Formerly known by his stage name Donnie Trumpet, Grammy-winning Chicago-based producer/trumpet player Nico Segal currently heads the Social Experiment, a group of musicians whose eclectic sound encompasses jazz, R&B, hip-hop, gospel, and myriad other genres. Segal is also a member of Chicago-based groups Save Money and Kids These Days, both of which include Vic Mensa and Chance the Rapper, as well as his most recent project The JuJu Exchange. Nico has also worked w/ J. Cole, Ed Sheeran, Bleachers and Kanye West, among others.

Throughout 2012 and 2013, Segal released a few solo mixtapes and appeared on releases by members of both collectives. He formed the Social Experiment with keyboardist Peter Cottontale, drummer Greg Landfair, Jr., producer/engineer Nate Fox, and Chance the Rapper, and by the end of 2014, the group had guested on album tracks by Octave Minds and Skrillex. Donnie Trumpet & the Social Experiment’s full-length debut, Surf, was released in May 2015. The album featured guest appearances by well-known artists such as Erykah Badu, Janelle Monáe, and Busta Rhymes, as well as several local, Chicago-based musicians and vocalists. The album received wide acclaim for its diversity and positivity, and was listed on several ‘Best Album of 2015’ lists, including for Pitchfork and Stereogum.