MOBO AWARDS NOMINATIONS
It’s been a huge year for the urban scene in the UK, and a huge year for British music in general. With landmark critically acclaimed albums from J Hus and Giggs, Chart domination by Giggs and Cardi B, and young artists like AJ Tracey and Dave lighting up the scene with great singles. Here are our nominees, and why they deserve your attention:
Dave
Nominated for: Best Male Act, Best Newcomer
Catch him on tour this November: Tickets HERE!
Without doubt one of the most talented youngsters to emerge out of the Grime scene in recent years, the South London rapper/singer has consistently impressed critics and fans alike with a string of fantastic singles which have caused huge waves in the underground. From the banger Thiago Silva, where Dave and AJ Tracey trade bars over a classic grime instrumental, to the R&B tune Wanna Know which made such an impact that it was covered by Drake himself. His recent project Six Paths was well received by critics. A worthy nominee for sure. Listen to Six Paths on Spotify Below:
Jorja Smith
Nominated For: Best Female Act, Best Newcomer, Best R&B/Soul Act
Catch her on tour this Febuary: Tickets HERE!
Another incredibly exciting newcomer, Jorja Smith has been nominated for no less than 3 MOBO Awards, and for good reason too. While still very early on in her career (Jorja released he first EP late last year), she has already made a huge impact, including a charting single with On My Mind featuring Preditah, which also made huge waves in the underground, not to mention no less than two features on Drakes huge 2017 album More Life, including a song dedicated solely to her. Listen to her debut EP, Project 11 on Spotify Below:
Ray BLK
Nominated For: Best Female Act, Best R&B/Soul Act
Catch her on tour this December: Tickets HERE!
Hailing from Catford, South London, and Nigeria before that, Ray BLK has been making a serious name for herself in the London R&B scene. Earlier this year, she won the BBC Sound of 2017 Award, given to the most promising new music talent in the UK, the first unsigned artist ever to do so. She has released two EPs, both to critical acclaim, and is a well-known and loved artist in the underground. Well deserving of her two MOBO nominations and will undoubtedly go on to do great things. Listen to her sophomore EP, Durt on Spotify Below:
AJ Tracey
Nominated: Best Grime Act
Catch him on tour this October: Tickets HERE!
In just over a year, West London MC AJ Tracy has gone from exciting newcomer to one of the biggest names in the Grime scene. AJ has 5 EPs and 2 mixtapes to his name, all of which have been received well. He has no shortage of big songs, including bangers such as Buster Cannon, Pasta, and Thiago Silva with Dave. Undoubtedly a lyrical talent and one of the best in the game, he would be a worthy winner of Best Grime Act. Listen to his latest EP, “Secure the Bag!” on Spotify Below:
Craig David
Nominated For: Best R&B/Soul Act
Catch him on tour this November: Tickets HERE!
What is there to say about Craig David? He’s been killing it since his first hit in 1999, and since then has released 6 studio albums, been nominated for 13 Brit Awards and 2 Grammys, had 20 songs in the UK Top 40, and sold over 15 million records. No small achievement. His last album, Following My Intuition, brought him crashing back into the public consciousness, making him more relevant than ever. The album brought with it a well-deserved Mercury nomination and huge song with “When the Bassline Drops”. Listen to Following My Intuition on Spotify below:
Mostack
Nominated For: Best Male Act
Catch him on tour this November: Tickets HERE!
North London MC Mostack is without doubt one of the bigger rappers in the game right now, coming up on hit songs like So Paranoid with J Jus, and underground hit I Do. Without doubt an artist to watch, he has big things ahead of him. Listen to his latest single on Spotify below:
Emeli Sande
Nominated For: Best Female Act
Catch her on tour this October: Tickets HERE!
Hailing from Alford, Scotland, Emeli Sande has been on top the game since her breakout hit in 2011, and hasn’t slowed down since. Her debut album, Our Version of Events, spent 10 consecutive weeks on the top the UK Top 40, and had huge singles such as Next To Me, and Read All about It. Her latest album, Long Live the Angels, is no less of a triumph, and won her a well-deserved Brit Award. A classy nominee who deserves any accolades she receives. Listen to her latest album on Spotify below:
Wiley
Nominated For: Best Grime Act
Catch him in London next March: Tickets HERE!
A long time ago in Bow, East London, a boy called Richard was cooking up a sound that would change the course of British music. He called himself Wiley, and the sound was called Grime. Aside from being responsible for numerous stellar Grime albums, including the classic Treddin’ On Thin Ice and the awesome 2017 album Godfather, Wiley is responsible for the cultivation of huge swaths of Grime’s biggest stars, including Dizzee Rascal, Skepta and Chip. His influence and talent have always been undeniable, and this year he has looked stronger than ever. A worthy winner if there ever was one. Listen to Godfather on Spotify Below:
Bugzy Malone
Nominated For: Best Male Act
Catch him on tour this October: Tickets HERE!
Bugzy Malone has, over the last few years, become one of the biggest musicians in the Grime scene and one of the most important figures in the revival of the movement. Leading the charge for Manchester’s Grime scene, Bugzy has come up on a series of viral singles, and punchy EPs. He continues to be one of the most interesting and consistent MCs in the scene, and is only getting bigger and better. Listen to his new EP King of the North on Spotify below:
Cardi B
Nominated For: Best International Act
Catch her at the Spotify Presents Show this November, tickets HERE!
Cardi B’s meteoric rise to fame has been something to behold. Her massive smash hit song Bodak Yellow, has been the biggest Hip Hop song of the summer, not to mention the first solo female rap song to top the Billboard hot 100 in almost 20 years, since Lauryn Hill herself. Since Bodak Yellow, Cardi B has only gone on to improve her skill as a musician, and has numerous successful singles under her belt. Big things seem to be ahead for Cardi B, and we can’t wait. Listen to her latest mixtape on Spotify below:
Giggs
Nominated For: Best Male Act
Catch him at the Spotify Presents Show this November, tickets HERE!
Giggs has been a staple in the UK Hip Hop scene for well over a decade now, and for good reason. Since his early underground classic song Talking the Hardest, Giggs has been giving us banger after banger and killer feature after killer feature, serenading the streets with his instantly recognizable voice. His 2016 album Landlord was huge, with big singles like Lock Doh, and songs for long term fans like Whippin Excursion. He also appeared twice on Drakes latest album More Life, gaining exposure in the US. Giggs is more relevant than ever, and is only going to grow from here. Check out Landlord on Spotify below.
Stefflon Don
Nominated For: Best Female Act, Best Newcomer
Catch her at the Spotify Presents Show this November, tickets HERE!
Stefflon Don is arguably the queen of the Grime scene in 2017. Hailing from Birmingham, but growing up in Holland and London, Stefflon has been steadily rising in fame and popularity over recent years. She began to turn heads with her cover of Lock Arff by Section Boyz, and has since gained popularity and acclaim with various fiery singles and guest verses, most notably on the Lethal Bizzle track Wobble. Listen to her latest mixtape on Spotify Below:
J Hus
Nominated For: Best Male Act, Best Album, Best Song, Best Video
Catch him at the Spotify Presents Show this November, tickets HERE!
East London MC J Hus is easily one of the most exciting and talented MCs in the UK right now. His style is very hard to pin down, as he can switch from grime to boom bap to trap within the space of an album, yet his sound is still seamless somehow, and hard as nails to boot. His latest album, Common Sense was nominated for a Mercury prize and has amassed strong critical acclaim, deservedly. It’s an album stacked with strong songs and bangers, and shows that J Hus only has room to grow in the future. Check out Common Sense on Spotify Below: