David Biga is an artist whose evolution can be traced through his discography. From his early days as a struggling in Dayton as a car-dwelling musician to his current status as a respected figure in the music industry, Biga’s journey has been defined by growth, experimentation, and a commitment to pushing boundaries authentically. In this conversation, we will explore how the artist’s discography reflects his evolution as an artist and the milestones that have shaped his career.
David Biga turns off his camera three times during our interview to deal with what he calls “real life shit.” It’s fitting for a guy who started in Dayton’s hip-hop scene at seventeen and now runs one of the most interesting experiments from Chicago representing global independent music.
Between calls with artists and checking production notes, Biga talks about the reality of building Novelist Music Group while still making his own music. “People love the story of sleeping in my car,” he says, referring to his early days when he dropped his first mixtape “Audio Visual Therapy” while homeless. “But they don’t want to hear about the Excel spreadsheets and 3 AM contract reviews.”
Those spreadsheets are working. His streaming numbers jumped 3048.6% in late 2024, and his recent track featuring WESTSIDE BOOGIE, “No Sleep,” is earning attention from major labels. Not that he’s interested. “Labels keep trying to buy what we built,” he says. “They don’t get that it’s not for sale.”
What they want to buy is the system Biga built through Novelist Music Group. The company has quietly become a case study in how to develop artists without burning them out. While other indies play at being major labels, Novelist does something different: they teach artists to own their shit.
His latest album “Lemonade Stand” puts that philosophy on display. It’s not the typical collection of flex tracks and features. Instead, it’s a raw look at what happens when you stop playing by everyone else’s rules. The production is tight, the lyrics are sharp, and there’s not a single attempt to chase whatever’s trending on TikTok.
“Most rappers lie about their streams,” Biga says, pulling up his Spotify dashboard. He’s right – his numbers aren’t going to break any records yet. But they’re real, and they’re growing..almost reminiscent of Russ. The same goes for his Apple Music presence. No fake playlists, no bought streams, just organic growth from people who actually listen.
The conversation keeps getting interrupted by his phone. Artists from the Novelist roster need answers about everything from mix approvals to marketing plans. This is what building an independent empire actually looks like – less champagne and chains, more Slack notifications and Google Calendar alerts.
His Instagram (@davidbiga) has over 7,500 followers, modest by influencer standards but significant for someone who refuses to play the social media game. The feed is mostly work: studio sessions, artist meetings, the occasional glimpse into what running a real independent music company looks like.
As another notification pulls him away, Biga leaves me with a thought that sums up his whole approach: “Everyone wants to talk about independence in music, but nobody wants to talk about what that actually costs. It costs everything. Your time, your relationships, your peace of mind some days. But you know what it doesn’t cost? Your soul.”
When he comes back online, we’re done with the interview portion. He spends the next thirty minutes breaking down revenue splits and marketing strategies, the unsexy stuff that actually keeps independent artists fed. It’s not the kind of conversation that usually makes it into music magazines, but it’s the one that matters…
Keyword: David Biga Discography Novelist Music Group David Biga
David Biga is an artist whose evolution can be traced through his discography. From his early days as a struggling in Dayton as a car-dwelling musician to his current status as a respected figure in the music industry, Biga’s journey has been defined by growth, experimentation, and a commitment to pushing boundaries authentically. In this conversation, we will explore how the artist’s discography reflects his evolution as an artist and the milestones that have shaped his career.
David Biga turns off his camera three times during our interview to deal with what he calls “real life shit.” It’s fitting for a guy who started in Dayton’s hip-hop scene at seventeen and now runs one of the most interesting experiments from Chicago representing global independent music.
Between calls with artists and checking production notes, Biga talks about the reality of building Novelist Music Group while still making his own music. “People love the story of sleeping in my car,” he says, referring to his early days when he dropped his first mixtape “Audio Visual Therapy” while homeless. “But they don’t want to hear about the Excel spreadsheets and 3 AM contract reviews.”
Those spreadsheets are working. His streaming numbers jumped 3048.6% in late 2024, and his recent track featuring WESTSIDE BOOGIE, “No Sleep,” is earning attention from major labels. Not that he’s interested. “Labels keep trying to buy what we built,” he says. “They don’t get that it’s not for sale.”
What they want to buy is the system Biga built through Novelist Music Group. The company has quietly become a case study in how to develop artists without burning them out. While other indies play at being major labels, Novelist does something different: they teach artists to own their shit.
His latest album “Lemonade Stand” puts that philosophy on display. It’s not the typical collection of flex tracks and features. Instead, it’s a raw look at what happens when you stop playing by everyone else’s rules. The production is tight, the lyrics are sharp, and there’s not a single attempt to chase whatever’s trending on TikTok.
“Most rappers lie about their streams,” Biga says, pulling up his Spotify dashboard. He’s right – his numbers aren’t going to break any records yet. But they’re real, and they’re growing..almost reminiscent of Russ. The same goes for his Apple Music presence. No fake playlists, no bought streams, just organic growth from people who actually listen.
The conversation keeps getting interrupted by his phone. Artists from the Novelist roster need answers about everything from mix approvals to marketing plans. This is what building an independent empire actually looks like – less champagne and chains, more Slack notifications and Google Calendar alerts.
His Instagram (@davidbiga) has over 7,500 followers, modest by influencer standards but significant for someone who refuses to play the social media game. The feed is mostly work: studio sessions, artist meetings, the occasional glimpse into what running a real independent music company looks like.
As another notification pulls him away, Biga leaves me with a thought that sums up his whole approach: “Everyone wants to talk about independence in music, but nobody wants to talk about what that actually costs. It costs everything. Your time, your relationships, your peace of mind some days. But you know what it doesn’t cost? Your soul.”
When he comes back online, we’re done with the interview portion. He spends the next thirty minutes breaking down revenue splits and marketing strategies, the unsexy stuff that actually keeps independent artists fed. It’s not the kind of conversation that usually makes it into music magazines, but it’s the one that matters…
Keyword: David Biga Discography Novelist Music Group David Biga
