Speech Debelle news stories on Newser

Once-Homeless Rapper Wins Prestigious UK Prize

Will McCahill — Tue, 08 Sep 2009 20:00:14 CDT

Years of living in hostels and on the streets of London proved, at long last, a winning combination for rapper Speech Debelle, who today was awarded Britain’s prestigious Mercury music prize, the Guardian reports. Speech Therapy , the debut album by the 26-year-old (real name Corynne Elliot), represents a “remarkable new...

Hip-Hop's Next Big Thing 'Fine, Fresh, Serious'

Evann Gastaldo — Thu, 06 Aug 2009 13:43:01 CDT

“Even in a ‘post-race’ world, street sells,” writes Amy Granzin for Pitchfork. That would explain why some looked at Speech Debelle—the once-homeless UK rapper turned Mercury Prize nominee and "hip-hop's next big thing"—and spun “a tiny bit of flash into blinding bling.” The truth is, Debelle had a...

Once-Homeless Rapper Now on Mercury Shortlist

Evann Gastaldo — Wed, 22 Jul 2009 12:20:00 CDT

A rapper who spent four years homeless in London is one of five female artists on the shortlist for Britain’s prestigious Mercury Prize, the Independent reports. Speech Debelle, kicked out of her house at 19, spent time in hostels and other drug-infested stops on the wrong side of London's tracks—...