Nick Barat, the Brooklyn DJ and producer widely recognized by his stage name Nick Catchdubs, first drew attention in the mid-2000s through an eclectic mixing approach and by crafting cover art for genre-spanning compilations from Diplo and Low Budget. His sets likewise spotlighted localized hip-hop and dance variants such as hyphy and Baltimore club, extending their reach across the United States and internationally. Catchdubs held the position of associate editor at The FADER Magazine and curated the publication’s “The Let Out” broadcast on East Village Radio. In 2007 he joined Canadian turntablist A-Trak to launch Fool’s Gold Records, an outlet devoted to high-energy hip-hop and electronic releases from rising acts. The label soon scored major successes with Kid Sister’s “Pro Nails,” Kid Cudi’s “Day ’N’ Nite,” and Duck Sauce’s “Barbra Streisand.” Catchdubs also assembled mixtapes for MCs including Izza Kizza, 9th Wonder, and Wale, among them the latter’s acclaimed 2008 Mixtape About Nothing. Fool’s Gold issued Detroit MC Danny Brown’s breakthrough album XXX in 2011, and Catchdubs supplied production to its 2013 follow-up Old. He issued his first original recordings in 2013 with the single “Bizness,” featuring Iamsu and Jay Ant. “Wuts That” arrived the next year, followed by the 2015 debut album Smoke Machine, which included guest spots from Troy Ave, Heems, Roach Gigz, and MNDR. After the brief remix project More Smoke, he dropped further singles such as 2017’s “Dip Dip” and 2018’s “’94 Olympics.” Also in 2018 Catchdubs inaugurated the Unidentified Flying Object single series, featuring “UFO Style,” “All Night,” “Pick Up Yaself,” “ATM” with Mr. Muthafuckin’ eXquire, and additional tracks.
