Noveliss & Dixon Hill

Certain texts throughout the ages have been adopted as doctrines and deemed “holy”, “sacred”, or “divine direction”. The Qur'an, the Torah, the Bible etc. These books have guided people through the centuries through tales of supernatural deeds by transcendent beings and commandments or rules for behaviour. In Eastern philosophy, the I Ching is the predominant source for spiritual guidance as made reference to in Confucianism, Taoism, and Buddhism. The Chinese text, however, is more methodical, basing its claims on numerology rather than the whims of a vain, insecure deity. In that way, the I Ching is almost part scientific text, at least as far as they could understand a thousand years before Christ.

Like all these books, the ideas and images from these texts can inspire vast amounts of creative output from painters to storytellers to musicians. This is not purely in a “preaching the gospel” manner. The ideas and in this case mathematical patterns can be woven into the art to reinforce the themes put forth by the auteur. Case in point, the latest record from Detroit rapper Noveliss and producer Dixon Hill. The duo based their first collaborative endeavour on the teachings of the I Ching, constructing the tracklisting around the ancient text as well as using its teachings to inform the lyrical content. And the lyrical content is strong. Noveliss has an effortless flow that stuffs massive concepts into smooth-flowing, lyrically economical verses. Simultaneously hypnotic and thought-provoking. This is scored by Dixon Hill's beautifully natural lo-fi beats. From an isolated, internet-free cabin in the middle of the desert, Hill composed the score with samples, live instruments and field recordings. The result is an album that has the feel of the Golden Age of Hip Hop with lyrics that confront the issues of 2021 with wisdom that dates back millennia.

A calm stream, wind chimes, and singing bowls welcome you from the outset. Noveliss contemplates being “both full and empty” over mesmerizing woozy keys and swing-era samples. Noveliss links Billie Holiday's famous “strange fruit” lyric with the defund the police movement and the ever-present Supremacist threat on the opener 'Empty'. 'Loss For Words' has the piano sample sparkle of Gang Starr's 'Above the Clouds'. Steady rollin' beats drive below as the keys twinkle on the right end of the board. Noveliss hits that tight, Nas-like New York flow.

The first single 'Sincerity and Reverence' features some impressive rhymes name-checking Star Wars' force-giving Midi-chlorians. Hill's melody blooms like a jellyfish in a dark sea. Noveliss and Hill come out harder on 'Scheminonameanin'. Hill busts out the flashy cymbals and scratches as the MC gets into rapid-fire mode, grasping to find a deeper meaning in the chaos of daily cacophony. Maintaining a spiritual purpose in the face of the threats of Covid, climate change, racial profiling, and the nefarious consequences of the internet. On 'Truthsayer' the line “Here's to hoping May showers don't bring us another Mayflower” pops right out of the James Brown funk breakdown rhythm. A stream of consciousness set of verses on the “cursed burial ground” aspect of a post-slavery America.

The hot new single 'Cold Mountain' features even deeper analog keyboard morphing and a bamboo stick beat. Noveliss stacks bars on bars spliced with a spoken word chorus. The album concludes with 'Permanent Waves' pondering the continuity of mother nature's story through all beings. Noveliss brings the big picture perspective to close out the record.

Book of Changes is in the upper echelon of what rap can accomplish. A densely packed nuanced story with intersecting themes that broach both daily struggles and grander purpose, all under killer lo-fi, chilled-out beats. The duo of Noveliss and Dixon Hill has created a modern classic with Golden Age sonics.