Speech Debelle

Speech Debelle

Speech Debelle is a British rap artist from London, England. Born in 1983, she works in hip hop and underground hip hop and is signed to the Big Dada record label.

Career

Debelle wins the Mercury Prize in 2009 for her debut album Speech Therapy. The album is released in the United Kingdom in 2009 and includes the singles “Searching”, “The Key” and “Go Then, Bye”. She begins writing poetry at the age of nine and starts rapping in the schoolyard at 13. Early influences include Michael Jackson, later followed by Blackstreet, Mary J Blige, TLC and reggae.

Style and recognition

Her music is noted for its honesty and for the contrast between her warm, youthful voice and the personal subject matter in her lyrics. The Mercury Prize judges describe her as a “remarkable new voice in British hip-hop, tough, warm and reflective”, and Charles Hazlewood says she tells her stories “in the most beguiling way”. Her debut single “Searching” is associated with the offbeat, folky production that characterises the album.