So 2017 was a great year for me. I am so thankful for it. The last time I blogged I was less than halfway through my "Rhythm And Poetry" book tour. Being able to embark on that was like the heartbeat of my year. The tour ended in Wickford and it was so amazing.
This year I got my podcast back up and running, I am really doing this to keep my radio presenting skills from getting rusty. I intend to do radio again when the time and situation is right. In my last podcast of the year I went into more detail about my "Rhythm And Poetry" book tour and the things that happened. I also mentioned my top albums for 2017. You can press play and listen below.



I released a video for my song "Calm" in the middle of this tour in November. It was shot by Kimba of Black Jockey Entertainment back in August. I really loved how it came out. I love that song. My last proper video was in 2013. I had videos that I shot that I didn't release because I wasn't happy with the outcome. I am so happy that I am back to sharing music in a visual way. More will come in 2018. Press play and check out "Calm" below.



I ended the year after the tour on a thankful and calm note. As always we all get very reflective at the end of the year. I learnt a lot this year. It has been one of the best years of my life. Dropping my debut book and the best album I feel I have created in the same year has left me feeling grateful. In fact on a whim I went into central London and shot an impromptu video for my song "thankful" from my album. Check it out below.



The year wasn't all good. There are some things that happened personally that left me sad and confused. There were a lot of things that happened on the world stage that left me reeling and feeling very concerned. There were some things that I wanted to happen that didn't on a personal level. I am not going to gloss over those disappointments but I am not going to focus on those things at the expense of the good things either. In all things I give thanks and believe all things work together for my good and I am here for such a time as this.

As I move into the new year, I move in with my feet on the ground and a level head, a heart full of thanksgiving and hope and a mind projecting forward, anticipating great things. I know as always this moment of seasonal hype and new year enthusiasm will pass. At that time it will be about simply keeping my head down and taking one step at a time.

I started this blog of mine in 2009. Prior to blogging here, I used to blog on Facebook. I used the notes feature there heavily back then. Before I used the Facebook notes feature, I used to blog on Myspace (even saying Myspace sounds so old school now lol!) In fact blogging on Myspace is where I really started writing in this long form way online. I shared personal stories just like I do here. I think if I am being really honest, I have stopped sharing as personally as I used to because I started feeling I was saying too much. It's really weird having random people coming up to you and recounting something very personal that you wrote in your blog haha.

We have crossed over into the second part of 2017. It has been a great year so far for me though it has been quite challenging. I honestly didn't think certain things that have happened would happen but that is life. Letdowns and disappointments happen. You have to roll with the punches and keep it moving. There is always a way forward. Let me just state for the record that great things have happened for me this year like the release of my book which you can now order directly from me via Paypal on my website: http://www.karlnovaworld.com (I sign every book!)


I recently got back from a trip to Cyprus to perform and run workshops. It was a lovely time in such a beautiful country. I learnt so much about Cyprus. I didn't even realise it was so close to countries like Turkey, Syria, Lebanon and Israel. I took my brand new book with me and sold every copy. I didn't even bring enough with me, I really underestimated the demand. To view a few pictures I took while out there go here


Even though I thought I had finished recording my next album "For Such A Time As This" it appears I haven't because I want to add some new tracks I wrote. All this travelling has inspired me. I guess that is what travelling does. I am truly thankful and I anticipate more great things on the horizon.


I am gonna end this post how I began. I have been going back and reading blog entries from when I started this blog in 2009, it is amazing to read where my mind was at. I have come a long way, it is so humbling. I feel truly blessed and thankful. I used to write blogs about specific topics that have become hot topics in culture and music now. It's really interesting. I will get back to writing about specific topics soon. I think presently I just give you updates on my journeys and what I've been up to. That isn't a bad thing is it? ha!

What an amazing couple of months I have had. First of all I just want to say I am so happy that Spring is here. Listen, I am not a winter person at all, I hate how it gets dark so quickly and even though it doesn't get THAT cold these days, I still can't stand it.

I did a 2 week tour and visited a lot of schools celebrating World Book Day. That meant travelling a lot of miles on lots of long train rides and sleeping in a few hotels. I found it ironic that I was doing such an intense tour with my book not being ready yet. I hit Banbury, Northampton, Norwich (where I did 2 days performing and running workshops in 6 schools. Very intense!), Wickford, Manchester, Stoneleigh, Ponders End and Hampton. I was really stretched but because I fed off the energy of amazing young people I met, I was able to maintain high energy and deliver. I will never forget this run ever. I was also firing new pieces off as well, I was going in! I performed a couple of new pieces including one where I tell a story backwards. It left a lot of them scratching their heads in Northampton hahaha.


I woke up after the tour with an email from my publisher telling me that I needed more poems and more stories for my book. I caught some inspiration and ended up writing 7 poems at a sitting with stories to go with them. This is a rare thing to happen by the way, I normally space my writing out. I sent them back and they loved it. After a lot of checking to see if all the spellings were correct as well as getting the cover art ready, I can tell you that I am now the proud author of a book that is ready to be released! I am so happy and can't wait for you to read it. "Rhythm And Poetry" my debut book of poems and short stories for young people in school will be out on April 24th and you will able to order it directly from my publisher who will deliver it to wherever you are. Even if you are not a young person in school this book is for you, it is a reflection on childhood and growing up from my point of view as a person who found love for poetry and lyrics via rap music and spoken word poetry.


In the midst of all this I have been in the studio a lot, it's like I can't keep myself away from recording. Even while touring I was recording lots of demos. One of them was this track "Backstage Banter" I just did it for the heck of it, it is not going to be on my new album or even an official single. By the way this whole track was created and mixed on my phone including the vocals. If I didn't tell you this I bet you would have never known.



I have completed my album but I am facing the challenge of deciding how many tracks to put on it. These days albums from big rap artists are getting longer like back in the day so I might be able to get away with squeezing a lot tracks on a deluxe version. I am trying to make sure I am happy with every track. The name of the album is "For Such A Time As This" and I will release it in the summer. It seems a track I made called "Aim High Stay Low" will be the lead off single, so keep your eyes and ears open!

A post shared by Karl Nova 🕶 (@karlnova) on Mar 19, 2017 at 6:37am PDT

Stream of consciousness alert! Stream of consciousness alert! I am not gonna start with what is becoming my usual way of beginning an entry. I have come to accept that there are going to be spaces in between entries. I won't apologise for that. These entries will arrive when they arrive. I really do appreciate you stopping by to check out my blog, like you actually read in a time when people just want short video clips or just check out headlines and click bait summaries designed to wind you up.

Summer was beautiful. This was probably one of the best summers I can remember. The weather was hot! hot! hot! I got to travel not just to Germany but also to Canada. You can see pics that I took while I was in Germany here and pics I took while in Canada here 2 totally different places and my first time in both of them. Travelling is good, it expands your mind and helps you understand the world, yourself and life better. It is so easy to get caught up in your own bubble and forget there is big world out there to explore and experience.

I hit the ground running this Autumn, I am back performing and doing workshops. In fact the day after I touched down from Canada I visited a college in South West London for a performance and did it while I was still jetlagged! The great thing is the performance actually went smoothly without any hitch whatsoever. If you are wondering what type of stuff I perform in schools you can check out a poem below which will be in my new book which is going to be out soon.



I got to do a workshop in Plymouth. It is on the southern coast of England and it is a beautiful place. I stayed overnight in a hotel and got to check out the city. I took quite a few pictures. You can check them out here the performances and workshop sessions I did at the school were great. I will never forget that experience and I am actually getting to go back there next year!

If there is one thing on my heart and mind lately it is the feeling of being determined to be the best I can be at what I do and to positively affect as many people as I can. I am staying focused on my own path and just continuing on my journey. It is easy to get distracted by things that cause you to focus on what people think about you or if they rate what you do but the truth is that doesn't actually really matter. I am just thankful to be here doing what I love and loving what I do.

I was very close to giving up blogging but how could I do that? This is a good practice to keep up even if blogging isn't that hot right now. The year has been a busy one so far, I have already started doing a lot of travelling doing workshops and it is only march. I am very happy about that.

I have done creative writing workshops in Hounslow, Essex, Central London, Stoke Newington and Wembley Stadium so far and work from the six week project I did in Hackney with Kele Le Roc is now part of an exhibition which is currently going on at Hackney Museum, I went for the launch of it and I felt really proud of the young guys we worked with. Read more about it here

If you want to have more of an idea of the work I do in schools have a look at this short video below:



I dropped a song called "Blackstar" recently, I consider it just a warm up song. I made the beat on the day I found out David Bowie died (January 10th). I was listening to a lot of his music and I came across "Fame" which I am sure I have heard before but couldn't remember when or where. That track is so good I just HAD to sample it. I checked and I am not alone, many others have sampled this track including some very famous artists. I ended up writing lyrics that are very much influenced by me thinking about issues of race and being proud of my African roots. I called the track Blackstar because David Bowie's last album that he released just before passing away was called that. It is also a nod to the duo Blackstar comprised of Talib Kweli & Yasiin Bey (the artist formerly known as Mos Def). Their self-titled album remains a classic and it contained very positive pro-black content. I have always wanted to come from that kind of angle that they came with that breathes consciousness, positivity, introspection and fun. I have done that a couple of times before.

Rapzilla were nice enough to post "blackstar" much to my surprise. I saw some funny soundcloud comments that were not positive. It seems someone wasn't too happy that I was being pro-black and Afrocentric. I was accused of being divisive and "remixing the song of a heathen" (lol) It seems being pro-black will always be a threat to some who don't understand that being pro-black doesn't automatically mean being anti-white. I even say in the song "this aint black supremacy, I'm just being me.." Ah well, it is what it is. Listen to the track below:



I am currently rounding up my next album as well as a couple of EPs. I am also working on a book that ties in with the workshops I do in schools. More about that later, let me not get ahead of myself. The name of my next album is "Unseen Unheard Unknown" It is inspired by the book "Invisible Man" by Ralph Ellison as well as many other things I will share soon. If you are supporter from a while back and you were on my journey with me from the 2012 album "Delayed But Not Denied" this new album follows on from that. In fact every album and project has been following a narrative. They are all linked. All will be explained soon.

Here is another track I dropped at the top of the year. I was just trying out a different kind of sound and tempo. If I am really being honest, I wrote this and made it when I was feeling depressed. When winter comes around I experience the blues a lot because it is cold and dark. I end up producing a lot of beats and writing to deal with all my feelings even more than ever. All these tracks I have been dropping won't be on my upcoming album. I kinda dig this one. Press play on "Turn up/Turn Down" below



The track called "Love" that I produced for Fiona Yorke and also featured on was released as a single and the response to it has been amazing, In fact I got to perform it live with her outside London all the way in Ipswich at a gig that I did. It was such a wild gig though haha. I had to wear a suit and all that because it was a ball kinda situation. It went on until 2am. I got home about 4am. Hahaha. The DJ was playing some crazy jungle and drum and bass and that really inspired me. I went home and produced like 4 jungle/drum n bass influenced records hahahaha. You will hear all this music soon. Anyway listen to "Love" below. It is out on itunes. amazon and all digitalstores and part of Fiona Yorke's EP called "Sound Freedom"



oh yeah I have let my beard grow longer than I have ever done in my life hahahaha. I just didn't shave after Christmas. I might cut it soon though. Anyway I am gonna go and live a bit and create more. Follow me on twitter if you are there: http://www.twitter.com/karlnova (@KarlNova) I am on snapchat too at: therealkarlnova

One thing I like about blogging is it becomes like a time capsule for me. I can look back on what I have written before and it brings back memories of the time when I wrote it. I don't blog as frequently as I used to because sometimes I just don't feel inspired. There are things I want to write about but I am doing a lot of reading and researching so I don't just chat and waffle on emptily.

I have just celebrated my birthday and this time last year I had just touched down in London from New York on the morning of my birthday. I was suffering from Jet lag but still very happy because my 10 day visit to New York was so amazing. You can read all about it here This year however I have been laid out by the flu and all day I've been coughing and wheezing. I have a blocked nose and I feel groggy but I am still full of gratitude and thanksgiving. The love I received from all over the place was really touching. I sometimes wish I could have that kinda love everyday haha.



As always you have time to reflect on the journey so far especially when you are laid up with the flu and just lying around. In the last year I have done a lot of travelling doing workshops. Apart from being all over London in different schools, I've been to Lancashire, Luton (I did a workshop in a stadium again this year I was invited back you can read about it online here) I was out in Southampton and Blackpool at the end of last year and also in Colchester. I got into the local Colchester newspaper when I went to do a workshop there for first time in 2010 and got into it again, read about that here I also got interviewed by the MOBOs about music, it got published just after I arrived back from New York, you can read about that here. Earlier on in the year I got interviewed by Marcia Dixon for The Voice newspaper, that came out of the blue and you can check that out here. I also got interviewed by Francesca Bondioli of Empire Radio Magazine, it was one of the best interviews I've ever done and you can read it here



This blog is turning into one of those episodes of your favourite sitcom where they do flashbacks all through the whole show haha but it is good to look back. I made the decision to leave Premier and no more present "The Writer's Block" and "Hip Hop Sessions" I did this for many reasons. The main reason was I felt it was time. I am glad I got the opportunity to be a radio presenter there and I really learnt so much on the job. I wanted to learn a skill, gain experience and help the UK scene. It is something that I will do again since I now know what it takes to do it and do it well. I will miss all the wonderful and friendly people I met there. There are so many kind and amazing people that I got to know that I would probably never have known any other way. I will miss them.



During my time there I can say I brought exposure to music and artists that probably would have gone overlooked. I can say that because my ears are always to the ground and because I am aware of the history of the UK scene, the work I did on air had substance. I did this all for free on a voluntary basis because they didn't have a budget to pay me. (as far as I know all specialist shows are like that not just me doing the 2 shows I was doing) I understood that this was how it was going to be from the start but I chose to do it anyway because I really wanted to learn how to be a presenter and all the mechanics of broadcasting. It was worth it for me from that angle. Coming into my 3rd year of doing it I started feeling it wasn't helping me as an artist. I felt like I had hit a ceiling and there was no progression. I didn't feel free. I felt like it affected the perception of me as an artist which to me is my primary passion. Some people might say "well why couldn't you do both?" I did do both for the whole time I was there but I started noticing I was getting overlooked as an artist myself and not taken seriously as one who had already sought to establish himself as one. I was already Karl Nova the artist before being a radio presenter. This is why I released a mixtape in January called The Frustrated Artist It's just how I felt at the time. I explained more about that in the digital liner notes of the project



Now that I have left I have had people ask "what next?" or "how is life after leaving?" as if being at Premier was my whole life and not just 2 days a week. This brought it home to me that leaving was the right decision for me right now. Perception is powerful. In this business branding is everything. I mean I have been doing gigs where on the flyer they would put premier next to my name as if that defines who I am and I didn't like that at all. It got to a point where I needed to make a decision to move on if I wanted to get to where I feel I needed to go.



I have said before that the genre category labelling of christian hip hop, holy hip hop or gospel rap (or whatever it is called these days) is something I don't personally subscribe to so that was another factor. I am just at a point where these genre labels and titles don't define me anymore, to be honest they never really have. It has been that way before I even became a presenter on Premier. I guess because that world of music is one I am familiar with, I felt I could help and I still feel I can and I will still help out but I have grown and I just don't feel I can be confined to just that world only. I know it is an ongoing conversation going on right now over in America within the christian hip hop subgenre aka CHH but I just feel it is not relevant to where I am in my journey. In the bigger picture I just don't think this subgenre really matters unless you are one who needs it because of selling a product, basing your identity on it or wanting to belong to a tribe that uses it to feel significant. My identity doesn't depend on a subgenre and my mission is beyond it. It is easy to get caught up in a bubble and think it is the whole world when it is merely a drop in the proverbial ocean.



So as I enter my new year I will keep pushing forward with the main things I am about as an artist (new album album coming soon), a workshop facilitator with Student of Life a curator over at PLTFRM SE7EN and who knows what else is gonna happen? Watch out!



Here is a track I decided to release for free to mark my birthday it is called "The Gift" written and produced by me and in the song I say quite a few things. You can stream/download it as well as check out the lyrics below!

I used to be a guy that would blog so frequently and relentlessly but these days I try to blog in this long form at least once a month. Technically I blog everyday because twitter is a "microblogging" website (follow me @KarlNova if you aren't following me there already) My whole motto is you have to live life a bit so you can write about something real.

So summer is here though not fully (well the sun hasn't been consistent like last year. I guess I am gonna have to be optimistic and see how it goes innit? lol) This year has been very challenging for me so far. Last year was different but that's how life is innit? Festival season is here and I am performing in a couple, I love festivals and always enjoy when I get to do them every year. I performed at one recently and headlined with Rain Freedom, A Star & Faith Child and it was great!

I have been recording here and there and making so many tracks. I recorded a song with Melvillous which I uploaded to my soundcloud called "Kingdom Sound" and it was inspired by MCs who came before me in the scene.
I started thinking about how they might feel if they were forgotten and not given the due credit they deserve and I found myself writing in that direction. I am very picky these days with collaborations. I featured Melvillous who is one of the best lyricists out right now and he is such a cool down to earth guy. I needed to let people know I can go back to back with anyone. I am secure in myself as an Emcee. Another thing is I think Melvillous is the future of great lyricists and I want people to know more about him. (check out his soundcloud here: https://soundcloud.com/melvillous)

I also got to record with the amazing singer/songwriter/vocalist that is Michelle John This is a woman who has toured and worked with the greats like Eric Clapton, Annie Lennox, BB King, Mariah Carey, BB King and so many amazing people.
We recorded a song I wrote and produced called "Shining On" and I can't wait to share it. She's such a cool, down to earth and talented person. Last year I sampled a song of hers called "Little Me" and made a song called "Little Me Too" you can read more about how I met Michelle in this blog I wrote here
 I also have been producing for other people. Now this might not sound like a big deal but to me it is. When I started making beats I didn't feel I would ever make beats for someone else. Now that isn't exactly true. When I 1st made beats AGES ago while in Nigeria as a teen, I made beats for my friends and some tunes I produced ended up on Nigerian national radio but in this new era for me I never really thought I would be making beats for anyone apart from myself. I have a song I produced for Joy Rose who is another amazing artist that has worked with people like Sting, Billy Ocean, Incognito and so many legendary artists. It will be released in the future. Another person I recently produced a track for is Fiona Yorke and it is gonna be on her next EP.
I featured on both these songs I am talking about too. I produced in a very unorthodox way so when REAL producers talk to me I get nervous hahaha.

All these collaborations are really interesting because I have never felt fully comfortable letting other people into my personal recording process for a while. I guess collaborations should be organic and authentic and I think it reflects in the actual music if done well.

I recently dropped a lyric video for a freestyle I did that isn't going to make my next album but will probably make the B-Side of my EP PLTFRM SE7EN It was recorded with an iPhone 6 and I did the typography myself. Watch it below:



When I started writing this blog I had no idea that it would end up this way hahahaha. I guess that is how it is when you don't just go with the flow but become the flow. (I thought that was gonna sound deep ah well I am not gonna edit it hahahahahha)

Over a period of time during recording sessions for the project that became PLTFRM SE7EN [SIDE A] which came out June 3rd 2014 and PLTFRM SE7EN [SIDE B] which will be out in the future on a date I don't know yet the tracks on this project emerged.

I experimented with creating beats inspired by grime, dubstep, trap and UK funky house. I got inspired by London underground bass music. These tracks didn't fit in with the soulful boom bap flavour I was trying to make for the PLTFRM SE7EN projects. This is the thing with music, sometimes it just comes out how it comes out and you have to just let it happen.

At the time I was creating all this music I was very stressed and frustrated about the constraints on my expression that the scene i come from tries to place on an artist like me. I am not trying to preach or force my beliefs on anyone. I am not trying to convert people to my worldview, I am simply expressing myself FROM my worldview. I use music as therapy. I use music to try make sense of my experience. If you find inspiration, hope, encouragement, upliftment and food for your faith or anything meaningful to you in my music and songs I am humbled and grateful because honestly I am not trying to make anyone believe what I do. I am just trying to live and express myself musically in the most honest way possible and to the best of my abilities. These songs are like gasps for breath. In fact that is what all my music is like to me.

I am not claiming to represent for a genre or a scene. I am not representing for any man made label or musical categorization, if this disappoints you then you are not probably hanging around for me or my music, you are probably looking for me to represent an ideal that is important to you. All I can say is whatever you get from my music is for you. I am grateful what I create can mean something to someone else in any kind of way even if it is little. I am not famous or very well known or any of that, honestly that was never my primary reason for doing this. I am not even rated by many in the scene I am from as an artist but that is cool, when I started making music it was me alone with beats and rhymes dealing with my frustration, pain, brokenness expressing my heart and mind and trying to make sense of life and it is still that way today.

To those who "get" what I am about and truly support me this is for you! much love to you! Maybe my music is for those who know what it feels like to be lost, broken, frustrated, confused and yet determined to keep the faith and keep hope alive.

P.S There are those who say free music is "killing the scene" well you have an option. You can pay whatever you want with this project. You can download it for nothing if you like. I don't feel entitled to your money, I feel I have to work to earn it by making something of value that you feel is worth purchasing. I don't mind sharing my music with you. If it connects with you and you want to share back financially and can do that then don't hold back.

It is also available on itunes, amazon, google play and all digital stores if you don't want to buy this directly from me here and prefer the convenience of those outlets and downloadable from Jan 26th worldwide.

Happy new year! welcome to 2015. As always we get hyped and caught up in the euphoria of crossing over into a new year. I am very aware that this will fade quick. I am very aware that the deeper reason people get hyped about this time is because deep inside we desire newness and a fresh start. The truth is it is possible to reset and start at any time but since there is this external boost that can give you motivation at this time of the year it is good to take advantage of it anyway. So many are either super enthusiastic or super cynical. I am trying to be balanced and focused.

I have dropped my new single from my upcoming EP "The Frustrated Artist" and the good folks of rapzilla were kind enough to post it. You can click on their player above to hear the track. A.I.M in the title of the song is an acronym for the following:




A stands for artistry. This is an art. Perfect your craft. Keep working on your style. Sharpen your skills. Practice. Practice and when you feel like it's so mundane and pointless practice some more. Study your craft. Observe the greats. Be a student that is forever a student. We only graduate when we leave this earth. Make excellence your watchword. I'm crafty with my craft when I craft paragraphs, I frame my frame of mind and freeze time with raps. He made the song cry, I make paragraphs and even give my song and dance a song and dance. That's what I'm trying to do. That's part of my aim.



I stands for industry. The moment you create a product and sell it and you're involved in a sphere of operation where others are buying and selling you're in an industry. It would be advisable to approach it professionally right? cross all your Ts and do all you Is. Be on your Ps and Qs. Learn. Study the industry. Learn the system, learn the procedures, learn the rules and regulations. Read the small print. Know about marketing, branding, promotion. Break the obsolete and outdated moulds. Keep yourself updated. Be industrious. That's what I'm trying to do. That's part of my aim.



M stands for ministry. This is that word that is tossed about in religion and somehow is coded to mean "free" service. Service that you do for free but others do and get big cheques. Money is not the primary aim. I honestly do what I do out of passion and love and in the service of a greater purpose. I do my thing to uplift, inform and inspire but if what I do is of benefit to others it's ok to expect something back. The person serving burgers at McDs gets paid if they do their job. I want to serve and serve well. That's what I'm trying to do. That's part of my aim.


Look out for "The Frustrated Artist EP" dropping soon. I am simply using frustration as motivation to fuel my engine. Let's have a great year and create moments and memories that we will treasure and be thankful for at the end of the year!