Roots Manuva
Roots Manuva (Rodney Smith): Stockwell rapper and Big Dada’s flagship. Brand New Second Hand (1999), Mercury-nominated Run Come Save Me (2001), “Witness (1 Hope).”
Stockwell
Rodney Hylton Smith was born on September 9, 1972, and grew up in Stockwell, the son of Jamaican parents; his father was a preacher and tailor. Church, sound systems and dub all run through his music. He first recorded in 1994, and his first appearance as Roots Manuva was on Blak Twang’s “Queen’s Head.”
Big Dada
Brand New Second Hand (1999) was the first big album on Big Dada, Ninja Tune’s hip hop label. Run Come Save Me (2001) went further: “Witness (1 Hope)” became a UK anthem, the album reached No. 33, and it was nominated for the 2002 Mercury Prize. Awfully Deep (2005) reached No. 24 with “Colossal Insight,” and Slime & Reason (2008) reached No. 22, followed by 4everevolution (2011) and Bleeds (2015). He also won a MOBO for Best Hip Hop Act.
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