MUSIC PHENOM
Thinking Globally, Living Locally For International Nova, the beat goes on By Den i s e K. Jame s
United States that way,” he explains. “A lot of artists start locally, and it’s funny, but we did the opposite. We were huge overseas first, and we were figuring out ways to bring ourselves back home.” Nova describes the process to market themselves as “grassroots”—after they cemented a reputation in one city, they would move on to another. Slowly but surely, the band found a following in New York, Miami, Los Angeles, and other cities. Furthermore, they partnered with well-known NBA player and coach Stephon Marbury, who needed a theme song for his clothing company, “Starbury,’’ as well as a song for his online TV show of the same name. “He was using YouTube as a platform, and it really took off,” Nova recalls. Following all of this undeniable success, especially in his home state of New York, Nova eventually felt the call to expand his horizons. He broke off from the group to embark on his solo career as International Nova and pondered his next move. He was fortunate to sign his first solo deal with Spectra Records in the city of Atlanta, a place that seemed to beckon him. “Always been a fan of the music scene here,” he says. “I just signed my deal, packed up, and moved four or five days later. I’ve been here for four years now, and I love Atlanta. They have welcomed me with open arms.” Right now, International Nova is on fire with a bevy of new and exciting projects. His latest single, “Con- trola,” featuring Petey Pablo from the album also titled Controla , hit over 1 million streams. His music also cur- rently appears on a TV show from AMC ALLBLK called Covenant , which he says “has grown some legs.” “The [‘Controla’] record did well—it’s the best of my career up to this point,” he says. “Now, I’m following up on the album with new content and visuals and trying to get 2022 started off the right way.” A typical day for Nova is a busy one. In addition to spending a lot of time in his personal music studio, he also owns an IT outsourcing company. He writes and produces music for other artists as well, including musi- cian Ne-Yo, actor Columbus Short, and many others. “I work with other genres too—reggae, dance hall— so I’m everywhere with writing and producing,” he says. “There are a lot of things on my plate.”
S inger, rapper, and songwriter International Nova has taken the whole world by storm— and it all started on his neighborhood block. Born and raised in the Bronx borough of New York City, Nova realized his fierce love for music at a young age. Music was a part of his very being, and according to Nova, the Bronx “revolves around music,” opening his young eager ears to a variety of genres. Naturally, he wasn’t just destined to be an appreciative fan; he would soon start making his own music. With poetic lyrics that dabbled in timely topics such as life, relationships, and his insight into “growing up in the Bronx and being Latin,” Nova developed his craft. After high school, he earned a baseball scholarship to attend a private college. However, he got into a car accident during his sophomore year and life took an interesting turn. As he had to take a break from sports due to broken ribs and a hurt back, the call to find new projects caused Nova to refocus on music. “My friends at the time, who had all mentored me to be an artist, were encouraging me,” he says. “That allowed me to take it more seriously and put more energy toward it again. It’s amazing what hitting a tree will do to you.” Nova and his artistic cohorts formed a group called “StreetCorna.” Soon after they began recording, they “ A lot of artists start locally, and it’s funny, but we did the opposite. We were huge overseas first, and we were figuring out ways to bring ourselves back home. ”
International Nova
“blew up in the Netherlands,” and Germany and Japan placed the group on the DJ Charts, “which let you know the hottest records for the clubs.” After enjoying success internationally, Nova and the rest of StreetCorna decided it was time to see if they could garner a fan base back home in the United States. Turns out, they could—they just had to perform at the local level. “We started, at that point, doing shows, whether regional or out of state, and building a fan base in the
Instagram: @internationalnova | Twitter: @novabxprince
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