Roots Manuva

Infobox musical artist

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Name = Roots Manuva
| Img_capt =
Img_size =
Background = solo_singer
Birth_name = Rodney Smith
Alias = Lord Gosh, Hylton Smythe,Pusss Claataa Rodrick Manuva, Brigadier Smythe, Cecil P.Y.L.M. Pim Pimpernel
Born = 1972
Died =
Origin = Stockwell, South London, UK
Instrument = Vocals, Rapping
Genre = Hip hop Dub Electronica
Occupation = Vocalist, Rapper, Producer, Remixer
Years_active =
Label = Big Dada
Associated_acts =
URL = [http://www.rootsmanuva.co.uk/ rootsmanuva.co.uk]
Notable_instruments =

Roots Manuva (born Rodney Smith, 1972) is a rapper from Stockwell, South London. He is currently signed to Big Dada.

Biography

Smith grew up around Stockwell in South London. His parents were from a small village in Jamaica called Banana Hole where his father was a preacher and tailor. Spending much of his early years in poverty, this and his strict Pentecostal upbringing clearly had an influence on his music as can be seen in many of his tracks such as "Sinny Sin Sins" and "Colossal Insight".

A quote from Smith himself sums up his early discovery of music:

Smith made his recorded debut in 1994 as part of IQ Procedure through Suburban Base's short-lived hip hop imprint Bluntly Speaking Vinyl. He debuted as Roots Manuva the same year on Blak Twang's "Queen's Head" single, before releasing his own single, "Next Type of Motion" the following year through the same label, the hugely influential Sound of Money. 1996 saw the release of his collaborations with Skitz ("Where My Mind Is At"/"Blessed Be The Manner") on 23 Skidoo's Ronin label. The release of "Feva" on Tony Vegas' Wayward imprint followed in 1997. This was also the year that saw the first releases from Big Dada, a collaboration between Coldcut's Ninja Tune label and hip hop journalist Will Ashon.

Releasing for Coldcut's renowned experimental/hip-hop label Ninja Tune in 1998, some of his music may be seen as a predecessor of grime. The following year he released his groundbreaking debut album, "Brand New Second Hand". A reference to his family's modest lifestyle as a phrase his mother used for presents he often got as a youngster that were pre-used. He had such an impact on the UK rap scene that "The Times" declared that "his is the voice of urban Britain, encompassing dub, ragga, funk and hip hop as it sweeps from crumbling street corners to ganja-filled dancehalls, setting gritty narratives against all manner of warped beats." Manuva was rewarded for his breakthrough with a MOBO as Best Hip Hop Act that year.

The lyrics of his songs are usually known to take a distinctly British edge, with many critics highlighting his references of eating cheese on toast and drinking bitter as examples of this. His warm and easily recognizable voice can be heard on many songs he performed with other artists such as Chali 2na (of Jurassic 5 & Ozomatli), DJ Shadow, Mr Scruff, U.N.K.L.E., Nightmares on Wax, The Cinematic Orchestra, Beth Orton, The Herbaliser, Leftfield, Saian Supa Crew and most recently Coldcut. He also made an appearance on the Gorillaz latest album, "Demon Days", lending his distinctive vocals to the track, "All Alone".

Now with his own record label, Banana Clan Records, which he is using to blood young British based talent, Roots Manuva continues to release his own style of Funked up, dub style, U.K. Hip-Hop.

Trivia

* Roots Manuva's "Witness (1 Hope)" track, bearing the memorable chorus line "Witness the Fitness", was parodied by MC Pitman as "Witness the Pitness", and by Plan B as "Witness the Sickness"

* Roots Manuva produces much of his own music, under his own name and also under the pseudonyms "Lord Gosh" and "Hylton Smythe".

* In the track "The Falling" from the album "Awfully Deep", Roots Manuva raps "Hand grenade on the plane looks like another Dunblane" confusing (or deliberately comparing) the Dunblane school shooting massacre of 1996 with the Lockerbie disaster of 1988 when two Libyan agents planted a bomb on Pan Am Flight 103, killing 259 passengers on the plane and 11 in the town of Lockerbie. Both disasters happened in Scotland - probably the root of the confusion along with the need for Dunblane to rhyme, or possibly a metaphor relating to his strong feelings towards the rich and powerful of the world playing God by taking the law into their own hands and the impact this is having on us as human beings the following lines suggest this...

* Roots Manuva's "Witness (1 Hope)" can be heard in the feature film, "Children Of Men". This song can also be heard in the credits of the first episode of "Skins," on episode 13 Season 1 of "The Wire", and the climbing video "Dosage, Volume 3".

Discography

Studio albums

* "Brand New Second Hand" (22 March 1999) UK #167cite web |title= Chart Log UK |accessdate=2008-09-10 |date=2007-06-16 |publisher=Zobbel |author=Zobbel |url=http://www.zobbel.de/cluk/CLUK_R.HTM]
* "Run Come Save Me" (13 August 2001) UK #33
* "Dub Come Save Me" (8 July 2002) UK #75
* "Awfully Deep" (31 January 2005) UK #24
* "Alternately Deep" (13 March 2006) UK #139
* "Slime & Reason" (25 August 2008) UK #22cite journal
title = The Official Album Chart for the week ending 13 September 2008
journal = ChartsPlus
issue = 368
pages= 5-8
accessdate = 2008-09-10
publisher = IQ Ware Ltd
location = Milton Keynes]

ingles

* "Juggle Tings Proper" (22 February 1999)
* "Motion 5000" (5 July 1999)
* "Witness (1 Hope)" (23 July 2001) UK #45
* "Dreamy Days" (8 October 2001) UK #53
* "Yellow Submarine - Album Sampler" (14 October 2002) UK #89
* "Colossal Insight" (17 January 2005) UK #33
* "Too Cold" (21 March 2005) UK #39
* "Buff Nuff" (30 June 2008)
* "Again & Again" (25 August 2008)
* "Let the Spirit" (TBC 2008)

EPs

*"Awfully De/EP" (24 October 2005)

Guest appearances

* Amon Tobin - "Saboteur mix" (from Ninja Tune compilation "Xen Cuts")
* Audio Bullys - "Made Like That" (Audio Bullys Feat. Mr. Fox & Roots Manuva)
* The Cinematic Orchestra - "All Things To All Men" (from "Every Day")
* Chali 2Na - "Join The Dots", "Revolution 9" (from "The Fish Market - "The Official Mixtape"")
* Cornish Waters - "Look To Myself For Faith" (from "UK Hustlerz - The Return", under the pseudonym Brigadier Smythe)
* Coldcut - "True Skool" (from "Sound Mirrors") UK #61cite web |title= Chart Log UK |accessdate=2008-09-10 |date=2007-06-16 |publisher=Zobbel |author=Zobbel |url=http://www.zobbel.de/cluk/CLUK_C.HTM]
* DJ Shadow - "GDMFSOB (UNKLE Uncensored mix)" (from "Right Thing")
* DJ Skitz - "Inner City Folk" and "Fingerprints Of The Gods" (from "Countryman")
* Dobie - "Connectivity" (from "The Sound Of One Hand Clapping")
* Eternal - "Spaghetti"
* Freq Nasty - "Boomba Clatt" (from "Bring Me The Head of Freq Nasty")
* Gorillaz - "All Alone" (from "Demon Days")
* The Herbaliser - "Lord Lord" (from "Take London")
* The Herbaliser - "Starlight" (from "Very Mercenary")
* INORAN - "Rat Race" (from "Sou")
* King Kooba - "Barefoot" (from "Indian Summer")
* Leftfield - "Dusted" (from "Rhythm And Stealth")
* Lotek HiFi - "Move Ya Ting" (from "Mixed Blessings")
* DJ Mentat - "Rugged Wid It"
* Mr. Scruff - "Jus Jus" (from "Keep It Unreal")
* New Flesh For Old - "Norbert & Cecil" (from "Understanding", under the pseudonym Cecil P.Y.L.M. Pim Pimpernel)
* Reachout - "For Whom The Heart Beats" (from "The Bristo Sq. EP")
* Ty - "So U Want More refix" (from "Upwards - New edition") UK #65cite web |title= Chart Log UK |accessdate=2008-09-10 |date=2007-06-16 |publisher=Zobbel |author=Zobbel |url=http://www.zobbel.de/cluk/CLUK_T.HTM]
* Saian Supa Crew - "Hey Yo My Man"
* Colossus - "West Oaktown" ("OmRecords 2002 - pseudonym Hylton Smythe")
* Nightmares on Wax - "70's:80s (Up Bringing Mix)(Feat. Roots Manuva & LSK & Rodney P & Tozz 180)"

Other

* "Badmeaningood Vol.2" (7 October, 2002) "(19 tracks selected by Rodney Smith for the Badmeaningood series.)
* "" (24 October 2005) "(18 tracks selected by Smith for the Back To Mine series.)The blacknificent 7 -(Riding thru The Undaground) Dark horizon rekordz -feat Seanie T, rodney P, Skeme, Roots Manuva, Est'elle, karl Hinds, Jeff3

References

*Roots Manuva Bio information: [http://www.rootsmanuva.co.uk/rootsmanuva/]

External links

* [http://www.rootsmanuva.co.uk/ Roots Manuva official website]
* [http://www.musicomh.com/interviews/roots-manuva.htm Roots Manuva interview] at musicOMH.com
* [http://www.low-life.fsnet.co.uk/ukhiphop/artists/roots_manuva-dreamy_days.htm Roots Manuva Biography at britishhiphop.co.uk]

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