There's a lot of young black talent, we've been told. That there is great musical talent in Britain is not in dispute. But the issues are much wider than talent. There are more important business, economical and political issues to deal with. Where are the infrastructural pathways to support these musical talents and help build a sustainable domestic industry?
Some have said black music runs the music. Perhaps to some extent, but we are focused on the British portion. What percentage of black music consumption is British? Put another way, what proportion of the black music income generated in Blightly helps feed a British artist, producer or songwriter, for example?
The scope of British black music should not be limited to 'urban', 'underground', 'street', 'on road' - that's all cool, but few adequately feed themselves by strictly confining themselves to these scenes. Is Sean Paul or Kanye West 'urban' or 'street'? Don't be fooled, they and their ilk shift units within the 'crossover' or 'mainstream' market, and have a high level of creative and financial independence. But where are their British equivalents?
Two recently published The BRIT Awards 2006 nominations and the Music Week 2005 year end are just about the best barometers reflecting what's happening in the 'mainstream' market. After you've read our brief commentary on these indicators, perhaps you'd be in a better position to ponder if British black music should just shut up shop and leave our market to the American, and the odd Jamaican, artists, producers, songwriters, record and fashion label owners...
Well, the BRIT Awards 2006
nominees have recently been announced. This reflection of the best of
British hardly has any British black music
representation. OK, there's the British Urban Act category, where
you’ll find the following nominees: Craig David, Dizzee
Rascal, Kano, Lemar, and Ms
Dynamite. But what about the rest of the British categories? I
guess you could mention Sugababes, whose chart-topping ‘Push
The Button’, gets a best British single nom. Can we dare claim KT
Tunstall or Katie Melua, whose music echoes of jazz and blues?
Looking at the Music Week 2005 year end analysis, it appears black music
hasn’t made much impact, much worse British black music. On the
nation’s biggest radio station, BBC Radio 2, Stevie Wonder came back,
placing ‘So What The Fuss’ at no. 10, and thankfully the Brits
placed with Craig David’s ‘Don’t Love You No
More’ at 15, and Beverley Knight’s ‘Keep The Fire
Burning’ at no. 27. The nation’s leading youth station, Radio 1,
wasn’t so supportive. Although the likes of Snoop Dog, 2Pac, The Game,
Black Eyed Peas, Usher, Kanye West, Mario and Amerie all featured in the
Top 30, except for hip-hip fusionists Gorillaz and dance group Basement
Jaxx, there was no British representation! The commercial
Independent Local Radio network was slightly better. Lemar’s ‘If
There’s Any Justice’ hit no. 6, and Sugababes’
‘Push The Button’ at no. 8.
So airplay apart, what about the sales rankings? Of the 2005 top 100
singles, Sugababes’ ‘Push The Button’ and
‘Ugly’ represented at no. 10 and 72 respectively, ex-Bluer Simon
Webbe’s ‘No Worries’ and ‘Lay Your Hands’
respectively made no. 43 and 50, Craig David’s
‘Don’t Love You No More’ made no. 58, Liberty X’s ‘Song 4
Lovers’ was at no. 75. Not very encouraging for a singles tally.
Album-wise, which is where careers and incomes are made, British black
music has usually fared badly, 2005 was no surprise. The big hitters
from James Blunt, Coldplay, Robbie Williams, Kaiser Chiefs, and Gorillaz
held the top 5 positions. Elsewhere, Faithless’ compo
‘Forever Faithless – The Greatest Hits’ lodged at no. 10, Sugababes’
‘Taller In More Ways’ made no. 22, Basement Jaxx’s
compo ‘The Singles no. 24, Joss Stone’s 2004 albums
‘Mind Body & Soul’ and ‘The Soul Sessions’ hung around long
enough to make no. 49 and 95, Simon Webbe’s
‘Sanctuary’ managed no. 65, Jamiroquai’s
‘Dynamite’ surprisingly implode at no. 68, Craig David’s
‘The Story Goes’ reached no. 77, and surprisingly, Lemar’s
2004 sophomore set ‘Time To Grow’ made it to no. 81.
Of course, there’s a lot happening on the underground scene, with the
likes of Kano and Sway causing
excitement. Every singer and MC and a dog seems to have a mix CD out.
That may be great for one’s cred, but a career it does not make. What
should we be doing to make sure there are sustainable careers within the
British black music scene? Those are some of the questions I hope we can
answer at the Black Music Congress debate’s ‘Should
British Black Music Shut Up Shop?’ at City University on
Saturday Feb. 4, 3-6pm. For more info: www.bbm-on.net/debate_bookingform.htm.