~by Maxwell Cavaseno

As 2012′s dawn peeks from over the hills of yesteryear, more new young rappers are poking their head out to bask in the sunlight. More than a few have managed to take their influences and spin them in ways that outsiders would find difficult to trace. One of them is Khalil Nova, a young man in his early 20′s from Atlanta. Like Tyler, The Creator and Spaceghostpurrp before him, he’s a producer with an eclectic style which looms over his vulnerable personality. A personality which is is embodied by the struggle within last year’s “808′s Of Death”.

It’s easy to see why Danny Brown declared “Khalil Nova got next!” While more and more bedroom rapper/producers are popping up out of the woodwork at an alarming rate, few of them have the immediacy in their production styles to stand out and arrest your attention. But on opener “Cloud Mover”, Khalil seduces the listener with a haze of soap-opera strings, low thudding bass, and melodies meant to pull at heartstrings. Throughout the tape, his sounds form a confusing array of realms to dwell in: whether on the murky sitar-tinged plod of “Combo”, the eski/R&B hybrid of “Freezer Bhudd” to the lo-fi could’ve-been-a-malnourished-Zomby-tune of “Internet Muzik” and the Juicy J gone cybernetic grind of “The Ultimate Track”. Khalil manages to merge the sounds of video-game bleeps from bits 8 to 32 with the bombast of modern trap production.

Neither does he ever strive to be taken as a novelty. Yes, Nova is a video-game/anime fan. So much is clear from a hook that references Dragonball Z villain Maijin Bu and lyrics bragging about riding in a Shining Gundam. However, the boy’s lyrical content doesn’t spend a lot of time talking about model kits, controllers dying and memory cards. Instead, he leers on about jealous girlfriends, his music, and his weed. That is, when you manage to hear his voice which he tends to bury in an Afro-futuristic android-style distortion, making Khalil sound almost like the teenaged-pilot of a mechanical juggernaut. Said voice also alternates between a raspy bark delivered with tinges of Gucci Mane and Young Jeezy, and a sharp crooning hybrid of Pimp C and Layne Staley (certainly no coincidence that the young man’s proposed future project is titled ‘The Black Layne Staley’).

At the same time, there are some growing pains that are apparent. As a rapper, sometimes Khalil fails to leave a lasting impression on his own tracks due to a lack of stylistic variation, or new direct subject matter. This can be rather frustrating, especially when his friends pop up to steal the show. Be it the Yung L.A.-esque bobbing and weaving of Mr. Zone 6 Sinister or the rushed slurring of Dre Skeez, any time a new voice arrives, they tend to shift the balance of their confrontations with Mr. Nova’s environment almost instantly. Also, the occasional slips back and forth from instrumental to song give the mix-tape a less cohesive feel. In some ways, it feels more like a collection of rough sketches than a fully-envisioned notion.

There is a definite struggle going on within Khalil Nova’s music; in a strange way, comparisons to Spaceghostpurrp can’t help but make their way to each other. Just like Purrp’s music could easily be reduced to the bedroom antics of a horny young teen with an obsessive fondness for early Three Six Mafia and DJ Screw, Khalil seems like the soundtrack of a young stoner kicking back and playing Final Fantasy 7 to the blur of his game’s music and the cluttered glee of Zaytoven beats. Indeed, both young producers are bountiful in the tributes they deliver to their influences, but have married them to a toxic murk that seems to beef up their isolated shouts of declaration. “808′s” screams “I AM HERE”, without spending a lot of time talking about our young protagonist inside the machine of his creation.

However, one particular gem is contained in his bars. At one point, the rarely self-conscious Nova decides to take time out to offer wisdom to his listeners. Whilst swimming through the cavernous bass and space-age-sounds of his rapping introduction “Continuation”, Khalil turns from his mysterious and cryptic wanderings to provide the listener with a note of assistance: “The best way out is always through. Your future and your choices are up to you. Don’t be afraid if your voice is new. Just show these motherfuckers just how you grew.” It is here where the artist truly does shine. For no matter how self-involved he may be, like his heroes, he dreams of helping those who he considers his digital peers and allies. While he may be a struggling maverick in the vast digital space-age of rap, the protagonist of “808s Of Death” is still an inspiring new face with a musical destiny awaiting him.

“808s” can be downloaded here; also, follow Khalil Nova on twitter and on soundcloud to keep up with the latest news.