Rap narratives often center on the struggle to overcome violence, poverty, and oppression for a system that hates and fears its entertainers, but what about a narrative that focuses on the struggle to provide stability while balancing the complex demands of family and corporate expectations?
Once upon a time “backpack rap” did just this, sharing the story of the middle class and upper class adjacent. Philadelphia rapper Saynave is dusting off the backpack and exchanging it for a work satchel. Ever since he came on the scene, he’s sought to restore balance by sharing his lived experiences as a black professional in a genre consumed with only showing the streets instead of the boardroom. But before Nave became associated with the black excellence/black brunch hashtags, he was a man eager to find his voice and way in life.
Born Bryant Gilliam, Nave grew up in the suburbs of northern New Jersey where he was exposed to a mix of musical influences he describes as “New York and East Coast rap derivatives.” Everyone from Biggie, Jay-Z, Slum Village, Little Brother, and the hometown hero Redman played a role in his upbringing, including the battle rap scene that rose to prominence when he began high school.
“Anything that was Dilla, Slum Village, and Kanye related, East Coast boom bap I played, says Nave.
In high school, Nave played in the school jazz band where he played the saxophone and it was around this time that his musical pedigree expanded to be more inclusive.
Inspired by the success of Kanye West and Dilla, Nave went full-speed as a producer while he was in college at the University of Delaware.
“I initially just wanted to make beats. I was writing here and there but then in my early twenties, I saw how challenging it was working with rappers who viewed it as a hustle, says Nave.
Tired of fighting and cajoling rappers to take music seriously, he took the rhymes he worked on and put them over his own beats. The time he spent traveling between Delaware and Philadelphia proved to be beneficial and helped serve as another form of education as it sharpened his use of language and style.
At first, he rapped under the name, N. ave, but he changed it to Saynave, viewing it as a more viable way for him to brand himself and stand out from his peers. “Six years ago, I said I had to figure out how I would brand myself. Saynave came from my mom calling me Nahve, and I just said no Saynave. That became my handle everywhere.”
Armed with a name and a purpose, Nave began releasing his music on YouTube and streaming sites such as Spotify. From there, Nave released his first EP, YoungBoy Bangerz, channeling the trap sound of the time while also using the project as a way for him to get his rhythm back musically. Eager to make music that reflected his reality, he released his breakthrough single, “Resume”, in 2020,
“When that video came out I was working with a brand consultant. The video and song were in line with my thinking. I try to make music for my circle of people that are in their mid-thirties, successful and travelers. Some people would call them the Roc Nation Brunch or Black Excellence crew.”
Carrying on the tradition of black backpackers before him, Nave released more music, including hit singles like “Speak the Language” and “The Cookout”, both of which helped elevate his personal star.
Another dimension in Nave’s real-life music is his family. His wife serves as not only his business partner, so to speak, but also his stylist. “The branding has a lot to do with my wife. She is really into fashion and imagery. Speak the Language video, she basically directed it. Photoshoots I defer to her. She’s the main reason why the brand is as big as it is.”
Nave’s song, “Fight With the Mrs” off his recent project, Stay Connected, injects a fictional energy into a story while also representing their fluid work relationship. This year, Nave upped the ante even further, dropping For Your Consideration, a live instrumentation EP that furthers lifts his banner higher.
My goal is to be interesting. That’s my biggest gripe with hip-hop right now. The music isn’t interesting. Give me a big swing at least. I want to be musically interesting like Tyler the Creator, says Nave.
Wright World 