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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).”

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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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Now playingRoots Manuva - 'Witness (1 Hope)' Official Video
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Roots Manuva - 'Witness (1 Hope)' Official Video
Roots Manuva - 'Witness (1 Hope)' Official VideoBig Dada
Roots Manuva- Dreamy Days
Roots Manuva- Dreamy DaysBig Dada
Roots Manuva - Too Cold
Roots Manuva - Too ColdBig Dada
Roots Manuva- Colossal Insight
Roots Manuva- Colossal InsightBig Dada
Every record

Discography

Pulled from Discogs. Titles in yellow have a full page on Breakbeat Archive.

Studio albums 9

  1. 1999Brand New Second HandBig Dada RecordingseBayDiscogs
  2. 2001Run Come Save MeBig Dada RecordingseBayDiscogs
  3. 2002Dub Come Save MeBig Dada RecordingseBayDiscogs
  4. 2004Roots Manuva - 30/03/04L.H. ManagementeBayDiscogs
  5. 2006Alternately DeepBig Dada RecordingseBayDiscogs
  6. 2008Slime & Reason - Instrumentals And RemixesBig Dada RecordingseBayDiscogs
  7. 2008Slime & ReasonBig Dada RecordingseBayDiscogs
  8. 20114everevolutionBig Dada RecordingseBayDiscogs
  9. 2015BleedsBig Dada RecordingseBayDiscogs

Collaborative albums 2

  1. 2001Itch FM 1st Birthday Bash @ SubDJ MK, DJ Semtex, Rodney P, Roots Manuva, Skinnyman, Supar Novar, Mud Fam · Kemet EntertainmenteBayDiscogs
  2. 2010Duppy WriterRoots Manuva Meets Wrongtom · Big Dada RecordingseBayDiscogs

EPs & mixtapes 3

  1. 2005Awfully De/EPBig Dada RecordingseBayDiscogs
  2. 2013Banana Skank EPBig Dada RecordingseBayDiscogs
  3. 2016Switching SidesBig Dada RecordingseBayDiscogs

Compilations 2

  1. 1999Sugar Hill RemixesSequel RecordseBayDiscogs
  2. 2002Badmeaningood Vol. 2Ultimate DilemmaeBayDiscogs
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Albums on Breakbeat Archive

AlbumBrand New Second HandRoots Manuva · 1999AlbumRun Come Save MeRoots Manuva · 2001
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