This is an album for the forgotten people, all of those who find themselves between everywhere + nowhere. Those whose stories were left blank for artists such as Guvna B to bear witness and continue.
Reaching the ten-plus year mark in your career as an artist is always a cause for celebration but it also represents a time for renewal. With 2 MOBO Awards and 3 UMAs, eight projects spanning thirteen years, Guvna B is a seasoned veteran who’s found a new direction with his sound.
Over the years, the east London MC has built up a legacy using his artistry as a message of empowerment as well as an embodiment of his faith which has guided him throughout life. As Guvna B approaches the release of his forthcoming album later this year, everywhere + nowhere, the soundscape and writing he’s exploring shows that his faith is one of many sides to him. In his words, “I felt like I was pigeonholed slightly and as I’m getting older I realised I wanted to talk about broader topics and make music that a lot of people could relate to.”
everywhere + nowhere is inspired heavily by the late American photographer Vivian Maier whose work wasn’t discovered and recognised until after death. Guvna B feels as though it’s an accurate representation of people from his background, from ends, whose stems are cut short before the seeds have had a chance to sprout.
Following the loss of his father in 2017, everywhere + nowhere touches on the fragility of life, grief and bereavement, but there is hope which Guvna B embraces as he approaches this new chapter in his career. Speaking on his loss, he says: “I realised I didn’t deal with it very well and it unearthed a lot of memories that I’d buried and this album is heavily inspired by the mandem from the ends, loss and hope.”
On his ninth full length project, Guvna B enlists a host of the artists leading the contemporary scene with TSB, Wretch 32, Ezra Collective and Barney Artist all lending their own unique imprints on what he believes is one of the biggest moments of his career. .... ....