Novel’s I Am Future Black President is a slight glimpse into one of the most anticipated releases of 2009, The Audiobiography, due out later this year. Novel is a definite rose amid a lot of thorns. His music is telling you something; it takes you on a journey while it gets your head nodding. On “I Am (feat. Ben Folds, Talib Kweli and Spree Wilson)” Novel sets the EP’s tone with a conscious tune about possibilities and hope. You really can’t go wrong when you team up with Talib Kweli. On “Wild West” Novel continues on the message front with a tune about gun violence but the beat is so fresh that it keeps a great balance between consciousness and fun. “Damn” and “Sista” show us a more gentler side to Novel, the former being a gritty love side, and the latter, a brilliant re-mix of “Miss Celies Blues” sung by Shug Avery in the Color Purple. It is hard to envision a man singing this song, but after listening to Novel’s version, it all makes sense. Finally, the EP comes to a close with “Fly Away (feat. KnivezOut),” a heartfelt inspirational track that highlights yet another side of Novel’s talents. He’s part singer part songwriter part rapper but all talent, and having produced for the likes of Alicia Keys, Leona Lewis and Beyonce, 2009 will undoubtedly be Novel's time to shine.