Paving The Way: Speech Debelle Interview [SoulCulture]
Published WorkPublished October 22, 2009 at 1:31 AM No Comments
South London’s Speech Debelle snuck in the back door this year with alternative Hip Hop album Speech Therapy. This time last year, many of us had never heard of her. Then in September, having developing a media buzz surrounding the album’s June 1st release on Big Dada (British home to Hip Hop from the likes of Roots Manuva and Ty), the 26-year old proudly won the Mercury Prize 2009 awarded to the year’s ‘best British album’ for her unique blend of jazzy, soulful Hip Hop.
Admittedly, I’m not too satisfied with that genre description either – but this difficulty in placing Debelle is probably what attracted the Mercury Prize judges in the first place. Her voice, somewhere between Hip Hop and Spoken Word, is softer and raspier than the rap you may be used to hearing; and certainly unlike previous Hip Hop influenced winners Ms. Dynamite (2002) and Dizzee Rascal (2003).
Whilst her vocals aren’t everyone’s personal preference the album, largely recorded in Australia, features a rousing and melodic variety of production by Wayne Lotek and showcases Debelle’s much-documented original and deeply personal storytelling of her life-shaping experiences, endearing the listener to each song inspired by her plight. (Primarily: an absent father and hopping between hostels and friend’s couches for four years aged 19, having left home due to an argument with her mother.)
Earlier this month I headed to King’s Cross, London to speak with Speech Debelle before her show at KOKO. Debelle is a succinct interviewee. Perhaps she has digested a point made by NME writer Luke Lewis last month, using Debelle as an example, that magazine and newspaper features alone are not going to sell out shows or propel an album into the UK charts. [Very interesting piece by the way – click to read.] Several media outlets highlighted the fact that prior to Speech Therapy winning the Mercury Prize last month, the album had sold less than 3000 copies since its release three months prior. Even media hype over the Mercury win didn’t push Speech Therapy into the Top 60.
