[Speech] The Beat Goes On: Black Voices in the Music Industry @ The British Library

 

 

Event speakers (from Lto R): Cheraine Donalea Scott, Ray Paul, Camille McFarlane, Seani B, Jonzi D, Guvna B, Laurence Jones, Lisa Maffia, Jacqueline Brown, Aleema Gray, Nat Nye and Stella B.

"I want to share an aspect of my research that explores the cultural significance of Grime music on the British national landscape, but also provide a sober analysis of its integration into Britain’s music industry.

Having grown up in a Caribbean family in Tottenham, North London, around the genres emergence, I find Grime music fascinating. I've seen firsthand the profound impact of Black music in opening doors to career opportunities and social mobility. Grime began as a vibrant underground music scene, providing young people from marginalized communities with an outlet for expression. With little to no public investment, it has now evolved into a multimillion-pound industry, making a substantial contribution to the national economy. This expansion into the mainstream has faced resistance from gatekeepers in the music and culture industries, underscoring the resilience and ingenuity of Black music creators.

Since its emergence in the early 2000s in London, Grime music has faced numerous restrictions, notably the 2005 Metropolitan Police Form 696. This form caused controversy as it targeted Black music genres that feature MCs and DJs such as bashment, garage, and Grime. This discriminatory practice made it very difficult to organize Grime nights in London, associating live Black music events with an inflated risk of violent crime.

The decision to end Form 696 in 2017 cannot be viewed simply as progress in race relations. Rather, the result of persistent complaints from the music industry as well as the London Mayor’s office, driven by a necessity to revitalizes London’s night-time scene. Live music accounts for around 20% of the UK music industry's economic contribution, with London being the biggest beneficiary. According to 2023 data report from UK Music this contribution was £6.7 billion. An almost one-billion-pound increase from the figures presented in 2020. The significance of this jump should be considered alongside the impact of the pandemic, which brought the live music industry to a standstill for most of 2020 into 2021.

By genre, rap and hip hop constitute over a fifth of all UK singles consumption, with over a third of this being British talent. In terms of numbers, Grime and rap accounted for 22 percent of all singles purchased (including streaming) in the UK in 2020, with artists like Dave, Stormzy, and D-Block Europe regularly topping the lists of most-streamed artists year after year.

Despite these achievements, many aspiring or upcoming Grime and UK rap artists have to pursue the independent route or work through their own established record labels. Examples include Lil Sims, Ms. Banks, and Mist. They do so with limited access to funding, which is important to support career development and progression.

According to a report by Black Lives in Music, Black music professionals are more likely to apply for financing to further their careers in the music industry compared to their white counterparts. Yet, Black professionals are the least likely to achieve successful applications. This ongoing resistance to fully embrace Black artists, despite their significant musical contributions to the economy, emphasizes the significance of their presents and the depth of their work ethics.

It is important to note that on top of these barriers to progression for Black people in the music industry, Black women are further disenfranchised. Experiencing the brunt of the industry’s racist and sexist practices, Black women are underrepresented both on stage and behind the scenes. They encounter lower earnings compared to white female and Black male music creators, poorer funding outcomes, and difficulties in accessing recording contracts and roles in the industry.

To conclude, much of Black British music's mainstream advancements can be attributed to the rise of music streaming platforms. In 2017, UK Grime artists' streaming numbers doubled compared to 2016, and these numbers have continued to rise consistently year on year. Scholar Joy White has written extensively about urban music and entrepreneurship, noting how the advent of social media and online music streaming platforms has empowered artists and enabled them to reach large audiences without the intervention of big record labels.

Grime has helped broker a British music industry that has come to rely on the natural growth and diversity of musical ecosystems for it to thrive. Though, as a recent report by MIDIA suggests the increased commercialization of streaming platforms by the music industry could lead to the reestablishing of gatekeeping practices. However, despite this forecast we can sure Black British music will be able to weather this storm and continue to give us sonic innovation, cultural trends, and good vibrations.

Thank you for listening."

 

This speech was given on May 7th, 2024, as part of "The Beat Goes On" event hosted by the Business and IP Centre at the British Library. The event was organized as part of a series celebrating the "Beyond the Bassline" exhibition, currently open at the Library and running until August 26th, 2024. You can watch the full event on YouTube here.

 

Further Reading/Listening:

"Being Black In The UK Music Industry 2021: Music Industry Professionals Part 1", Black Lives in Music, https://blim.org.uk/report/

Women and Equalities Committee, "Misogyny In Music Report 2023-24", House of Commons, https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm5804/cmselect/cmwomeq/129/report.html

Joy White, Urban Music and Entrepreneurship: Beats, Rhymes and Young People’s Enterprise, Routledge, 2017

 The New Nationwide Project, "Black Women in Music With Guests Alex Watson and Taura Love", Repeater Radio, https://soundcloud.com/repeater-radio/new-nationwide-project-s04-e03?utm_source=clipboard&utm_medium=text&utm_campaign=social_sharing