Speech Debelle Speech Debelle's Official Website RSS Feed http://speechdebelle.com/index.php New Review and Photos http://speechdebelle.com/index.php?entry=27 HERE


Interview on UKHH HERE


Also Speech Debelle's instagram photos can be viewed HERE

]]> NEW UK TOUR DATES IN DECEMBER! http://speechdebelle.com/index.php?entry=26 Clash reviewed Speech's last London show at Dalston Land of Kings like this….

"Thankfully we arrive early because the space is soon maxed out. A crafty clamber onto a window ledge and we can actually see Ms Debelle who, frankly, kills it. She blends a dizzying range of styles into the live set, from a funk-inspired, bass-led ‘Live for the Message’ to the almost Rage Against the Machine guitar riffs on ‘Elephant in the Living Room’, which she dedicates to Tupac. Telling a devoted crowd, “There ain’t no amateurs on this stage right now, these are real fucking musicians,” she delivers a blinding performance and cements her position as the Queen of UK rap."

Tue 11 Dec 2012
Brighton : Sticky Mike's Frog Bar
Tickets

Wed 12 Dec 2012
France : Paris-Fontenay Sous Bois : Festival des Adventuriers
Tickets

Thu 13 Dec 2012
London : Jazz Cafe
Tickets

Fri 14 Dec 2012
Bristol : Start The Bus
Tickets

Sat 15 Dec 2012
Birmingham : Institute
Tickets]]> Bestival 2012 http://speechdebelle.com/index.php?entry=25




Speech Debelle will be performing at the now legendary Bestival Festival on The Isle of Wight 

this weekend so if you're lucky enough to have tickets, 

it's your chance to come down to see her perform!





]]> Win Speech Debelle Tickets! http://speechdebelle.com/index.php?entry=20
Here's you're chance to win a pair of exclusive tickets to one of the nine Converse Represents shows at London's Legendary 100 Club!









Click Here To Win Tickets To See Speech Debelle!]]> Speech UK Summer dates http://speechdebelle.com/index.php?entry=19
Fri 1st June 2012
Hay Festival
Tickets

Sat 2nd June 2012
Meadowlands Festival
Tickets

Fri 22nd June 2012
Reka Club, Moscow, Russia
Tickets

Sat 23rd June 2012
Movement Festival Perm, Russia
Tickets

Fri 6th July 2012
NOVA Festival, Sussex
Tickets

Sat 7th July 2012
The National Shake The Dust Slam Final, London
Tickets

Fri 13th July 2012
DOUR Festival, Belgium
Tickets

Sun 15th July 2012
Rhythms Of The World Festival, Hitchin
Tickets

Fri 10th August 2012
100 Club, London
Tickets

Sat 11th August 2012
Poolbar Festival, Austria
Tickets

Sat 18th August 2012
Summer Sundae, Leicester
Tickets

Fri 24th August 2012
TNM Festival, Poland
Tickets

Sat 25th August 2012
Rock En Seine, France
Tickets

Sun 26th August 2012
Greenbelt Festival - Cheltenham UK
Tickets]]> Speech Debelle Presents BBC3 Documentary http://speechdebelle.com/index.php?entry=17




Speech Debelle presents
BBC3 Documentary, 




Britain’s Hidden Homeless Monday 28th May at 9pm<


When Speech Debelle was 19, she became homeless for 3 years. 



In this moving documentary, she shows that being homeless isn't
just about down and outs sleeping in cardboard boxes, but is a problem which
affects more and more young people in Britain today.  Speech gets to know
four young people from very different backgrounds - all of them sofa surfing or
sleeping rough - as they try to find a more permanent roof over their heads.
 She discovers that councils and charities are struggling to cope with
this growing crisis and she investigates the impact on young people's lives.









]]> Rock En Seine, Greenbelt and Russian dates added to Summer shows. http://speechdebelle.com/index.php?entry=16 Fri 22nd June 2012
Reka Club, Moscow, Russia


Sat 23rd June 2012
Movement Festival Perm, Russia


Sat 25th August 2012
Rock En Seine
Tickets

Sun 26th August 2012
Greenbelt Festival - Cheltenham UK
Tickets]]> Speech Debelle Summer Tour Kick Off http://speechdebelle.com/index.php?entry=15








Speech Debelle kicks off her Summer Tour with an appearance at 



The Land of Kings two day Dalston Festival 




Sat 5th May 2012





London : Dalston Land Of Kings





Tickets




]]> Speech Debelle: First Summer Dates To Be Announced...! http://speechdebelle.com/index.php?entry=14

Sat 5th May 2012

London : Dalston Land Of Kings

Tickets



Fri 1st June 2012

Hay Festival

Tickets



Sat 2nd June 2012

Meadowlands Festival

Tickets



Fri 6th July 2012

NOVA Festival, Sussex

Tickets



Fri 13th July 2012

DOUR Festival, Belgium

Tickets



Sun 15th July 2012

Rhythms Of The World Festival, Hitchin

Tickets



Sat 18th August 2012

Summer Sundae, Leicester

Tickets



Fri 24th August 2012

TNM Festival, Poland

Tickets





Keep an eye out on the blog and @ www.speechdebelle.com for further updates!


]]> Speech in The Observer Food Monthly http://speechdebelle.com/index.php?entry=13 ]]> Speech Debelle - I'm With It http://speechdebelle.com/index.php?entry=11 ]]> Speech Debelle : European Tour http://speechdebelle.com/index.php?entry=10 Thu 23 Feb 2012
London : Jazz Cafe
Tickets

Fri 24 Feb 2012
Gent : Charlatan
Tickets
Tickets

Sat 25 Feb 2012
Hamburg : Kampnagel
Tickets
Tickets

Sun 26 Feb 2012
Berlin : Festsaal Kreuzberg
Tickets
Tickets


Mon 27 Feb 2012
Munich : Feierwerk
Tickets

Tue 28 Feb 2012
Vienna : Porgy & Bess
Tickets

Thurs 01 Mar 2012
Pisa: Ex Wide

Fri 02 Mar 2012
Marseilles : L'Espace Julien (Radio Nova Show)
Free Show

Sat 03 Mar 2012
Bern : Dachstock
Tickets

Sun 04 Mar 2012
Grenoble : L’Ampérage
Tickets
Tickets

Mon 05 Mar 2012
Lyon : La Marquise
Tickets

Tue 06 Mar 2012
Paris : Point Ephemere
Tickets]]> Speech Debelle - Live at the Jazz Cafe, London Feb 2012 http://speechdebelle.com/index.php?entry=9

Speech Debelle kicks off a European tour supporting her new album Freedom Of Speech with a headline gig and launch at London's Jazz Cafe on 23 February 2012.

Tickets available here]]> SPEECH DEBELLE IS BACK! http://speechdebelle.com/index.php?entry=8
FREE DOWNLOAD: 'STUDIO BACKPACK RAP'
WATCH THE VIDEO

Two years since winning the 2009 Mercury Music Prize for her debut album, 'Speech Therapy', and having ridden a rollercoaster through life since then, Speech Debelle is ready to drop her second collection of music.

Entitled 'Freedom of Speech', the album sees Speech turning from introspection to stand up, face and engage with the world around her, spitting confident themes of revolution and love. Still brutally honest, yet a more mature and exciting record with lyrics to match, the new sound was shaped in collaboration with Kwes, a young South London producer who already boasts production for DELS, a record contract with Warp and a recent trip to the Democratic Republic of Congo as part of Damon Albarn’s DRC project for Oxfam.

A first taste of the album came in the aftermath of this summer’s riots, when Speech reacted immediately, leaking the track 'Blaze Up A Fire', (also featuring Roots Manuva and Realism), a track about political revolution written months before. Going on record about the causes of the riots in a statement and on Twitter gave rise to heated debate, yet as the dust settled, there remained respect for her speaking out with insight, while others chose to stay silent.

So now the build-up begins to the release of 'Freedom of Speech' in early February 2012 with the free download of the track 'Studio Backpack Rap'. From political to musical revolution, Speech describes the track as being "all about virtual instrumentation and an ode to Kwes the producer. For the writing stage of the album he would take out his laptop and midi-USB keyboard and that would be it. We’d start working and I couldn’t believe what we could do with so little equipment.”

Over a catchy, bumping, jostling piece of music which pays tribute to the essence of hip hop without feeling the need to sound too much like it, Speech lays out clever, witty lyrics about the high-tech, low-gloss DIY attitude which has relevance far beyond just creating music. Optimistic, sly, funny and an undeniable head-nodder, it’s a long way from 'Speech Therapy', while showcasing just one aspect of her remarkable new album.

PRE-ORDER 'Freedom of Speech' at Amazon or Ninjashop.

BIGDADA]]> Speech Debelle Blog http://speechdebelle.com/index.php?entry=7
If the follow up has taken longer than people might have predicted then it’s been worth the wait. The 28 year old South London resident is in possession of the most exciting album of the year. “Freedom of Speech” sees her with a new look and a new direction, turning from introspection to face and engage with the world around her, spitting confident rhymes on the twin themes of revolution and love. Still brutally honest, yet a more mature and exciting record with lyrics to match, the new sound was shaped in collaboration with Kwes, a young South London producer who already boasts production for DELS, a record contract with Warp and a recent trip to the Democratic Republic of Congo as part of Damon Albarn’s DRC project for Oxfam.

Speech, aka Corynne Elliott, started her creative life early on. Writing poetry at the age of 9, and musically inspired by artists like Michael Jackson, Tracy Chapman and Meshell Ndegeocello growing up, she’s an artist whose life comes through in her writing. Speech’s difficult experiences are unashamedly documented in her first album. Leaving home at 19, spending time living in homeless hostels, difficult love affairs, her proximity to real life is such that her work avoids clichés and forces open a space in which her voice can be heard.

You might be mistaken for thinking Speech has kept a low profile since her win, though if you’d been looking closely, you’d have noticed her cropping up all over the place. On the musical front, she co-wrote and sang on Bonobo’s ‘Sun Will Rise,’ taken from Ninja Tune’s 20th anniversary XX boxset, adding a haunting lyrical honesty in contrast to the original Andreya Triana vocals on the “Black Sands” album. Speech has also written the first Olympic song - ‘Spinnin’ for 2012’ (a take on her track Spinnin’) - featuring Tinchy Stryder and Dionne Broomfield - a commercial pop-urban collaboration, which hints at a playful relationship with the mainstream.

But a lot of her energy has been devoted to politics and social issues. In October she appeared on the BBC’s Young Voter’s Question Time in the week of the Conservative Party Conference. At the time she commented that, “This is a perfect time for us to voice our opinions in the hope of being heard." Earlier in the year she was a proud ambassador for UN women, supporting young women to take control of their lives and urging them to celebrate themselves. This message was arguably most powerfully felt following her work with the Uservoice charity campaign, where she engaged with young offenders through workshops, discussing and examining their experiences of the criminal justice system and exploring ways to reduce Youth crime.

Discussion is central to Speech Debelle’s life as an artist and individual. Her Mercury win has enabled her to actively pursue issues close to her heart and as such, she has promoted equality and opportunity to people at the top with her frequent visits to Number 10 and Parliament, representing the voice of her peers; a voice which can be heard throughout her work. Her intention is to be around for a long time as an artist who speaks her mind and makes valid observations where most don't.  

Now Speech has concentrated her efforts on ‘Freedom of Speech,’ a sonic declaration of independent control over rhyme and reason. Her lyrics pack a powerful punch, punctuated with moments of arch perception and even hilarity. Her playfulness teamed with bouts of fiery attitude is a celebration of female power and identity, and as a result the album is self referential without being a contrived introspection.

Speech wanted her music to have more depth and, with her production partner Kwes, delved into new territory, experimenting with striking sound and instrumentation. The pair worked harmoniously in and out of the studio, and she mentions how his “editing ear” contributed to the overall quality of the album. The result of this meeting of two personalities is a piece of work that is hard-edged at times, punctuated with synths, programmed drums overlaid onto live beats, crisp vocals - all details that give something different on every listen. The album offers snapshot moments of sensitivity, and she is adamant that the urban narrative she presents is part of her conversational style. ‘My personality comes through a lot on this album, it sounds like my life. The whole thing sounds like those moments when you’re re-telling a story to your mate –and that’s just me.’

A first taste of the album came in the aftermath of this summer’s riots, when Speech reacted immediately, leaking the track “Blaze Up A Fire,” a song about political revolution written months before, featuring Realism and Roots Manuva (who joined her on her first album and is now back to feature on arguably one of its most powerful tracks). Going on record about the causes of the riots in a statement and on Twitter gave rise to heated debate, yet as the dust settled, there remained respect for her speaking out with insight, while others chose to stay silent. She comments that, “The album was finished, but when we were watching the news and seeing the riots first hand, we thought, ‘We’ve been talking about this in the album!’ I didn’t want people to think that I was trying to ride that wave; I wanted people to believe that it was a real product of my environment. I wanted to be provocative. I want people to be aware of the fire inside them.”

Speech’s worldview sounds exactly how it was written - as a series of moments, frantically documented day to day on her iphone and macbook during her travels around cities and in the studio. She describes the writing process as “the result of a lot of moments of excitement and high energy.” This energy is felt throughout the album. We are invited into her more angry moments, savvy and brooding, while keeping our heads bobbing on the beat. At times she addresses her personal life and the brief controversy surrounding her relationship with her label and life post-Mercury win, brief doses of acoustic guitar accompanying her stripped back vocals. The album can be heard as a gesture of defiance, taking a handle on real life. Divorced from pretentiousness and narcissistic obsessions, it sees Speech as a spectator within her environment, unafraid to discuss its banalities as much as its thrills. “This time the songs are freer, less self-conscious. This is an album for someone like me, I needed to express myself in a new way and this is where I am now.”

In short, ‘Freedom of Speech’ is an album that is forward looking. With a brief glance back to where she’s been, the focus is on where she’s going, and as a result the music shows her development as an artist in the most sonically interesting way. Honest, uncompromising, and ambitious, the unabashed lyrics are an ode to a girl who sounds like she’s emerged from the emotional cocoon of her first album, and come out fighting and more powerful than ever.

Speech Debelle is special. A rapper with heart and soul, punctuated with wit, moments of high energy and vulnerability, she has delivered an album full of surprises. Kwes’ synths are a perfect backdrop to a bassy and atmospheric backdrop, teamed with loops, disjointed beats and rich production. ‘Freedom of Speech’ is a declaration: she’s doing it her way and pushing boundaries at every turn. If you thought she was good the first time round, well, you ain’t seen nothing yet.]]> Speech Debelle - Studio Backpack Rap http://speechdebelle.com/index.php?entry=6 ]]>