Ahmad Nichols

Operations & Development Assistant (he/him)

With roots from Alaska to Maryland, Ahmad Nichols has crafted his voice in many artistic ways. While serving 22 years in prison, Ahmad invested his time in honing his creative and communication skills.

While incarcerated, Ahmad co-founded Advanced Artists, where he helped teach his peers artistic techniques, as well as contributed his visual art to Art 4 Hope, a non-profit that shared artwork with local children's hospitals.

As member - and eventual president - of his Toastmasters chapter, Ahmad became comfortable with public speaking. This would later evolve into studying conflict resolution, allowing him to become someone his peers could talk to and rely on.

These skills were further developed in 2018, when Ahmad met founder of FREER Records Fury Young. From that meeting, Ahmad became the band leader for The Masses, a group of lyricists and musicians from all over the United States, but incarcerated in a Southern prison. "The voice of the voiceless," The Masses are a powerful rap collective, representing a diverse group of MCs. Ahmad is the Co-Executive Producer of their forthcoming album "D.I.S." (Da Infinite Spectrum).

Released from prison on December 1, 2023, Ahmad deepened his ties with the DJC family as the label celebrated its ten year anniversary and evolution into FREER Records. On January 3, 2024 he joined the team as FREER Records’ Operations & Development Assistant.

In this new role, Ahmad is a dedicated learner with an eye for detail. From collaborating on album art to maintaining donor records, while continuing to champion outsider artists, he is proud to call FREER Records his home.