NOVELIST X BILLIONAIR BOYS CLUB

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PHOTOGRAPHY TOM O'DONOGHUE

WORDS JAI MCINTOSH " Style isn’t so much about how you look or what you show, it’s more about how your mind works. It’s very easy to behave or look a certain way, you can fake the funk, but style comes from within.

SSIBL IS IMP O S THE ONLY TH I N G THAT IS IMPO

SIBLE ITSELF

Kwadwo Quentin Kankam better known as Novelist, is one of the independent souls of the UK under-

E ground. Novelist has maintained a strong stance on his independence, speaking up against social

issues that affect him and his community.

OVELIST X B LIS E B C X NOV

Grime is a movement. An anti-establishment movement that infuses influences from the British multinational diaspora with hard-hitting beats and lyrics that focus on the lived experiences of those rapping them. In all honesty, Grime really needs no introduction. The scene has exploded since the early 2000s originating from the dancehall and garage scenes that came before them. The Grime scene has evolved into the face of contemporary UK music, yet, unlike other genres that have come before Grime, the scene has maintained a fiercely independent underground subculture in every city throughout the UK. Novelist is, without a doubt, one of the leading voices of the underground, opting to follow his own path rather than the mainstream paths many artists, understandably, tend to follow. Billionaire Boys Club & Ice Cream teamed up with Tessuti and Novelist to help foreground the artists’ rise to Grime stardom, focusing on his influences, the nature of his style both in music and in fashion, his love of music, and his plans for the future.

In keeping with the theme of the issue, it has become clear that adventure is far from easy to label. Pushing your creative limits to become a successful artist is arguably one of the most challenging endeavours a person can undertake. Novelist has risen to the challenge, but sets his own bar. These principles make the Lewisham MC an ideal collaborator for Billionaire Boys Club & Ice Cream.

Billionaire Boys Club, founded in 2003 by Pharrell Williams and Nigo; people who really do not need an introduction as their impact on popular culture outranks that of almost anyone else. The name is laced with irony, with the true messaging of the brand being that wealth is of the body and mind, not in the pocket.

Billionaire Boys Club and Novelist pride themselves on building communities and forging long-lasting and caring relationships. Both are able to positively influence change, both in the youth culture and in mainstream culture with their messaging through lyrics and clothing.

Novelist’s journey as a musician is constantly evolving and adapting, sticking by his fundamental principles and following the love. Novelist continues to inspire those both within and outside of his community, with headline shows happening throughout 2022, there is no respite for one of London’s finest.