Even prior to its release, I was excited about this album. ‘Novelist Guy’ has since exceeded my expectations after it finally came out in April 2018. Now, the project by the 21-year-old has recently been nominated for this years’ Mercury Prize Album of the Year.

Including a generous 15 tracks, Novelist’s debut album is booming with positivity. It possesses a new energy that I’ve never seen in Grime before. This is evident most significantly within the lyrical content in which the MC expresses his passion for bettering himself, his family, and others around him growing up in a mutual situation.

Below I’ve broken it down to my pivotal tracks on the album:

Track 6. Stop Killing the Mandem

The beginning of the track includes a snippet from an interview explaining his banner he took to a ‘Black Lives Matter’ march in 2016.

“Y’know, all lives matter but right now people are perpetrating against black people, worldwide

Is what I’m saying

And I’m just glad that the people can come together

Liaise, march, sing songs

That’s it, make the world know that people over here care as well…”

I can assume this is where the idea of the track came from, and I’m glad Novelist merged his socio-political awareness with his musical talent proving Grime can be political and peaceful. Collectively, Grime MCs are using music as a tool to express their struggles, typically revolving around racial inequality and it is important to acknowledge Novelist’s alternative to some of the harsher and perhaps violent facets of the genre.

This particular track simultaneously explores the violence between the people in his own neighbourhood and black people falling victim to police and social discrimination worldwide: ‘far and local’. He delivers a message of a desire to unite and be harmonious, which is refreshing to hear.

Track 8. Smiles

I won’t believe you if you listen to this song and don’t smile.

It’s lively, cheerful, and playful. Delivering a positive and motivational message, but at the same time not taking itself too seriously. I can’t help but picture Novelist working on this track on his PC with a massive grin.

Smiles is an instrumental you can’t help but bop and bow your head to.

Further respect goes to the fact the entire album is produced and mixed by the Novelist Guy himself; a significant reflection of the DIY philosophy that defines the Grime scene as a whole. Formerly under the XL Recordings label, he now independently oversees his music through his own label Mmmyeh Records.

Track 14. Better Way

For me, this is my favourite on the project. As a listener, after experiencing the track I feel as though I better understand Novelist, his identity and his raw belief in God:

“…He’s got my back, I’m never lacking when I pray.”

Repeatedly mentioning God throughout the album, really stands out as his faith being a clear navigator in his drive for life. Novelist’s positive connection to God could be possibly why this album is so optimistic and uplifting.

Parallel to this, I found a notable part of this track is where he expresses the importance of making our mums proud, a remarkable – and sort of heart-warming – contrast to the numerous lyrics in Grime that diss somebodies mum.

The album is playful, but most importantly, meaningful. Gifting Grime fans with something different.

Clearly, it’s not only me that acknowledges the success of the album, shortlisted in the Mercury Prize, young Kojo Kankam is further proving he is the poster child for the new generation of Grime.

I’ve got my fingers crossed for Novelist Guy on the 20th September – the album has given Grime a new identity. But more than anything I am happy that this album, and the scene, are receiving the recognition they deserve.

(You never know, Skepta won it in 2016!)