MOBOS
‘Y ou’ve heard of us, even if you don’t know it yet. Remember that boy driving you mad on the bus, playing music on his mobile at full volume? He’s listening to us. So is his sister, his best mate, his best mate’s older brother and his teacher. We make songs for your mum, your dad and your nan.’
And with these words a nation falls in love with urban pop stars N-Dubz. The democratic rappers’ above manifesto – as emblazoned on their Facebook, MySpace and Bebo – speaks volumes on the infiltration of UK urban music into the mainstream. Downloads and ringtones rule the charts; the web has trashed barriers between fan and artist; commercial demand for accessible pop with a credible legacy is rampant.
Little wonder then that London’s N-Dubz – a lovably ‘edgy’ R&B trio – are up for several gongs at the public-voted 14th MOBO (Music of Black Origin) Awards, which take place on 30 September in Glasgow.
URBAN legends
This month, the MOBO Awards descend on Glasgow’s SECC, complete with a cavalcade of UK and international stars and legions of their devoted fans. Nicola Meighan talks to African music legend Baaba Maal and up-and-coming Glaswegian soul singer Emeli Sandé about the meaning of the MOBOs and the rise and rise of the UK’s own hip hop superstars
N-Dubz, of course, are not alone in plotting urban music’s galactic trajectory: hip hop dissident Dizzee Rascal, grime insurgent Tinchy Stryder and renegade teenage emcee Chipmunk have all absconded from the underground to become three of Britain’s biggest-selling acts in 2009. And they’re going head-to-head with US megastars in a ‘Brit Pack’ loaded MOBO roster. Other familiar homegrown nominees include reality vanquishers Alexandra Burke and JLS, Eurovision aspirant Jade Ewen, and Strictly Come Dancing’s Alesha Dixon (though curiously, there’s nary a mention of Mercury-winner Speech Debelle). While rightly spotlighting UK talent as domestic hip hop hijacks the pop market, the awards can also convincing international standing. MOBO is Europe’s leading black music brand, and its annual aural carousal is one the most televised multicultural music awards shows in the world. It reaches millions of viewers across five continents, and in addition to nominations for bling-encrusted universal big- hitters like Kanye West, Jay-Z and Beyonce, the MOBOs also pay critical homage to soul, reggae, jazz, gospel and African music. Prospective 2009 victors include afrobeat torchbearer Femi Kuti, jazz trailblazer Herbie Hancock and Senegalese troubadour Baaba Maal. claim
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Maal believes the MOBOs perform a vital role in raising global social and political awareness. ‘All over the world, 22 THE LIST 24 Sep–8 Oct 2009