When asked who Nihad is, he says, ‘Someone who wants everything at once, in as many ways as possible, but in the end, it all comes down to one way. Someone who finds everything very interesting and tries to extract as much as possible from everything to compose it into one personality called Nihad.’ I was interested in how the combination of IT and music looks in everyday life; what lessons can he apply from one world into the other and vice versa.
'Through IT, I've learned to be persistent and efficient, as well as to get used to deadlines, and one serves me to relax from the other.' Nihad says that IT has also taught him how much we can push our own boundaries. In line with this is his advice for the younger generation just entering the world of IT: 'When you think you're done, you're not; where you think your limit is, it isn't; as much as you think you can give - you're not right, you can give more.' Nihad also adds, that for him music is a form of therapy and that it has taught him to control his emotions because, as he says, 'sometimes in life, things happen that you can emotionally process more easily through music and thus store them more beautifully.'
As a developer who has turned one of his hobbies into a 'side-hustle', which is rap music, Nihad has little time left for other activities he loves such as hiking and swimming. 'Sometimes I find it difficult to organize my time; but usually during the day, I manage to combine business obligations with time in the studio and with family. It's usually chaotic, but it works for now.'
Nihad writes lyrics for his songs, performs them, and produces music. I asked him what his favorite part of this process is. 'I think each of these steps is equally frustrating but also rewarding. I enjoy producing songs the most because that's where everything starts, and then, as the icing on the cake, comes the lyrics.' He says that since he can remember, he has always been involved in something related to computers and IT. I asked him if he had to choose between music and IT in the future, what his choice would be. 'I've never been able to decide that. I try to balance IT and music as much as possible; if I had to choose one of the two, I probably wouldn't choose any because I wouldn't put myself in a position to choose.'
While talking to Nihad, I concluded that he is not afraid of the new and unknown, which requires a lot of courage and an open mind. I was interested in where he finds the strength for this attitude and openness towards life and whether it has always been like that. 'No. Character-wise, I used to be the complete opposite of what I am today. I believe everyone comes to a certain limit, and the only way to overcome it is to face it, whatever it may be.'
Nihad describes himself as an introverted extrovert, who enjoys company but with a dose of withdrawal and the fact that he usually recharges his batteries in solitude. 'There always has to be a balance of both, even though this introverted side prevails a little more. All my interests pull me towards having to be more extroverted, but naturally, I am not.' When asked how he copes in tershouse, whose community is quite large, as such, he says he feels incredible and enjoys the fact that everyone is different - "that combination is phenomenal.'
Nihad's experiments with music began when he was 13 years old. 'My cousin used to listen to Eminem when we were little, and after two years, I discovered instrumental performances, and that's when I started playing with making music.' Nihad chose the pseudonym Alpha as his artist pseudonim. He says he chose it as a kind of motivation to become such because then, as he says when he chose it, he was not like that at all, but rather the exact opposite character. 'I tried to present Nihad as Alpha. Let's say he was a fictional character who tried to become and eventually became one through music.'
Preparing for the interview, I listened to several of Nihad's songs and quickly concluded that they deal with similar themes, such as inner strength, motivation, overcoming obstacles... He confirmed that to me. 'Mostly those are the themes of my songs; I believe a lot of people live in their heads. What I would like is for my music to make people believe in themselves a little when they doubt themselves, to awaken a little spark in them, and to realize that everything is possible.' Nihad has produced music of various genres and collaborated with other artists. So far, he has had the most experience collaborating with pop artists, combining cinematic music and rap. 'In collaborations, my favorite are the ones where people come ready and open to experimentation, follow the bursts of inspiration and the urge to play - that's when great unexpected creations arise.'
If you want to meet our community, which includes many developers and artists, extroverts and introverts, stop by tershouse at Kolodvorska 12.
