As 2 Chainz raps about parties and Kanye West raps about himself, it’s easy for those in the rap industry to be put into a box — but Finding Novyon is one up-and-coming artist who avoids designation.
The 23-year-old from Minneapolis said Kanye West, Jay Z and Lil Wayne influenced him musically, but his biggest would be Amy Winehouse and Aaliyah.
“There are just so many expressive artists out there,” Finding Novyon said. “[It] feels like it puts [me] in a box to just look up to rappers or hip-hop guys.”
This breadth of influence is certainly evident in the rapper’s music. His second mixtape The Ugly Troof is reminiscent of early 2000s R&B, while Keep Going can be described as ethereal. His latest full-length work, #TheFoodNetwork, contains some dark, gritty pieces, some bangers and some slower tracks.
This inter-album eccentricity could possibly be attributed to his recent inspirations, among them being Anderson .Paak, Young Thug and Anti by Rihanna — an album he said was “surprisingly good.”
Since his first mixtape in 2012, Finding Novyon has released four more full-length projects, along with three EPs. He attributes part of this consistency to the area in which he was raised, the Twin Cities.
“It’s really hard to get noticed in Minnesota, and it’s even harder to get noticed on a national scale,” Finding Novyon said. “But it breeds [artists] to be sufficient.”
While he hasn’t yet performed overseas, Finding Novyon specifically wants to perform in Tokyo. He said he has always had a deep respect for Japanese culture, and would rather make the trip for music than a vacation.
As for performing at Revelry, Finding Novyon said he is excited to see Madison for the first time and wants to arrive a day earlier to chill with some college kids. Revelry, however, isn’t the first big concert he’s played — he performed at First Avenue in Minneapolis.
“[It was] a privilege, man,” Finding Novyon said. “Being able to perform there on a monthly basis is a dream come true.”
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As anyone who’s looked up live videos from his previous concerts knows, Finding Novyon’s experience and passion are sure to make his Revelry performance spectacular. After the festival, he’ll be heading to Minneapolis to perform at Soundset, one of the largest hip-hop music festivals in the U.S.
In the future, however, Finding Novyon is expecting even bigger things. While he couldn’t reveal too much about an upcoming project with SonnyDigital, he said that the featured artists on the tracks will be sure to excite music enthusiasts. While he’s having fun, he is looking to make it big.
“I’m going to kind of put the turn-up shit on the back burner and just prove myself as an artist,” Finding Novyon said.
Finding Novyon has a bright future in rap. But as for the present, he will be bringing his wide variety of music to the Revelry stage.
Audience members can plan on banging out, contemplating life, flicking a lighter and possibly shedding a tear — if the mood is right — at Finding Novyon’s performance at Revelry April 30.
