IT’S a story to inspire every aspiring musician in the land.
Londoner Speech Debelle, 26, from a Jamaican family, is living proof that if you want something badly enough, you can succeed.
Thrown out of home at 19 then living in hostels filled with drunks, she’s now a Mercury Music Prize winner.
In an interview with SFTW, conducted before her victory, Speech describes her incredible journey.
Can you explain the origins of your name?
Originally I was called Speech. When I got signed, the label were like, “there’s another Speech (from Arrested Development) and two things are bad when you’re starting out… having the same name as someone else or changing your name.”
So I needed to add something to Speech because I didn’t want to change my name.
My gran is a fashion designer who goes by the name Madame Debelle so I put the Speech with the Debelle and it worked.
Later on I found out that Debelle means “voice of the beautiful one”. I can definitely live with that!
What sort of upbringing did you have?
I grew up in a well-to-do Jamaican/British family. It was all good, lots of cousins and lots of Jamaican food. Six- week holidays in adventure playgrounds and EastEnders. Standard.
Was there much music in the house?
There was a bit, yeah. What I really remember is that when I was younger, I used to go to christenings, weddings or birthdays. There was always a house party afterwards.
They would have giant speakers bigger than me in a cleared-out front room playing reggae until the early hours of the morning. I’d stand by the speakers and feel the bassline in my belly. I’d watch “big people” dancing to Dennis Brown or Beres Hammond. This doesn’t really happen any more.
You’re not allowed to enjoy yourself this much. Now you have volume police.
Why were you told to leave home at 19?
Because me and my mum argued. I don’t go into that much detail about it on the album because there’s no point.
What matters is what I saw and what I did. Those are the important issues on the album.
What was it like living in hostels?
It was kinda crap, I guess. Lots of alcholics. I saw addicts but then alcohol affects so many people in this country. I met a lot of interesting people although you don’t have to go into a hostel for that.
I met people who had been really sucessful and lost it all because of addiction.
Now I’m in this business, I can see how easy it is for that to happen. It’s easy to become the next Amy Winehouse.
When did you first get into writing and performing music?
I started writing stuff when I was nine.
When I was 13, I wrote my first rap. Everybody was feeling it and I liked everybody feeling it. I guess it started as me wanting to impress everyone. Maybe that’s why so many artists have big egos. Now I write becuase I need to, it keeps me sane and happy.
What and who inspired you?
Life! Michael Jackson, Lauryn Hill, Coldplay… so much.
How did you feel when you finally got to Finish This Album?
“Cor blimey, that took a while.” It was a lot of years in the making. That song Finish This Album was the song I played to my label and it’s the song they offered me a record deal on.
I’m glad it made it to this album.
To the uninitiated, how would you describe your sound?
It’s emotive hip-hop. It’s acoustic. It’s expressive. It’s sincere. And it’s therapy. Someone called me “neo-rap” the other day – I quite like it, I’m gonna run with it.
Are your lyrics all autobiographical?
Absolutely. It’s either my personal experiences or the experiences of those close to me.
My next album The Art Of Speech will be more social, though. I’ve started writing a song called Her Name Was Jade about Jade Goody. Her story is so British.
It shows the harsh side of our country and what we can achieve here too.
She should go down in British history.
Winning album … Speech Therapy
What was it like working with Roots Manuva and Micachu?
They’re both cool, real artists in the truest sense.
Roots is a joker… he’s invited to every party I ever have!
Can you explain the stories behind four of your songs?
Searching is about needing to get away from the harshness surounding me and contemplating how.
Go Then, Bye is about saying goodbye to someone you love, knowing that you don’t really want to.
Daddy’s Little Girl is about “wasteman” fathers. Dads that don’t hang around.
Working Weak is about the hell of London transport in the mornings… and bosses.
Why did you name the album after the final track?
The final track named the album. When I was writing that song I said, “This is my speech therapy, this isn’t rap.”
That’s when I realised what this album was about. It’s therapy for me.
Have you given up the day job?
You’d better believe it. Music has to work for me because I’m not planning on going back.
I always wanted to do music and be a chef. I guess I could be a chef if music doesn’t work out, but then again, it’s going to. Maybe I could do both.
How would you describe yourself as a person?
Honest, reliable 5ft 4ins, pretty, GSOH (good sense of humour) ha ha ha!
Where do you hope to be in ten years’ time?
In my holiday home in Cuba, hopefully.
I’d have some albums, a sucessful record label and a few restaurants. Oh and a gay club – I’d definitely have a gay club.
http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/showbiz/sftw/2628930/Speech-Debelle-talks-about-her-amazing-journey-to-Mercury-Music-Prize-winner.html
