IT WAS ONE of the most refreshing records to ever come out of the British R&B and hip-hop scene. 2002's A Little Deeper by the then 22-year old Londoner Ms. Dynamite (real name Niomi McLean-Daley) went platinum and won a Mercury Music Prize. The stand-out single, Dy-Na-Mi-Tee, reached the top five in the UK singles charts and featured on the FIFA 2003 football video game. While Dynamite's follow-up album, 2005's Judgement Days, didn't fare as well, it has now been over a decade since a solo record from the exciting artist.
"I'm never 100 per cent satisfied with what I do, which is why it takes me ages," Dynamite told us over the phone from England as she prepares for a Dubai gig at the end of the month. "When doing my own material I tend to procrastinate quite a lot. I am finishing up something now.hopefully it'll be done this year during this summer.
"It'll be a bit of mixture: some old school soulful stuff, all music that has influenced me, and a few more current sounds for balance."
The new album sounds right up our street and after a ten-year wait, it'll be interesting see if Ms. Dynamite has another Dy-Na-Mi-Tee up her sleeve. The true-to-life experiences which influenced that record encouraged people to listen, and now, having gone through motherhood, expanded her career on radio and television and provided guest vocals on other artists' music, she has fascinating new material for tunes.
"I enjoy working with other artists and doing bits and pieces here and there as opposed to the commitment or pressure coming up with your own big body of work," Dynamite said when asked about appearing on tracks including Katy B's Lights On, that hit number four in the UK.
"When I'm working with someone else, all that matters is that they like it."
Ms. Dynamite says she is looking forward to performing a variety of material in Dubai. Heading to the Media City Amphitheatre on April 29, she will be performing on the same bill as Rudimental and Disclosure at the Love Music Your Way Festival.
"I love that they're a group and each have different roles," Dynamite said about Rudimental. "Their chemistry, their sound is the best kind of collaboration. They're really moving with the pace of what's happening."
What she is anticipating most about the city, however, is the abundance of sunshine having just endured a typical English winter. Let's hope the weather is "Dyna-mighty."
