Standout Track: “Whole Time,” from the forthcoming Now or Never: The Diary of a Dollartician, is a rugged, drum-heavy party-starter produced by F Major of the Mizfitz, on which Nu’ primes folks for a night out by name-checking D.C. hot spots (“Ibiza every Friday!”) and dropping a little playful dirty talk. “We can mix my banana with her Apple Bottoms/Now that’s a fruit salad,” he rhymes.

Musical Motivation: Nu’ (aka Nile Nu’Man) says the track was inspired by the use of the term “whole time” around the DMV as shorthand for “I’ve been doing this forever.” “Where I work, a lot of young’uns say ‘whole time’ so much, I thought I should make a song called ‘Whole Time’—it’ll catch on fast as I don’t know what,” Nu says. The track also allowed Nu’ to remind up-and-comers of his veteran status in D.C. rap. “The chorus is, ‘I been getting money/Whole time/Fuckin’ bitches/Whole time/Reppin’ D.C./Whole time,’ because I ain’t no new dude,” Nu’ explains. “ I’m not a rookie or a Johnny-come-lately.”

Club Coda: Nu’ says that before “Whole Time,” his discography lacked a real club anthem. “When I was in the club, poppin’ bottles, and talking to the ladies, I was doing it to someone else’s theme music,” he says. One reason he decided to make a party track now is that his clubgoing experience has changed of late. “I’m older, I’m more successful now, I have more money,” he says. “It’s different when you wait in line, pay to get in, and pay $20 a drink. Now my man owns a club, now I live it up—it feels good to have a song that reflects that. I’m selling a lifestyle. I’m not just a rapper—I’m like a lifestyle coach.”