Estelle Biography

To most hip hop fans Estelle needs no introduction. In 2002 Tim Westwood declared her as "a UK talent to look out for" and last year Music Week cited her as the one UK rapper "most likely to challenge the mainstream". Over the past two years she has built up a formidable reputation both on the street and in the media and her album "The 18th Day" is now due for release on 18th of October.

The number 18 is particularly significant for Estelle as it was the day she was born. However, it almost never happened. On the 18th of January 1985 Estelle's mother had a near death experience while giving birth, but fortunately came back to life. Since then Estelle has never taken her life for granted. Despite singing since she was seven, it was on her 18th birthday that she decided to take to the mic and embark on a rapping career that has made her one of the hottest new urban artists in the UK.

Although firmly rooted in the underground, Estelle has always had commercial success in her sight and has come through with an album which not only shows off the lyrical dexterity for which she is loved, but one which also unleashes her powerful vocal range. It might surprise some that this girl can belt out pop-tinged R&B tracks that are headed straight for the charts, and slow jams that will make your knees tremble, while giving us the kind of laid back hip hop that feels like food for the soul. In fact there is soul here in spadefuls, real soul, gathered from every corner from gospel to Motown, with rimshot-peppered jazz skits, dramatic, string-laden orchestral productions, and sultry ballads thrown in for good measure.

"I can't see myself straight rapping on a track with no melody. To me that's boring. But I'm not one to pussyfoot around. If I gotta say something, I say it. I can also be raw and aggressive, you need to be sometimes."

The album's breadth demonstrates just how far the hopeful MC from West London has developed over the past couple of years. But it hasn't been easy. With the high rate of young urban acts hyped up before disappearing without trace, anyone who hopes to sustain their career has to make sure they've got their plan locked down from the get-go. "People need to understand this is a business and get educated about it. I learnt a lot. You need to get involved in everything unless you want to be taken for a ride. The label business is a whole different ball game. Don't get involved unless you are ready and you know what you are getting into. You don't just sign a deal and that's it. All that's nothing if you haven't got your business sense sorted. It's really no different from hustling on the streets. It's about knowing the game, demanding what you are worth and selling yourself."

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Estelle Biography

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