Ms. Dynamite
Encyclopedia
Niomi Arleen McLean-Daley (born 26 April 1981), who performs as Ms. Dynamite, is a double BRIT Award and three time MOBO Awards
winning UK garage
, R&B
and hip hop
singer and rapper
.
, to a Jamaican father and a Scottish mother. She grew up listening to reggae
and hip hop music. Though she wanted to become a schoolteacher or social worker, her biggest aspiration was to be a musician. She is the eldest of eleven siblings, one of whom is a hip-hop artist known as Akala
, and attended Acland Burghley School
in London.
underground track "Booo!", which was regularly played on London pirate radio
stations and was later released as a single. Whilst working at the radio station RAW FM, Ms Dynamite was discovered by Richard Forbes AKA DJ Sticky at a West End
club
. After working briefly with the UK garage
act So Solid Crew
, she released her debut album, A Little Deeper
in 2002, featuring the hit
songs "It Takes More
" and "Dy-na-mi-tee
". In 2003, the album was released in the United States to critical
acclaim. In 2002, Dynamite won the prestigious Mercury Music Prize
, for A Little Deeper. She donated the £20,000 prize to the NSPCC
.
Her first public performance was at the closing ceremony of the 2002 Commonwealth Games
at the City of Manchester Stadium
. On 2 July 2005, she performed at the Live 8
concert in Hyde Park, London
. Among the songs performed was "Redemption Song
" – a Bob Marley
penned song.
. Featuring more social commentary, in songs such as the first double A-side single, "Judgement Day
" / "Father
" and the Tony Blair
critique, "Mr Prime Minister," reviews of the album were not as favourable as those of her debut. However "Judgement Day" reached No. 25 in the UK Singles Chart
.
On the 6 January 2006, Ms Dynamite was arrested outside a London nightclub, after a brawl in which she punched a male police officer in the face whilst in custody. She was convicted and sentenced to sixty hours of community service
. The second single from Judgement Days was due to be "Fall In Love Again" (previously titled "When I Fall In Love"), with a release date of 30 January 2006. A video
was shot for the track but, due to her arrest, the single was cancelled. The video did not surface until June 2006, when it was leaked on to the web
.
In February 2006, she won the Naomi Award
for Worst Urban Act.
Since her trouble in January 2006 and her disappearance from the public eye, Ms Dynamite confirmed that the much rumoured 'A Little Darker' album would be released in March 2006 as a mixtape. After the confirmation, the album was pushed back to June 2006. Also, in April 2006, Ms Dynamite confirmed that there would be no more releases from her Judgement Days album, and that she was due to start working on new material.
A collection of new and upcoming UK hip-hop and garage artists, was compiled by Ms Dynamite and her rapping brother
Akala
, who was voted Best Hip Hop Act at the MOBO Awards
in September 2006.
In November 2006 she took part in a television show called The Race on Sky1. This was a week long event in which ten celebrities
had to compete against each other on the track in different races building up to a thirty lap Formula Ford
race on Sunday 12 November 2006. After about ten laps into the race disaster struck, and Ms. Dynamite hit the wall on the pit straight at about 100 mph. She was air lifted to hospital for overnight observations but later released.
, and stated she would be releasing a third album 'Democracy' in 2009. The first single from the new album will be "Bad Gyal". This was however later confirmed to have been push back, to concentrate on other projects and well as motherhood.
Ms Dynamite appeared on Hell's Kitchen on ITV1
in 2009. She was voted out by public vote on 24 April 2009 finishing fourth. Ms Dynamite also appeared as an expert adviser on Goldie's Band: By Royal Appointment on BBC Two
.
's second single, "Lights On
". It peaked at number 4 in the UK singles chart. She was also featured on the track "Fire", which featured on Magnetic Man
's debut album.
On 3 August 2011 in an interview with Digital Spy
, Dynamite confirmed that she is working on her third studio album, and confirmed that the lead single "Neva Soft
" (produced by Labrinth
) would be released on 4 September. Her third studio album is set to be released at the beginning of 2012.
, English, Irish, German and Grenadian
ancestries.
MOBO Awards
The Music of Black Origin Awards, established in 1995 by Kanya King MBE and Andy Ruffell, are held annually in the United Kingdom to recognise artists of any ethnicity or nationality performing black music....
winning UK garage
UK garage
UK garage is a genre of electronic dance music originating from the United Kingdom in the early-1990s. UK garage is a descendant of house music which originated in Chicago and New York, United States. UK garage usually features a distinctive syncopated 4/4 percussive rhythm with 'shuffling'...
, R&B
Contemporary R&B
Contemporary R&B is a music genre that combines elements of hip hop, soul, R&B and funk.Although the abbreviation “R&B” originates from traditional rhythm and blues music, today the term R&B is most often used to describe a style of African American music originating after the demise of disco in...
and hip hop
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...
singer and rapper
Rapping
Rapping refers to "spoken or chanted rhyming lyrics". The art form can be broken down into different components, as in the book How to Rap where it is separated into “content”, “flow” , and “delivery”...
.
Biography
Ms. Dynamite was born and raised in Archway, a district in North LondonNorth London
North London is the northern part of London, England. It is an imprecise description and the area it covers is defined differently for a range of purposes. Common to these definitions is that it includes districts located north of the River Thames and is used in comparison with South...
, to a Jamaican father and a Scottish mother. She grew up listening to reggae
Reggae
Reggae is a music genre first developed in Jamaica in the late 1960s. While sometimes used in a broader sense to refer to most types of Jamaican music, the term reggae more properly denotes a particular music style that originated following on the development of ska and rocksteady.Reggae is based...
and hip hop music. Though she wanted to become a schoolteacher or social worker, her biggest aspiration was to be a musician. She is the eldest of eleven siblings, one of whom is a hip-hop artist known as Akala
Akala (rapper)
Akala is an English rap and hip hop artist from Kentish Town, Camden, London. He is the younger brother of the singer Ms...
, and attended Acland Burghley School
Acland Burghley School
Acland Burghley School is a mixed comprehensive secondary school in the Tufnell Park area of the London Borough of Camden, in London, England. The school received specialist status as an Arts College in 2000...
in London.
2001–04: A Little Deeper
Ms. Dynamite (originally called Lady Dynamite) was first known for her vocals on the UK garageUK garage
UK garage is a genre of electronic dance music originating from the United Kingdom in the early-1990s. UK garage is a descendant of house music which originated in Chicago and New York, United States. UK garage usually features a distinctive syncopated 4/4 percussive rhythm with 'shuffling'...
underground track "Booo!", which was regularly played on London pirate radio
Pirate radio
Pirate radio is illegal or unregulated radio transmission. The term is most commonly used to describe illegal broadcasting for entertainment or political purposes, but is also sometimes used for illegal two-way radio operation...
stations and was later released as a single. Whilst working at the radio station RAW FM, Ms Dynamite was discovered by Richard Forbes AKA DJ Sticky at a West End
West End of London
The West End of London is an area of central London, containing many of the city's major tourist attractions, shops, businesses, government buildings, and entertainment . Use of the term began in the early 19th century to describe fashionable areas to the west of Charing Cross...
club
Nightclub
A nightclub is an entertainment venue which usually operates late into the night...
. After working briefly with the UK garage
UK garage
UK garage is a genre of electronic dance music originating from the United Kingdom in the early-1990s. UK garage is a descendant of house music which originated in Chicago and New York, United States. UK garage usually features a distinctive syncopated 4/4 percussive rhythm with 'shuffling'...
act So Solid Crew
So Solid Crew
So Solid Crew is an electronic and urban musical collective from South London, England, whose hits include "Oh No " and "21 Seconds", the latter reaching number one in the UK Singles Chart in August 2001. Another hit, "They Don't Know", reached number three in November 2001 and "Haters" got to...
, she released her debut album, A Little Deeper
A Little Deeper
A Little Deeper is the platinum selling Mercury Prize-winning debut album by English R&B/hip hop singer and rapper Ms. Dynamite, released on 10 June 2002.-Track listing:#"Natural High " – 0:56#"Dy-Na-Mi-Tee" – 3:39...
in 2002, featuring the hit
Hit record
A hit record is a sound recording, usually in the form of a single or album, that sells a large number of copies or otherwise becomes broadly popular or well-known, through airplay, club play, inclusion in a film or stage play soundtrack, causing it to have "hit" one of the popular chart listings...
songs "It Takes More
It Takes More
"It Takes More" is Ms. Dynamite's debut single from her first album A Little Deeper. It reached number seven in the UK Singles Chart in 2002, her second highest position reached to date on the chart.Ms...
" and "Dy-na-mi-tee
Dy-na-mi-tee
"Dy-Na-Mi-Tee" is Ms. Dynamite's second single from her first album A Little Deeper. It reached number five in the UK Singles Chart in 2002, her highest position reached to date on the chart....
". In 2003, the album was released in the United States to critical
Music journalism
Music journalism is criticism and reportage about music. It began in the eighteenth century as comment on what is now thought of as 'classical music'. This aspect of music journalism, today often referred to as music criticism , comprises the study, discussion, evaluation, and interpretation of...
acclaim. In 2002, Dynamite won the prestigious Mercury Music Prize
Mercury Prize
The Mercury Prize, formerly called the Mercury Music Prize and currently known as the Barclaycard Mercury Prize for sponsorship reasons, is an annual music prize awarded for the best album from the United Kingdom and Ireland. It was established by the British Phonographic Industry and British...
, for A Little Deeper. She donated the £20,000 prize to the NSPCC
NSPCC
The National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children is a United Kingdom charity campaigning and working in child protection.-History:...
.
Her first public performance was at the closing ceremony of the 2002 Commonwealth Games
2002 Commonwealth Games
The 2002 Commonwealth Games were held in Manchester, England from 25 July to 4 August 2002. The XVII Commonwealth Games was the largest multi-sport event ever to be held in the UK, eclipsing London's 1948 Summer Olympics in numbers of teams and athletes participating.After the 1996 Manchester...
at the City of Manchester Stadium
City of Manchester Stadium
The City of Manchester Stadium in Manchester, England – also known as the Etihad Stadium for sponsorship purposes– is the home ground of...
. On 2 July 2005, she performed at the Live 8
Live 8
Live 8 was a string of benefit concerts that took place on 2 July 2005, in the G8 states and in South Africa. They were timed to precede the G8 Conference and summit held at the Gleneagles Hotel in Auchterarder, Scotland from 6–8 July 2005; they also coincided with the 20th anniversary of Live Aid...
concert in Hyde Park, London
Hyde Park, London
Hyde Park is one of the largest parks in central London, United Kingdom, and one of the Royal Parks of London, famous for its Speakers' Corner.The park is divided in two by the Serpentine...
. Among the songs performed was "Redemption Song
Redemption Song
The song urges listeners to "Emancipate yourself from mental slavery," because "None but ourselves can free our minds". These lines were taken from a speech given by Marcus Garvey in Nova Scotia during October 1937 and published in his Black Man magazine:...
" – a Bob Marley
Bob Marley
Robert Nesta "Bob" Marley, OM was a Jamaican singer-songwriter and musician. He was the rhythm guitarist and lead singer for the ska, rocksteady and reggae band Bob Marley & The Wailers...
penned song.
2005–06: Judgement Days
On 11 September 2005, she returned to the limelight (having taken time off to have her son, Shavaar) with a new album entitled Judgement DaysJudgement Days
Judgement Days is the second studio album by English R&B/hip hop singer and rapper Ms. Dynamite, released in 2005 on Polydor Records. Chink Santana, Stephen Marsden, Christian Karlsson, and Lil Wayne collaborated on several tracks.-Reception:...
. Featuring more social commentary, in songs such as the first double A-side single, "Judgement Day
Judgement Day (Ms. Dynamite song)
"Judgement Day" is Ms Dynamite's first single from her second album Judgement Days. "Judgement Day" was released on 26 September, 2005 as a double A-side single with "Father"...
" / "Father
Father (Ms. Dynamite song)
"Father" is the first single taken from Ms. Dynamite's second studio album Judgement Days. "Father" was released on 26 September, 2005 as a double A-side single with "Judgement Day"...
" and the Tony Blair
Tony Blair
Anthony Charles Lynton Blair is a former British Labour Party politician who served as the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 2 May 1997 to 27 June 2007. He was the Member of Parliament for Sedgefield from 1983 to 2007 and Leader of the Labour Party from 1994 to 2007...
critique, "Mr Prime Minister," reviews of the album were not as favourable as those of her debut. However "Judgement Day" reached No. 25 in the UK Singles Chart
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
.
On the 6 January 2006, Ms Dynamite was arrested outside a London nightclub, after a brawl in which she punched a male police officer in the face whilst in custody. She was convicted and sentenced to sixty hours of community service
Community service
Community service is donated service or activity that is performed by someone or a group of people for the benefit of the public or its institutions....
. The second single from Judgement Days was due to be "Fall In Love Again" (previously titled "When I Fall In Love"), with a release date of 30 January 2006. A video
Music video
A music video or song video is a short film integrating a song and imagery, produced for promotional or artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a marketing device intended to promote the sale of music recordings...
was shot for the track but, due to her arrest, the single was cancelled. The video did not surface until June 2006, when it was leaked on to the web
World Wide Web
The World Wide Web is a system of interlinked hypertext documents accessed via the Internet...
.
In February 2006, she won the Naomi Award
Naomi Awards
Naomi awards was a one off award ceremony dedicated to 'outstandingly bad' music acts. It is a parody of the BRIT Awards, and it was run by the music channel Music Choice. They were named after supermodel Naomi Campbell, whose own 1994 single "Love and Tears" was seen by Music Choice as a supremely...
for Worst Urban Act.
Since her trouble in January 2006 and her disappearance from the public eye, Ms Dynamite confirmed that the much rumoured 'A Little Darker' album would be released in March 2006 as a mixtape. After the confirmation, the album was pushed back to June 2006. Also, in April 2006, Ms Dynamite confirmed that there would be no more releases from her Judgement Days album, and that she was due to start working on new material.
A collection of new and upcoming UK hip-hop and garage artists, was compiled by Ms Dynamite and her rapping brother
Sibling
Siblings are people who share at least one parent. A male sibling is called a brother; and a female sibling is called a sister. In most societies throughout the world, siblings usually grow up together and spend a good deal of their childhood socializing with one another...
Akala
Akala (rapper)
Akala is an English rap and hip hop artist from Kentish Town, Camden, London. He is the younger brother of the singer Ms...
, who was voted Best Hip Hop Act at the MOBO Awards
MOBO Awards
The Music of Black Origin Awards, established in 1995 by Kanya King MBE and Andy Ruffell, are held annually in the United Kingdom to recognise artists of any ethnicity or nationality performing black music....
in September 2006.
In November 2006 she took part in a television show called The Race on Sky1. This was a week long event in which ten celebrities
Celebrity
A celebrity, also referred to as a celeb in popular culture, is a person who has a prominent profile and commands a great degree of public fascination and influence in day-to-day media...
had to compete against each other on the track in different races building up to a thirty lap Formula Ford
Formula Ford
Formula Ford is a single seater, open wheel class in motorsport which exists in some form in many countries around the world. It is an entry-level series to motor racing....
race on Sunday 12 November 2006. After about ten laps into the race disaster struck, and Ms. Dynamite hit the wall on the pit straight at about 100 mph. She was air lifted to hospital for overnight observations but later released.
2007–09: Break from music
After taking a break from the music scene for a couple of years, Dynamite guest hosted BBC Radio 1XtraBBC Radio 1Xtra
BBC Radio 1Xtra is a digital radio station in the United Kingdom from the BBC specialising in new black music, sometimes referred to as urban music. Launched at 18:00 on 16 August 2002, it had been codenamed Network X during the consulation period and is the sister station to BBC Radio 1...
, and stated she would be releasing a third album 'Democracy' in 2009. The first single from the new album will be "Bad Gyal". This was however later confirmed to have been push back, to concentrate on other projects and well as motherhood.
Ms Dynamite appeared on Hell's Kitchen on ITV1
ITV1
ITV1 is a generic brand that is used by twelve franchises of the British ITV Network in the English regions, Wales, southern Scotland , the Isle of Man and the Bailiwicks of Jersey and Guernsey. The ITV1 brand was introduced by Carlton and Granada in 2001, alongside the regional identities of their...
in 2009. She was voted out by public vote on 24 April 2009 finishing fourth. Ms Dynamite also appeared as an expert adviser on Goldie's Band: By Royal Appointment on BBC Two
BBC Two
BBC Two is the second television channel operated by the British Broadcasting Corporation in the United Kingdom. It covers a wide range of subject matter, but tending towards more 'highbrow' programmes than the more mainstream and popular BBC One. Like the BBC's other domestic TV and radio...
.
2010–present: Return to music and third album
In December 2010, Dynamite was featured on Katy BKaty B
Kathleen "Katie" Brien, better known as Katy B, is an English singer-songwriter and a graduate of the BRIT School. She is a dubstep, R&B, funky, house and UK garage singer and has also performed under the name Baby Katy. She was born in Peckham, South London...
's second single, "Lights On
Lights On
"Lights On" is a song performed by British recording artist Katy B and serves as the second single from her debut album, On a Mission. It features UK-based R&B singer/ rapper Ms. Dynamite. It released in the United Kingdom on 10 December 2010 as a digital download...
". It peaked at number 4 in the UK singles chart. She was also featured on the track "Fire", which featured on Magnetic Man
Magnetic Man
Magnetic Man is an electronic music project consisting of dubstep producers and DJs, Benga, Skream and Artwork. The trio first met in the late 1990s at the Big Apple Records store in Croydon, England. They perform using three computers, one playing drum samples, one playing basses and the third...
's debut album.
On 3 August 2011 in an interview with Digital Spy
Digital Spy
Digital Spy is a British entertainment and media news website. According to Alexa Internet traffic statistics, as of February 2011, Digital Spy is the 93rd most popular website in the United Kingdom, with an overall Alexa ranking of 2,088....
, Dynamite confirmed that she is working on her third studio album, and confirmed that the lead single "Neva Soft
Neva Soft
"Neva Soft" is a song by British R&B singer and rapper Ms. Dynamite. The single, produced by Labrinth serves as the lead single from her upcoming third studio album...
" (produced by Labrinth
Labrinth
Timothy McKenzie , better known by his stage name Labrinth, is an English singer-songwriter and record producer. McKenzie is signed to Simon Cowell's record label Syco, becoming the first non-talent show signing in six years...
) would be released on 4 September. Her third studio album is set to be released at the beginning of 2012.
Ancestry
As stated on the programme Ms Dynamite: In Search of Nanny Maroon in addition to her Jamaican-Scottish parentage, she shares BajanBarbadian people
Barbadians are people originating on the Caribbean island of Barbados whether they live there or in the Barbadian diaspora.Rihanna is by far the most popular Barbadian on the planet.-Diaspora:...
, English, Irish, German and Grenadian
Grenada
Grenada is an island country and Commonwealth Realm consisting of the island of Grenada and six smaller islands at the southern end of the Grenadines in the southeastern Caribbean Sea...
ancestries.
Discography
- A Little DeeperA Little DeeperA Little Deeper is the platinum selling Mercury Prize-winning debut album by English R&B/hip hop singer and rapper Ms. Dynamite, released on 10 June 2002.-Track listing:#"Natural High " – 0:56#"Dy-Na-Mi-Tee" – 3:39...
(2002) - Judgement DaysJudgement DaysJudgement Days is the second studio album by English R&B/hip hop singer and rapper Ms. Dynamite, released in 2005 on Polydor Records. Chink Santana, Stephen Marsden, Christian Karlsson, and Lil Wayne collaborated on several tracks.-Reception:...
(2005)
Soundtracks
- "Dy-Na-Mi-Tee" (On the Fifa 2003 soundtrack)
- "Dynamite" (On the Ali G IndahouseAli G IndahouseAli G Indahouse is a British comedy film directed by Mark Mylod and starring the fictional character Ali G, who is performed by British comedian Sacha Baron Cohen...
soundtrack) - "Crazy Krush" (On the Misfits Channel 4 soundtrack)
Awards and honours
- Mercury Music PrizeMercury PrizeThe Mercury Prize, formerly called the Mercury Music Prize and currently known as the Barclaycard Mercury Prize for sponsorship reasons, is an annual music prize awarded for the best album from the United Kingdom and Ireland. It was established by the British Phonographic Industry and British...
– Album of the Year 2002 - 100 Great Black Britons100 Great Black BritonsThe 100 Great Black Britons list was compiled as a response to the BBC's 100 Greatest Britons debate of .Patrick Vernon, founder of black heritage website Every Generation, pointed out that no black people had made it to the top 100, saying that this was due in part to many people being unaware of...
– 2003 – No. 14 - The South Bank ShowThe South Bank ShowThe South Bank Show was a television arts magazine show, originally made by London Weekend Television , presented by Melvyn Bragg, broadcast on ITV and seen in over 60 countries worldwide — including Australia, New Zealand, the Netherlands, Sweden and the United States...
Awards 2003 – Best Pop ("A Little DeeperA Little DeeperA Little Deeper is the platinum selling Mercury Prize-winning debut album by English R&B/hip hop singer and rapper Ms. Dynamite, released on 10 June 2002.-Track listing:#"Natural High " – 0:56#"Dy-Na-Mi-Tee" – 3:39...
") - Race In The Media Awards 2003 – Media Personality Of The Year
- MOBO AwardsMOBO AwardsThe Music of Black Origin Awards, established in 1995 by Kanya King MBE and Andy Ruffell, are held annually in the United Kingdom to recognise artists of any ethnicity or nationality performing black music....
2003 – Best Single - MOBO AwardsMOBO AwardsThe Music of Black Origin Awards, established in 1995 by Kanya King MBE and Andy Ruffell, are held annually in the United Kingdom to recognise artists of any ethnicity or nationality performing black music....
2003 – Best Newcomer - MOBO AwardsMOBO AwardsThe Music of Black Origin Awards, established in 1995 by Kanya King MBE and Andy Ruffell, are held annually in the United Kingdom to recognise artists of any ethnicity or nationality performing black music....
2003 – U.K Act Of The Year - Brit AwardsBrit AwardsThe Brit Awards are the British Phonographic Industry's annual pop music awards. The name was originally a shortened form of "British", "Britain" or "Britannia", but subsequently became a backronym for British Record Industry Trust...
2003 – British female solo artist - Brit AwardsBrit AwardsThe Brit Awards are the British Phonographic Industry's annual pop music awards. The name was originally a shortened form of "British", "Britain" or "Britannia", but subsequently became a backronym for British Record Industry Trust...
2003 – Best British Urban Act