Mercury Music Prize – Speech Debelle
Quite a surprise all round on the winner on the Mercury Music Prize with Speech Debelle, who many considered to be the token urban act, came through and picked up the prize. Whilst her album doesn’t always hot the right notes with me I do appreciate what she’s doing surrounding herself with great musicians and bringing hip hop away from the pure production studio environment that has defined it for much of recent history. It’s a airy, breezy acid jazz to all intents and purposes, with Speech Debelle throwing some ‘honeyed’ south London rap on top.
Here we’ve got the lady herself helping on a Pete Lawrie track which has a bit of bluesy Gomez about it.
BUY Speech Debelle – Speech Therapy @ Phonica | Rough Trade | Amazon UK | Play
Pete Lawrie feat. Speech Debelle – Black & Blue (That’s How I Feel About You)
I kind of agree; considering it’s rap it’s not THAT bad. Still… But there’s a silver lining http://playparanoid.blogspot.com/2009/09/its-not-that-i-hate-speech-debelle.html
(And I’m kind of glad my favourites didn’t win. Wouldn’t want to see Faris&Co recording Jingle Bells come December…)
True. And I generally pretty much hate rap (except Dizzee – maybe it’s a Mercury thing?), but she does have musical credibility and is doing something interesting and different which is what the Mercury Prize is all about
Something about her completely puts me off. And I actually enjoy rap to varying degrees.
Now having just seen her live set at Bestival – that is a very good live show. The music (and especially the rhythm and double bass) is a lot more biting, and she know how to get the crowd onside.
I’m still not a massive fan of the album, but live she is definitely worth seeing, especially if it’s in a smallish venue.
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