Roots Manuva
Born: 1972
Location: Esher, Surrey, England
Genre: Hip Hop, British Hip Hop
Years Active: 1995 -
Real Name: Rodney Smith
Meaning of the Name:
Way of Working: Raps over a producer's beats
Associated: IQ Syndicate
Essential Releases
Brand New
Second Hand (1999)
Debut album. Hip hop with a distinctly British flavour and influences from reggae.
Run Come
Save Me (2001)
Stronger dancehall and ragga influences. More energetic, less meditative.
Roots Manuva's upbringing in a strict religious household shaped him as a rapper. His father, who was a deacon, insisted he visit church three times on Sunday and twice during the week. Of course, a young Roots grumbled, but with such visits came repeated exposure to persuasive public speaking; preachers would command a congregation using their vocal rhythms in a similar way to how an MC moves the crowd. They also made sermons palatable with the aid of humour... and with these formative experiences a young lyricist was born.
This synthesis of levity and seriousness became a hallmark of Roots Manuva's hip hop, giving it a unique charm distinct from the usual fare. His ability to deploy words like 'begrudgingly' in a rap, as well as references to cheese on toast, imbued his music with the language of everyday, self-deprecating British life. Indeed, his laid-back, bemused delivery is characteristic of the nation, defined by observational understatement and dry wit.
The lingering tension with his religious past is explored overtly in the track 'Sinny Sin Sins'. The song is a deeply introspective, autobiographical account of his youth, set to haunting minor keys reminiscent of a church organ. It details the confusion of a boy wrestling with inherited faith, questioning the validity of religion while 'the pastor drives Benz', and the concept of passive resistance: "why should I turn the other cheek and get beat?"
Later in the song, Roots is slapped in the jaw by his father for declaring he doesn't want to attend church, and is subsequently threatened with expulsion from the home. This dynamic, of a son questioning the hypocrisies of his father, is archetypical and recurrent in the Bible. Adam and Eve are expelled from the Garden of Eden for eating from the tree of knowledge (why can God have knowledge when I cannot?) and Lucifer was banished from heaven for attempting to usurp God's authority (why can God have ultimate power when I cannot?). God, of course, is referred to by Christians as 'Our Father'.
My point is that while Roots Manuva is not be a devout Christian, his music draws deeply from his Christian upbringing. Tracks like 'Colossal Insight' are like a prayer, with the rapper confessing his sins. It begins with the incredulous lyrics 'Gracious Lord, my mega oh mighty!'
What made Roots Manuva truly special though was his ability to break British hip hop into the mainstream without compromising his craft, as he did with the release of 'Witness the Fitness' in 2001. The early 2000s marked a second golden generation of UK hip hop, in an artistic sense, that was characterised by fierce independence and near-total apathy from major labels.
While this autonomy, and the determination of the rappers to authentically represent their working-class lives, defined the era, it also limited its commercial reach. Despite only peaking at number 45 on the UK chart, the impact of 'Witness the Fitness' was monumental for the genre. The song received significant airplay on MTV and became a fixture in night clubs across the country. Such exposure gave British hip hop a much-needed shot in the arm and bought overdue attention to its leading lights.
Skills
*This is a work in progress. Values are subjective.Emotional Impact
80
Mental Impact
80
Originality
85
Artistry
65
Authenticity
90
Live
85
Production
85
Musicianship
65
Rapping
85
Songwriting
85
Danceability
65
Fun
70
Consistency
65
Range
70
Cool
65
Charisma
80
Commercial & Critical Success
Awards >>>
- Mercury Prize Nominee 2002 - Run Come Save Me
Certifications >>>
- Brand New Second Hand - Silver in the UK
- Run Come Save Me - Gold in the UK
