Meet Novet: The Iowa student balancing classes with being an aspiring rapper

Drawing inspiration from his life as a student here at Iowa, local rapper Novet is gaining attention day by day. He recently talked to The Tab about the struggles of pursuing his passions as a rapper while balancing school, work, and life. With songs like Life On Campus off of the album “Exit 246” referring to the Iowa City exit off of I-80, it is not hard to relate to this student who is just like the rest of us in so many ways. But with a young passion and raw talent, Novet is the first to insist that he does stand out from the crowd.

When did you first start rapping, and when did you decide you wanted to pursue it as more than a hobby?

I started rapping at the age of 10. One day my father suggested that I write a song because he realized how much I loved listening to music, especially hip hop. I kept writing for a couple of years just as a hobby and at the age of 12, I recorded my very first song. The thrill I got from recording the vocals to my songs is when I realized that this was more than something I wanted to have fun with, I wanted this to be my life. Ever since then I refused to consider music as a hobby and took it as seriously as someone like LeBron James preparing for the NBA finals.

It definitely sounds like you’re dedicated – so how do you balance being a student and an artist?

It’s hard to create enough time for both. When you’re in class all day and then come home to do assignments and then have to go to work it begins to become a problem. I want to be 100% music focused but because I also want to get an education sometimes I have to weigh my pros and cons and decide on the right thing to do. It’s all about timing. Right now I feel as if I’m only 25% actively focused on music and 75% on school but I’m still putting out records people enjoy so I can’t wait to get to that 100% mark!

What’s your greatest source of inspiration and who are some of your role models?

Musically, my greatest source of inspiration is Lil Wayne. That throws some people off because his style of music is different from mine in a couple of ways, but Wayne inspires me so much musically because of his work ethic and how he revolutionized hip hop, especially with his mixtapes. I always revisit his classics like Tha Carter II, Tha Carter III, Dedication 2, Da Drought 3 or No Ceilings to remind myself to be the best I can be musically. As far as role models go I would say I look up to someone like Barack Obama. He’s living proof that the unimaginable can happen and I hope to be like him one day!

Tell us about what it’s like when you get on stage to perform.

Being on the stage is honestly one of the best feelings in the world! There’s this buzz inside of me every time I perform that I can’t really explain, but I can feel it. I have been performing since my freshman year of high school so stage fright is out the window. I’ve realized that when performing it’s all about getting a feel for the crowd and trying to connect with them in the best way possible. I try to get better with each performance because I know I can improve on some things, but I know that comes with time so I’m not worried about it.

I got the chance to see you perform at Gabes and your whole family was there. What did that mean to you?

That meant the world to me! It was a surprise so it made it even more special. Family is everything to me. It’s cliché to say, but it’s true that without family you have nothing. You need your day one supporters who are there for you no matter what your occupation in life is. Keep the family close, as Drake would say.

What’s the one thing you most want people to know about you and your music?

I just want people to know that everything you see or hear from me is 100% me. You know, as a rapper, people have this theory that you come from the streets, you sold drugs, or all you care about is money and women. I want me to be the exception to that theory. The term “rapper” feels so outdated to me and it puts artists in a box and I refuse to be in that box. I pride myself on being different, with loyalty and positive energy, and that’s what people will hear when they play some of my music!

For more Novet, check out his social media:
YouTube: Novet
Twitter: @xNovetx
Facebook: @novetmusic
SoundCloud: www.soundcloud.com/novet