including long gaps between albums, family sacrifices, financial strain, and the moments when quitting felt like a real option. But through brotherhood, faith, and a belief that "it gets hardest right before it gets good," the group kept moving. Jeremy and Fish Scales also discuss The Stix Mixtape , Nappy.org with Organized Noize, the evolution of the group's sound with 808 Blake, and how songs like "Good Day" helped extend the life of Nappy Roots in powerful ways. The episode then moves into the group's unlikely and brilliant second lane: craft beer. Fish Scales shares how beer became part of the Nappy Roots identity, how brewery culture connected naturally with their audience, and how that path eventually led to Atlantucky Brewing. This episode is about staying the course, trusting the brand you have built, and finding new ways to create long after the first dream comes true. Fish Scales' episode traces the arc from childhood rhymes and WKU cyphers to Nappy Roots' independent run and Atlantucky Brewing, with key moments around "Country Fried Sess," "Good Day," Organized Noize, 808 Blake, and the group's craft beer lane. What You'll Learn How basketball and music both shaped his early identity How Nappy Roots formed at Western Kentucky University How Nappy Roots got discovered from their underground CD Country Fried Sess What it was like transitioning from Atlantic Records to independence How brotherhood helped Nappy Roots survive hard seasons Why Da Stix Mixtape helped bridge a gap when the group had no album out Why the group evolved its sound with 808 Blake How craft beer became part of the Nappy Roots brand Memorable Quotes "We always had that mindset that it gets hardest right before it gets good." "We created a brand and we created our space, and nobody can take that from us." "You can't fight it. You just gotta learn how to ride it and do your version of it." "Nappy Roots and craft beer became a thing." "The process of making beer can be compared to music." Finding Your EDGE (book) + Clarity Cards Fish Scales' story is a reminder that purpose does not always stay in one lane. Sometimes it starts with a notebook and a rhyme, grows into a group, survives hard seasons, and eventually becomes a brewery, a community space, and a brand with roots deep enough to keep expanding. That is the heart of Jeremy Haselwood's book, Finding Your EDGE: How to Unlock Your Talent & Purpose . The book helps readers explore their experiences, gifts, direction, and energy so they can better understand what they are called to build and how to move with more clarity. Available on Amazon, Audible, Kindle, and Apple Books. Order here: https://www.amazon.com/Finding-Your-EDGE-Unlock-Purpose/dp/B0BW32LXTP/ For anyone navigating a creative pivot, business idea, or next chapter, Jeremy's Clarity Cards are a powerful reflection tool. Each card offers a question designed to help you pause, think, and reconnect with purpose so you can make clearer decisions about what comes next. Get your deck of Clarity Cards here: www.clarity-cards.com
