Big Dada
Encyclopedia
Big Dada Recordings is the Hip Hop
imprint of London
-based independent record label
, Ninja Tune
. It is best known for being the home of prominent British hip hop
artist Roots Manuva
. It was started by reputed hip hop journalist Will Ashon
in February 1997
. The label's first release was the Alpha Prhyme 12" Misanthropic's, a collaboration between Luke Vibert
and Juice Aleem
Over the following thirteen years the label has released over one hundred and fifty records and garnered considerable critical acclaim, being described by Observer Music Monthly as "the very best underground hip hop label"..
In 2007 the label released the compilation 'Well Deep' to celebrate their tenth anniversary. NME said the label was "not only a platform for the British urban underground but also attracts some of the most progressive wordsmiths and beat-scientists in the whole world... Big Dada are still pushing things forward" . As the quote suggests, Big Dada is not exclusively a label for British acts - their roster has also featured contributions from American hip hop artists including Saul Williams
, Mike Ladd
(Infesticons / Majesticons) and Daniel Dumile
(MF Doom
, King Geedorah), and French hip hop
artists, TTC
. They also released debut albums by both Diplo and Spank Rock, as well as the comeback album from grime legend Wiley, who was so pleased with the record deal they offered that he recorded a single, "50/50," in tribute.
On 8 September 2009 Big Dada artist Speech Debelle
won the 2009 Barclaycard Mercury Prize for her debut album 'Speech Therapy.' It was the label's third nomination, after Roots Manuva and Ty.. Less than two months later the artist claimed to have split from the label, allegedly because sales of her debut album, Speech Therapy, "suffered because of poor distribution by Big Dada records." While the label haven't commented on these allegations, much press reaction has suggested that the situation was not so clear cut , with Alexis Petridis of the Guardian stating that "She was a bit hasty, wasn't she? Don't we think? Made a bit of an error... I think it's just particularly unfortunate in the case of a label like Big Dada because whatever else you make of it, and obviously it probably doesn't have the ability to promote your records in the way a a major label would, it's clearly a label that's been run for all the right reasons by someone who absolutely puts their heart and soul into the relentlessly maligned genre of UK hip hop." .
Perhaps the label's best known artist, Rodney Smith aka Roots Manuva, signed a new deal with the label after the release of "Run Come Save Me". In the documentary for the label's "Well Deep" DVD, he said, "It's been a lovely relationship over the years... Big Dada's unique and it will always be unique because it's a philosophy, y'know? It's unique because it dares to stick its neck out and it's run by people who genuinely love music. It's not just a record label, it's a movement."
Hip hop music
Hip hop music, also called hip-hop, rap music or hip-hop music, is a musical genre consisting of a stylized rhythmic music that commonly accompanies rapping, a rhythmic and rhyming speech that is chanted...
imprint of London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
-based independent record label
Independent record label
An independent record label is a record label operating without the funding of or outside the organizations of the major record labels. A great number of bands and musical acts begin on independent labels.-Overview:...
, Ninja Tune
Ninja Tune
Ninja Tune is a London-based independent record label started by DJs Matt Black and Jonathan More, better known as Coldcut and managed by Peter Quicke. The label has a strong leaning towards mostly Electronic Music...
. It is best known for being the home of prominent British hip hop
British hip hop
British hip hop is a genre of music, and a culture that covers a variety of styles of hip hop music made in the United Kingdom. It is generally classified as one of a number of styles of urban music...
artist Roots Manuva
Roots Manuva
Rodney Hylton Smith , better known by his stage name Roots Manuva, is a British rapper from Stockwell, South London. He is currently signed to Big Dada.-Biography:...
. It was started by reputed hip hop journalist Will Ashon
Will Ashon
Will Ashon is an English novelist, former music journalist and founder of the Big Dada imprint of Ninja Tune records. Ashon was educated at Countesthorpe Community College and Balliol College, Oxford...
in February 1997
1997 in music
This is a list of notable events in music that took place in the year 1997.-January:*January 9 – David Bowie performs his 50th Birthday Bash concert at Madison Square Garden, New York City, USA with guests Frank Black, The Foo Fighters, Sonic Youth, Robert Smith of The Cure, Lou Reed, and Billy...
. The label's first release was the Alpha Prhyme 12" Misanthropic's, a collaboration between Luke Vibert
Luke Vibert
Luke Vibert is a British recording artist and producer known for his work in many subgenres of electronic music. Vibert began his musical career as a member of the Hate Brothers, only later branching out into his own compositions...
and Juice Aleem
Juice Aleem
-Biography:After putting years of energy into the Birmingham Hip Hop scene, Juice's "Ghetto Grammer" Freestyle rap sessions started featuring such other future stars as Ty, Skinnyman and MPHO. In 1996 Will Ashon starts up his new Ninja Tune backed label Big Dada and plans a roster of performers...
Over the following thirteen years the label has released over one hundred and fifty records and garnered considerable critical acclaim, being described by Observer Music Monthly as "the very best underground hip hop label"..
In 2007 the label released the compilation 'Well Deep' to celebrate their tenth anniversary. NME said the label was "not only a platform for the British urban underground but also attracts some of the most progressive wordsmiths and beat-scientists in the whole world... Big Dada are still pushing things forward" . As the quote suggests, Big Dada is not exclusively a label for British acts - their roster has also featured contributions from American hip hop artists including Saul Williams
Saul Williams
Saul Stacey Williams is an American poet, writer, actor and musician known for his blend of poetry and alternative hip hop and for his leading role in the 1998 independent film Slam.-Biography:...
, Mike Ladd
Mike Ladd
Mike Ladd is a hip-hop MC and producer. As an MC, he practices spoken-word and is known for his poetic lyrics. As a producer, he is known as the owner of the Likemadd label.-Biography:...
(Infesticons / Majesticons) and Daniel Dumile
Daniel Dumile
Daniel Dumile is a hip hop artist who has taken on several stage names in his career, most notably MF DOOM, where the "MF" stands for metal face, and for tracks he has produced, metal fingers...
(MF Doom
MF Doom
Daniel Dumile is a hip hop artist who has taken on several stage names in his career, most notably MF DOOM, where the "MF" stands for metal face, and for tracks he has produced, metal fingers...
, King Geedorah), and French hip hop
French hip hop
French hip hop is the hip hop music style which was developed in France, and is considered the second worldwide hip hop scene after the U.S....
artists, TTC
TTC (band)
TTC is a four member hip hop and electronic band from Paris, France. It is composed of MCs Tido Berman, Teki Latex and Cuizinier plus DJ Orgasmic. They were signed to Big Dada for their first LP Ceci N'est Pas Un Disque, the title of which referred to René Magritte's painting La trahison des...
. They also released debut albums by both Diplo and Spank Rock, as well as the comeback album from grime legend Wiley, who was so pleased with the record deal they offered that he recorded a single, "50/50," in tribute.
On 8 September 2009 Big Dada artist Speech Debelle
Speech Debelle
Corynne Elliot , better known as Speech Debelle, is a British rapper currently signed to the Big Dada record label. She was the winner of the 2009 Mercury Prize.- Early life :...
won the 2009 Barclaycard Mercury Prize for her debut album 'Speech Therapy.' It was the label's third nomination, after Roots Manuva and Ty.. Less than two months later the artist claimed to have split from the label, allegedly because sales of her debut album, Speech Therapy, "suffered because of poor distribution by Big Dada records." While the label haven't commented on these allegations, much press reaction has suggested that the situation was not so clear cut , with Alexis Petridis of the Guardian stating that "She was a bit hasty, wasn't she? Don't we think? Made a bit of an error... I think it's just particularly unfortunate in the case of a label like Big Dada because whatever else you make of it, and obviously it probably doesn't have the ability to promote your records in the way a a major label would, it's clearly a label that's been run for all the right reasons by someone who absolutely puts their heart and soul into the relentlessly maligned genre of UK hip hop." .
Perhaps the label's best known artist, Rodney Smith aka Roots Manuva, signed a new deal with the label after the release of "Run Come Save Me". In the documentary for the label's "Well Deep" DVD, he said, "It's been a lovely relationship over the years... Big Dada's unique and it will always be unique because it's a philosophy, y'know? It's unique because it dares to stick its neck out and it's run by people who genuinely love music. It's not just a record label, it's a movement."
Artists
(Past and present artists)- Abstract Rude and Tribe UniqueAbstract RudeAbstract Rude is an American rapper, from Los Angeles, CA. He is the MC for the hip hop group Abstract Tribe Unique , alongside dancers Zulu Butterfly Prince and Irie Lion Locks, Turntablist DJ Drez, and Underground Hip Hop producer, Fat Jack...
- Alpha Prhyme
- Antipop ConsortiumAntipop ConsortiumAntipop Consortium are an American alternative hip hop group. The group formed in 1997, when Beans, High Priest, M. Sayyid and producer Earl Blaize met at a poetry slam in New York City...
- Bang On!
- Thavius BeckThavius BeckThavius Beck is an electronic musician, producer, MC, saxophone/bass guitar player, and a certified trainer of Ableton Live. He currently lives in Los Angeles, California.-Work:...
- Bigg JusBigg JusBigg Jus is an American hip hop artist from New York City, formerly a member of Company Flow along with Mr. Len and El-P. After the late-1990s breakup of Company Flow, Bigg Jus formed the now defunct Sub Verse Music and began to pursue his solo career...
/ NMS (Nephlim Modulation Systems) - BusdriverBusdriverBusdriver is a rapper from Los Angeles currently signed to Epitaph Records and Fake Four Inc-History:...
- Cadence WeaponCadence WeaponCadence Weapon is the stage name of Rollie Pemberton, a Canadian rapper.-Biography:Born and raised in Edmonton, Alberta, his father was Teddy Pemberton, a pioneering hip hop DJ on CJSR-FM, and his grandfather was Rollie Miles, a football player for the Edmonton Eskimos...
- cLOUDDEADCLOUDDEADClouddead was a musical group consisting of the experimental hip hop musicians Doseone , Why? , and Odd Nosdam . Generally Drucker and Wolf provide the group's vocals while Madson produces the music...
- DELSDels (musician)DELS is a rapper and graphics designer from Ipswich. He is based currently in London and a graduate of Kingston University. Dickins signed a three album deal with the Ninja Tune label Big Dada.-Releases:...
- Diplo / Diplodocus
- GammaGamma (band)Gamma was a band formed by guitarist Ronnie Montrose and singer Davey Pattison in San Francisco in 1979. They released four albums: Gamma 1 in 1979, Gamma 2 in 1980, Gamma 3 in 1982 and Gamma 4 in 2000...
- Infinite Livez
- K-the-I???K-the-I???K-the-I??? is an American rapper and producer born in Cambridge, Massachusetts and now based in Los Angeles, California.K-the-I??? began recording in 2002, and released several small-issue records before signing with Mush Records in 2006...
- JammerJammer (rapper)Jammer is a British rapper and producer active in the grime scene. Jammer is a member of the grime crew Boy Better Know....
- Juice AleemJuice Aleem-Biography:After putting years of energy into the Birmingham Hip Hop scene, Juice's "Ghetto Grammer" Freestyle rap sessions started featuring such other future stars as Ty, Skinnyman and MPHO. In 1996 Will Ashon starts up his new Ninja Tune backed label Big Dada and plans a roster of performers...
- KAIL
- King GeedorahMF DoomDaniel Dumile is a hip hop artist who has taken on several stage names in his career, most notably MF DOOM, where the "MF" stands for metal face, and for tracks he has produced, metal fingers...
- Mike LaddMike LaddMike Ladd is a hip-hop MC and producer. As an MC, he practices spoken-word and is known for his poetic lyrics. As a producer, he is known as the owner of the Likemadd label.-Biography:...
/ Infesticons / Majesticons - Lotek HiFiWayne LotekWayne "Lotek" Bennett is a music producer, songwriter and rapper from the UK. He is most famous for his work with Roots Manuva and more recently with Speech Debelle, producing her debut album Speech Therapy which won the 2009 Mercury Prize.In 2005, Lotek won the BBC Performing Arts Fund's Urban...
- New Flesh for Old / New Flesh
- Paris Suit Yourself
- Part 2
- Roots ManuvaRoots ManuvaRodney Hylton Smith , better known by his stage name Roots Manuva, is a British rapper from Stockwell, South London. He is currently signed to Big Dada.-Biography:...
- Spank RockSpank RockSpank Rock is an American hip-hop group consisting of rapper Naeem Juwan and producer Alex Epton . Their style is generally described as a mix of underground alternative rap and electro and rock.- Biography :...
- Speech DebelleSpeech DebelleCorynne Elliot , better known as Speech Debelle, is a British rapper currently signed to the Big Dada record label. She was the winner of the 2009 Mercury Prize.- Early life :...
- TTCTTC (band)TTC is a four member hip hop and electronic band from Paris, France. It is composed of MCs Tido Berman, Teki Latex and Cuizinier plus DJ Orgasmic. They were signed to Big Dada for their first LP Ceci N'est Pas Un Disque, the title of which referred to René Magritte's painting La trahison des...
- ThunderheistThunderheistThunderheist is an electronic music duo from Toronto and Montreal, Canada. Thunderheist is made up of producer Graham Bertie and Omolola Isis Salami . The two began collaborating before they had ever met in person, sending MP3 files to each other over the Internet.They are signed and released one...
- Two FingersAmon TobinAmon Adonai Santos de Araújo Tobin , known as Amon Tobin, is a Brazilian musician, composer and producer of electronic music. He is described as a virtuoso sound designer and is considered to be one of the most influential electronic music artists in the world...
- TyTy (rapper)Ty is the recording name of the British hip hop artist, Ben Chijioke.-Career:He was born in London, his family having moved from Nigeria to the UK. He is based in Vauxhall....
- WileyWiley (rapper)Richard Kylea Cowie , better known by his stage name Wiley is a prolific British music producer, MC and recording artist, and rapper with roots from Trinidad...
- Saul WilliamsSaul WilliamsSaul Stacey Williams is an American poet, writer, actor and musician known for his blend of poetry and alternative hip hop and for his leading role in the 1998 independent film Slam.-Biography:...
- Xrabit & DMG$
Big Dada Compilations
- Black Whole Styles (1998)
- Well Deep: Ten Years of Big Dada Recordings (2007)
External links
- Official site
- Ping Pong Promotion agency of Big Dada in France.