Urban warriors

MEET RAY BLK, NAO AND LITTLE SIMZ, THREE POWERFUL WOMEN WHO ARE BREAKING BLACK BRITISH MUSIC OUT OF THE UNDERGROUND

We talk to three female British grime artists: Ray BLK, Nao and Little Simz

It’s a Monday night in London, ice cold, drizzling, and the wind is relentless – this is the kind of weather that usually warrants a duvet and an evening of Netflix. But tonight, no one is staying in. Since 4pm, a queue has been forming outside Village Underground, a 1,000-capacity warehouse in London’s Shoreditch, for the sold-out show of the 23-year-old Catford native Ray BLK. All this for an artist who has yet to release a full album, isn’t signed to a label, and has done little press to promote the gig.

Ray BLK is one face of an underground music scene that, for a long time, was heard only in playgrounds, across pirate transmissions, in churches and, occasionally, on national radio. For decades, it was American hip-hop that fed our fascination with street culture. But perhaps, in a more globalised world, we’re keen to hear stories of urban life beyond the US, including those from our own back yard. British grime, rap, soul and R&B are now mainstream genres, and British musicians such as Ray BLK, Stormzy, Little Simz, Nao and Lady Leshurr are the artists riding that wave. The scene encompasses music that takes its cues from Jamaican parents’ records, African highlife, gospel music and bhangra, and the eclectic results sound like British life today.

The ripples are being felt across the Atlantic, too. Drake has a BBK tattoo (for Boy Better Know, the British grime collective run by Mercury Prize-winner Skepta), and his album More Life, self-described as a ‘playlist’, features a slew of UK artists such as singers Sampha and Jorja Smith, and rapper Giggs. Kanye West’s 2015 Adidas Originals collection was allegedly inspired by the 2011 London riots, while Sampha also appeared on Solange’s single, Don’t Touch My Hair. The message is clear: there’s a powerful new force in music, and it’s British.

In fact, the question of British identity is being tackled with a thrilling amount of diversity and nuance. For black women like Ray BLK, Nao and Little Simz, telling their different stories

– of love, heartache, rebellion and youth – is a powerful declaration. For black women specifically, and women of colour in general, whose stories are often institutionally silenced, the music takes on a renewed political stance THE 23-YEAR-OLD SINGER

FROM CATFORD, LONDON,

HAS BEEN CALLED THE UK’S

ANSWER TO LAURYN HILL AND

WAS NOMINATED ‘BEST NEWCOMER’ AT THE 2016 MOBO AWARDS.

What is the story you’re trying to tell? ‘All my songs are my stories. They’re tales of a young black woman living in London. There are so many issues women like myself face; in relationships, in our careers, in society. The aim of my music is to help people heal, boost their confidence and know their worth. This is such an exciting time for British music. I go to the US, people hear my accent and the first thing they want to talk about with me is grime music, which is amazing because that would never have happened a few years ago.’

What do you think this generation of artists are responding to?

‘I think there’s a bit of a rebellion going on against traditional structures and hierarchy. The more new artists use the internet, the more democratised the music industry will become, which will level the playing field.’

How important is it to celebrate ‘black girl magic’?

‘It’s incredibly important, because the media doesn’t celebrate black beauty. People are only empowered when they see themselves being represented, so when you rarely see someone who looks like you being acclaimed in any field, it makes your goals seem unachievable and communicates that you’re not good enough. I think that, particularly for young black girls, it’s important to tell them they’re smart, beautiful, strong and can achieve anything.’ LISTEN TO: My Hood. Featuring Stormzy, this is Ray BLK’s ode to her south London neighbourhood.

THE 29-YEAR-OLD BRIT

AWARDS NOMINEE FROM

EAST LONDON DESCRIBES HER SOUND AS ‘WONKY FUNK’, COMBINING SOUL, ELECTRO AND R&B.

How does your music sum you up? ‘I’m in my late twenties, and I’m having massive changes in my relationships – I’m in a completely different world to where I’ve been. My album, For All We Know, is about having a transitional stage as a woman and hoping to come out the other side.’

What’s the story behind your album? ‘It’s a letter! I keep a journal, and it’s like I’m a 15-year-old girl. The album is getting out all the feelings, and

I just sing from my soul. It’s the way music heals me and helps me speak my own truth.’

How would you describe your sound? ‘I started using the term ‘wonky funk’ because everyone would refer to my music as R&B, and I didn’t think it was. Think about Prince – he is so musical, but when you think of him, you would never describe his music as R&B. I love funk rhythms, basslines and guitars, so I think ‘wonky funk’ encompasses that it’s funk, soul, electronic music and R&B. I’m quite moody and dark. I think that we, as women, feel all those things sometimes.’

LISTEN TO: In the Morning. This heart-wrenching song is about the melancholy of relationships. without needing to discuss it outright. The message is gentle and subtle: it’s about letting the melody make the point about black female excellence through each note of a piano line and stomp of a bass clap.

During Ray BLK’s performance, which sees her laughing with the crowd when she makes a mistake on a song, she shouts out ‘Black girl magic’ and performs an impromptu cover of Say My Name by Destiny’s Child. It’s a confident moment, as she hits every note, but this is also her chance to put her story, postcode and comrades on the map. After she shouts out to her friends ‘in the front row’, she brings on Stormzy. The 23-year-old grime star (and fellow south Londoner) is another artist who is forging his success in his own way. At the time of writing, he has a number-one album with Gang Signs & Prayer, three top-10 singles, co-signs (a seal of approval) from Chris Martin and Adele, and an army of Twitter followers (647K at a recent count).

Stormzy has achieved what many ‘urban’ artists have not by successfully penetrating the Radio 1-friendly music market of largely white, suburban areas in the UK. Historically, major labels have struggled with knowing what to do with black British music. Is it destined to be only a niche? Would suburban listeners identify with grime’s London-centric street-life narrative? Does rap need a catchy top line and some pop producers to make it to Radio 1? Thanks to the industry’s inability to convincingly answer these questions, the urban genre’s graveyard is littered with artists – Jacob Banks, Chipmunk and Laura Mvula to name just a few – who were destined for success, signed and then dropped.

By contrast, there is one mainstream institution that has done its best to bring about wider recognition for these artists: BBC 1Xtra, which celebrates its 15th anniversary this year. The station has consistently channelled black voices of the underground scene through the airwaves and into cars, building sites, living rooms and schools the country over.

Yet Stormzy, Ray BLK et al appear less concerned with the traditional structure of crossover success: being unsigned is now seen as a power play. After all, this is a generation who grew up in a recession; they lacked

resources and had low expectations about the future of music, so they exploited the do-it-yourself potential of the internet to access audiences directly.

Rapper Little Simz is another unsigned artist. Her sound is uncompromising; the 23-year-old north Londoner is happy to indulge the surreal and dark elements of her music

(she also released a four-part comic-book series based on her album, Stillness in Wonderland). Validation has come from the likes of Lauryn Hill, whom she supported on tour last year alongside Nas. She has a mighty output, with two albums, four mixtapes and seven EPs that take the listener through poverty, chaos and growing up. She isn’t afraid to call out shabby treatment where she sees it; recently, she took to Twitter to allege that one of the heads at BBC Radio 1 ‘blocked’ her album from being played on air. The fallout launched a Twitter thread about how slow the station and wider music industry have been to support her. In solidarity, Spotify streamed her album; now she has 263,962 monthly listeners on the music service, showing that the audiences are there.

East London singer-songwriter and producer Nao is also attracting plenty of attention. Her soulful debut album, For

All We Know, which led to a Brit Awards nomination for Best British Female Solo

Artist, transports the listener to universal moments of pain and pleasure, inadequacy and heartbreak. In the pop world, Adele belts through similar themes, but Nao’s music is what she calls ‘wonky funk’, influenced by Prince.

Over the past few years, British life has become more challenging, more fluid, and more confusing – and so has its soundtrack. This is not a single, coherent genre, nor is it a neat Britpop moment. These are rich, diverse artists making their art heard in their own way. And if you’re looking for proof that they have an audience, look no further than those young people standing side by side in the freezing rain, waiting for Ray BLK to come on stage – waiting to hear something they can believe in.

Kieran Yates is the co-author of ‘Generation Vexed’ and editor of British Values magazine THE 23-YEAR-OLD RAPPER FROM ISLINGTON, LONDON, BUILDS HER BRAND AROUND SURREAL RAP AND FANTASY-INFUSED STORIES, WHICH HAVE WON HER CRITICAL ACCLAIM. How excited are you about the music scene in Britain right now?

‘It’s a great time for British music.

A lot of my friends were nominated for Brit Awards, and I’m excited to see what the next nine months bring.’ Why is black British music having a breakthrough moment?

‘There’s a great burst of energy and light coming from us. It helps when everyone is doing well, because it motivates everyone. It makes you want to go for it. When that mentality is building you, only good can come of it.’ How important is it to sound unique? ‘You have to be diverse, because it’s a lot to do with identity. Everyone wants to be an individual. The best way to do that is to try and separate yourself from what everyone else is doing.’

Who are you listening to right now? ‘Syd Tha Kid’s album, Fin, and Kehlani’s album, SweetSexySavage – and my own. I also love Yussef Kamaal and Anderson Paak – I’d really like to work with them. ‘ How empowering is being able to make music on your own terms?

‘I have the power to do what I want without approval, and it feels great. I don’t have to answer to people. I’m not a little girl, I’m not in school; I get to be my own woman and my own boss.’ What story are you telling?

‘It’s just my story, being a young black woman growing up in north London, and I hope it inspires. I feel like if I can do it, anyone can.’

LISTEN TO: Dead Boy. This dark insight into the more sinister corners of life got Little Simz a co-sign from Kendrick Lamar.