Music
5 takeaways from Novelist’s debut album
The things that make an impression on Novelist Guy.
Having first made waves in the grime scene scene back in 2013, Novelist has finally dropped his debut album, Novelist Guy.
Here are five points to consider as you digest the Lewisham MC and producer’s biggest statement to date. Turn the volume up.
He’s shunned commercial appeal to stay true to himself
Back in 2014, when Skepta and JME’s That’s Not Me catapulted grime back into the wider public’s consciousness, the music press often paired Novelist and Stormzy side-by-side as the genre’s most promising young torchbearers. In the years since, Stormzy has juggled Sir Spyro-produced grime bangers with a Little Mix collaboration and X Factor appearances, giving him credibility as well as major celebrity status.
Novelist, on the other hand, has chosen to walk a proudly independent path, generally seeming to be more inspired by underground radio sets than crossover collaborations. The album is testament to the 21-year-old’s uncompromising attitude. It’s self-released on his Mmmyeah Records label, self-produced and – aside from Novelist’s friend Pascall performing the hook on Smiles – the album features no guests.
It’s not really a grime album
Nov has been eager to experiment with genre for a while now. Back in 2016, he championed an off-shoot of grime called Ruff Sound, which saw him and his Lewisham peers spit on beats accelerated to 152-160bpm. And although Novelist Guy tracks like Man Better Jump and and Nov Wait Stop Wait are destined to cause wild scenes at grime raves, most of the album is in a similar style to last year’s Be Blessed EP – low-slung beats that seem to be influenced by the slightly gothic, lo-fi sound of classic 90s Memphis rap acts like Three 6 Mafia and Tommy Wright III.
There are moments of tender beauty among the murky sounds
Throughout the album, there’s trunk-rattling bass and punchy kick drums that give the record a hard edge, and a lot of the beats channel an eerie, menacing vibe. But Novelist Guy is a diverse album both musically and emotionally. Bookended by the bright pianos of the intro track and closer The End (Don’t Lose The Faith Riddim), Novelist lets the sun shine for Smiling – a song about staying positive again the odds, while Better Way opens with the nostalgic sound of an ice cream van arriving in the park, before giving way to pretty synthesised strings and thankful lyrics.
He’s as outspoken as ever
It’s not just the DIY attitude that’s made Novelist such a respected artist in the UK scene. Nov has also regularly used his platform to address socio-political issues, which he does so here most explicitly on Stop Killing the Mandem – a track that references his presence at a Black Lives Matter march which took place in London back in 2016.
It’s making his fans very happy
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