N-Dubz are an English
hip hop trio from
Camden Town
Camden Town (), often shortened to Camden, is a district of northwest London, England, north of Charing Cross. Historically in Middlesex, it is the administrative centre of the London Borough of Camden, and identified in the London Plan as o ...
, London, consisting of cousins
Dappy
Costadinos Contostavlos (Greek: Κωνσταντίνος Κοντόσταυλος; born 11 June 1987), better known by his stage name Dappy, is a British rapper and singer. He is the lead singer of the Camden-based hip hop and grime trio N- ...
and
Tulisa
Tula Paulinea Contostavlos (Greek: Τούλα Παυλίνα 'Τουλίσα' Κοντόσταυλου; born 13 July 1988) professionally known as Tulisa, is an English singer, songwriter, television personality, and actress. As a part of the ...
, and
Fazer
Fazer () is one of the largest corporations in the Finnish food industry. The company was founded by Karl Fazer in 1891, as a "French-Russian confectionery" in central Helsinki. Today, it employs over ten thousand people across Finland, Sweden, R ...
. After winning a
MOBO Award
The MOBO Awards (Music of Black Origin, also known as the MOBOs) are an annual British music award presentation honouring achievements in " music of black origin", including hip hop, grime, UK Drill, R&B, soul, reggae, jazz, gospel, and Af ...
for Best Newcomer in 2007, N-Dubz briefly signed to
Polydor Records
Polydor Records Ltd. is a German-British record label that operates as part of Universal Music Group. It has a close relationship with Universal's Interscope Geffen A&M Records label, which distributes Polydor's releases in the United States. ...
before joining
All Around the World. Released the following year, the trio's debut album ''
Uncle B
''Uncle B'' is the debut studio album released by British hip hop group N-Dubz. The album is dedicated to former N-Dubz manager and father of Dappy, Byron Contostavlos, who died shortly before the band were signed to their second record label ...
'' was certified double platinum and spawned four UK top-40 singles.
In 2009, N-Dubz won Best UK Act at the MOBO Awards and released their second album, ''
Against All Odds''. It charted at number six and was certified platinum, preceded by their first top-10 single "
I Need You". The same year, N-Dubz achieved their first UK chart-topper, as a featured artist on
Tinchy Stryder
Kwasi Esono Danquah III ( ; born 14 September 1986), known by the stage name Tinchy Stryder, is a Ghanaian British, Ghanaian-British rapper, singer, songwriter, entrepreneur and investor.
Stryder has released three solo (music), solo studio al ...
's song "
Number 1". The trio's third album, ''
Love.Live.Life
''Love.Live.Life'' is the third studio album released by English hip-hop trio N-Dubz, released on 29 November 2010, as a collaboration by All Around the World and Island Records. Following the release of the album the group announced a hiatus ...
'' (2010), charted at number seven and became their third successive platinum-selling album. It included the top-10 singles "
We Dance On
"We Dance On" is a song performed by British hip hop
British hip hop, also known as UK hip hop or UK rap, is a genre of music, and a culture that covers a variety of styles of hip hop music made in the United Kingdom. It is generally classif ...
" and "
Best Behaviour". The group then took an 11-year hiatus to pursue solo careers before announcing their reformation in May 2022, releasing single ‘Charmer’ and a sold-out UK arena tour in November and December.
Career
2000–2007: Group formation and Polydor Records
All three members of N-Dubz were born in
Camden Town
Camden Town (), often shortened to Camden, is a district of northwest London, England, north of Charing Cross. Historically in Middlesex, it is the administrative centre of the London Borough of Camden, and identified in the London Plan as o ...
, north London, and two of them are of
Greek-Cypriot heritage. They each attended several different schools, meeting together for the first time when they were about 13 at
Haverstock School
Haverstock School (formerly Haverstock Comprehensive School), is a Mixed-sex education, coeducational secondary school and sixth form located on Haverstock Hill in Haverstock, London, England. It is opposite Chalk Farm tube station, Chalk Farm U ...
, and coming together as a group for the first time at about this age under the management of Dappy's father,
Byron Contostavlos
Mungo Jerry are a British rock band, formed by Ray Dorset in Ashford, Middlesex in 1970. Experiencing their greatest success in the early 1970s, with a changing lineup always fronted by Ray Dorset, the group's biggest hit was "In the Summertime ...
(formerly of
Mungo Jerry
Mungo Jerry are a British rock band, formed by Ray Dorset in Ashford, Middlesex in 1970. Experiencing their greatest success in the early 1970s, with a changing lineup always fronted by Ray Dorset, the group's biggest hit was "In the Summertime ...
), who died on 12 April 2007. They had a hard upbringing, living on tough estates and experienced a lot first-hand as teenagers, including violence, depression,
drug abuse
Substance abuse, also known as drug abuse, is the use of a drug in amounts or by methods which are harmful to the individual or others. It is a form of substance-related disorder. Differing definitions of drug abuse are used in public health, ...
, extreme financial difficulty,
bullying
Bullying is the use of force, coercion, hurtful teasing or threat, to abuse, aggressively dominate or intimidate. The behavior is often repeated and habitual. One essential prerequisite is the perception (by the bully or by others) of an imba ...
, and gang culture.
Performing as the ''Lickle Rinsers Crew'', they released the singles "Bad Man Riddim" and "Life is Getting Sicker by the Day".
After ''Lickle Rinsers Crew'', they then became ''NW1''. This originated from the phrase ''
Hakuna Matata''. they were originally intended to be ''Hukuna Matata'' after they changed from ''the Lickle Rinsers Crew, but due to copyright from
Disney
The Walt Disney Company, commonly known as Disney (), is an American multinational mass media and entertainment conglomerate headquartered at the Walt Disney Studios complex in Burbank, California. Disney was originally founded on October ...
, they decided to change to ''No Worries'' instead. Due to the fact there was already another group known as ''No Worries'' they decided to change instead to NW for a short time, but due to the confusion from
Compton
Compton may refer to:
Places
Canada
* Compton (electoral district), a former Quebec federal electoral district
* Compton (provincial electoral district), a former Quebec provincial electoral district now part of Mégantic-Compton
* Compton, Que ...
-based rap group
N.W.A.
N.W.A (an abbreviation for Niggaz Wit Attitudes) was an American hip hop group whose members were among the earliest and most significant popularizers and controversial figures of the gangsta rap subgenre, and the group is widely considered ...
, they finally changed to NW1 (both after their postcode district and as a slight nod to The Lion King) which was later to be changed to N-Dubz. After making their first music video in 2005 for the track "Everyday of My Life", which received airplay on Channel U, recording more demos as NW1 such as "Don't Feel Like Moving", "Girl On Road" and "Livin Broke", their first single to be released was "
You Better Not Waste My Time", which was available for download only until their 2006 self-released single, "
I Swear
"I Swear" is a song written by Gary Baker and Frank J. Myers that became a hit for American country music artist John Michael Montgomery in 1993, and for American R&B group All-4-One in 1994.
Released in November 1993 as the lead single from ...
", which gained them their first mainstream notice. It wasn't until 2007's "
Feva Las Vegas" (also self-released) that the group appeared on the UK charts, peaking at No. 57. Each member appeared on the second series of
Channel 4
Channel 4 is a British free-to-air public broadcast television network operated by the state-owned enterprise, state-owned Channel Four Television Corporation. It began its transmission on 2 November 1982 and was established to provide a four ...
's ''
Dubplate Drama
''Dubplate Drama'' is a British television drama series, created, written and directed by Luke Hyams, first broadcast on Channel 4 on 11 November 2005. The series follows the plight of teenage grime MC Dionne lead actress played by ( Chanel "Shy ...
'' after they began to get noticed as a group.
After winning a
MOBO Award
The MOBO Awards (Music of Black Origin, also known as the MOBOs) are an annual British music award presentation honouring achievements in " music of black origin", including hip hop, grime, UK Drill, R&B, soul, reggae, jazz, gospel, and Af ...
for Best Newcomer the group signed to
Polydor Records
Polydor Records Ltd. is a German-British record label that operates as part of Universal Music Group. It has a close relationship with Universal's Interscope Geffen A&M Records label, which distributes Polydor's releases in the United States. ...
and re-released their first single "
You Better Not Waste My Time" on the label, which debuted at No. 26 on the
UK singles chart
The UK Singles Chart (currently titled Official Singles Chart, with the upper section more commonly known as the Official UK Top 40) is compiled by the Official Charts Company (OCC), on behalf of the British record industry, listing the top-s ...
. In mid-2007, Dappy released "Love for my Slum" with fellow UK artist Baker Trouble. This song was number one on
Channel U for many weeks and was a big hit with the UK underground rap scene but was heavily criticised by the media for a scene in which Dappy is stood outside a block of expensive luxury flats with a "rich kid" who is trying to look like a gangster. ''
The Independent
''The Independent'' is a British online newspaper. It was established in 1986 as a national morning printed paper. Nicknamed the ''Indy'', it began as a broadsheet and changed to tabloid format in 2003. The last printed edition was publis ...
'' wrote, "His lyrics combine jealousy with anger: 'You got too much to lose / You're in a great position... You wouldn't last a minute where I'm from / You'd go missing / So appreciate what you got / 'cos I'm still wishing.' And then he grabs the rich kid by his coat, pulls him toward him, and punches him in the face. The silent boy falls instantly to the pavement..."; they then went on to put "Do scenes like these suggest that music videos are encouraging their viewers to indulge in criminality?". Dappy appeared on the television show ''
Never Mind the Buzzcocks
''Never Mind the Buzzcocks'' is a British comedy panel game show with a pop music theme. It has aired on Sky Max since September 2021, having originally aired between November 1996 and January 2015 on BBC Two. The original series was first hoste ...
'' on 29 November 2007, on Phill Jupitus's team, and wore a trademark "Dappy hat", also giving one to
Simon Amstell
Simon Marc Amstell (born 29 November 1979) is a British comedian, writer and director. He wrote and directed the films '' Carnage'' (2017) and ''Benjamin'' (2018). His work on television has included presenting ''Popworld'' and ''Never Mind the ...
to wear as part of the gag. Despite vowing he would not return to the show, he appeared for a second time on the guest team on 4 December 2008 and for a third time, on Phill's team, which was broadcast on 18 November 2009.
2008–2009: All Around the World records and ''Uncle B''
In May 2008, a song entitled "
Ouch
Ouch may refer to:
Geography
* Ouch, Lower Dir, a town in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan
* Ouch (union council), an administrative unit of Lower Dir District, Pakistan
* Ouches, a commune in the Loire department in central France
Film and TV
* ''O ...
" surfaced along with a music video. The video for "Ouch" attracted over 4 million viewers on networking site YouTube in just over a month after release. On 6 August 2008, it was announced that the group had left
Polydor Records
Polydor Records Ltd. is a German-British record label that operates as part of Universal Music Group. It has a close relationship with Universal's Interscope Geffen A&M Records label, which distributes Polydor's releases in the United States. ...
and had signed to
All Around the World records
All or ALL may refer to:
Language
* All, an indefinite pronoun in English
* All, one of the English determiners
* Allar language (ISO 639-3 code)
* Allative case (abbreviated ALL)
Music
* All (band), an American punk rock band
* ''All'' (All a ...
. The label predominantly specialises in dance music; however, they have occasionally released hip hop records such as
Ice Cube
An ice cube is a small piece of ice, which is typically rectangular as viewed from above and trapezoidal as viewed from the side. Ice cubes are products of mechanical refrigeration and are usually produced to cool beverages. They may be produc ...
's "
You Can Do It
"You Can Do It" is a hip-hop song by American rapper Ice Cube. It was released as the second single from the ''Next Friday'' soundtrack. The song features Ice Cube's Westside Connection bandmate Mack 10, as well as rapper Ms. Toi. "You Can Do ...
". The press release stated that the label would be releasing "Ouch" as the group's first single on the label in September 2008. The group's first album, ''
Uncle B
''Uncle B'' is the debut studio album released by British hip hop group N-Dubz. The album is dedicated to former N-Dubz manager and father of Dappy, Byron Contostavlos, who died shortly before the band were signed to their second record label ...
'', was released on 17 November 2008. The album includes "You Better Not Waste My Time", "I Swear", "Feva Las Vegas", "Love for My Slums", "Ouch", "Defeat You" and "Papa Can You Hear Me?". "
Strong Again
"Strong Again" is a song by British Hip hop music, hip hop trio, N-Dubz. It is the sixth single from their debut album ''Uncle B'' and was produced by Kano (rapper), Kano and Fraser T Smith. It was later the A-side and B-side, B-side to "We Danc ...
" was touted as the third single to be released from the ''
Uncle B
''Uncle B'' is the debut studio album released by British hip hop group N-Dubz. The album is dedicated to former N-Dubz manager and father of Dappy, Byron Contostavlos, who died shortly before the band were signed to their second record label ...
'' album on 16 February 2009 and a music video was made, before the physical CD released of the song was cancelled for unknown reasons. The song charted for five weeks in the
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart (currently titled Official Singles Chart, with the upper section more commonly known as the Official UK Top 40) is compiled by the Official Charts Company (OCC), on behalf of the British record industry, listing the top-s ...
, peaking highest at number 24. Group member Dappy was featured in Tinchy Stryder's 2009 No. 1 single tentatively titled "
Number 1", the video also featured cameo appearances from all N-Dubz's members. Due to the success of their debut album, the group embarked on their first headlining tour, Uncle B Tour. The tour was originally planned for 16 dates but due to high demand 5 extra dates were added. The tour was supported by
Stevie Hoang
Stevie Hoang is an English singer and record producer signed to
Mercury Records. and AVEX.
Career
Stevie Hoang (pronounced ''Hwong'') learned piano at the age of eleven and showed talent with it. He started his musical career as a producer, wor ...
and
Tinchy Stryder
Kwasi Esono Danquah III ( ; born 14 September 1986), known by the stage name Tinchy Stryder, is a Ghanaian British, Ghanaian-British rapper, singer, songwriter, entrepreneur and investor.
Stryder has released three solo (music), solo studio al ...
with whom N-Dubz collaborated with on his No. 1 single "Number 1". The tour sold out within days. During one performance, Tulisa fainted on stage. Multiple news sources reported that it was due to suspected
swine flu
Swine influenza is an infection caused by any of several types of swine influenza viruses. Swine influenza virus (SIV) or swine-origin influenza virus (S-OIV) refers to any strain of the influenza family of viruses that is endemic in pigs. As o ...
. Jonathan Shalit, the group's manager, stated that Tulisa "was taken ill on the flight out to Greece on Thursday" and that "her bandmates are all very worried about her." The group were due to perform at
Radio 1's Big Weekend
BBC Radio 1's Big Weekend (R1BW) (previously known as One Big Weekend, for 2012 as Radio 1's Hackney Weekend, and for 2018 as BBC Music's Biggest Weekend) is a British music festival run by the BBC's radio station. It is held once a year, in a ...
on 10 May 2009, but their participation was placed in doubt while Tulisa was hospitalised. It was later confirmed that Tulisa had tested negative for swine flu and the group did perform.
The song "
Wouldn't You
"Wouldn't You" is a single by English hip hop trio, N-Dubz. The song was released as the seventh and final single from their double-platinum debut album ''Uncle B''.
Track listing
* Digital Download
# "Wouldn't You" (Radio Edit)
# "Wouldn't Yo ...
" was then announced to be the seventh, and last, single to be released from the ''Uncle B'' debut album. The song was released digitally on 25 May 2009 and peaked at No. 64 in the UK.
2009–2010: ''Against All Odds''
Tulisa and Dappy reprised their roles in the third and final series of the Channel 4 show ''Dubplate Drama''. The story for the third series was mainly set around Laurissa's (Tulisa) relationship with her music manager and lead singer of an R&B group while tackling a drug addiction to
cocaine
Cocaine (from , from , ultimately from Quechuan languages, Quechua: ''kúka'') is a central nervous system (CNS) stimulant mainly recreational drug use, used recreationally for its euphoria, euphoric effects. It is primarily obtained from t ...
. ''Dubplate Drama'' finished with Laurissa kicking her addictions and leaving in a taxi for a new life with her child.
N-Dubz appeared with other artists, including
Tinchy Stryder
Kwasi Esono Danquah III ( ; born 14 September 1986), known by the stage name Tinchy Stryder, is a Ghanaian British, Ghanaian-British rapper, singer, songwriter, entrepreneur and investor.
Stryder has released three solo (music), solo studio al ...
and
Pixie Lott
Victoria Louise Lott (born 12 January 1991), better known by her stage name Pixie Lott, is an English singer and songwriter. Her debut album, '' Turn It Up'', released in September 2009, reached number six on the UK Albums Chart and sold ove ...
, to record a charity song for
War Child.
The Noisettes
Noisettes are an English indie rock band from London, currently composed of singer and bassist Shingai Shoniwa and guitarist Dan Smith. The band first achieved commercial success and nationwide recognition with the second single of their seco ...
,
Chipmunk
Chipmunks are small, striped rodents of the family Sciuridae. Chipmunks are found in North America, with the exception of the Siberian chipmunk which is found primarily in Asia.
Taxonomy and systematics
Chipmunks may be classified either as ...
,
MPHO
Mpho Skeef (pronounced /mpʰo skʲɪəf/), known by her stage name of Mpho, is a South African-born British singer-songwriter based in London.
Early and personal life
Skeef was born during the apartheid regime in South Africa to Sipho Mabuse ...
,
Ironik
James Christian Charters (born 18 January 1988), better known as Ironik (formerly as DJ Ironik), is a British musician, DJ and rapper. His genre of music varies from hip hop, grime, R&B and UK garage. DJ Ironik was born in London.
DJ Ironik ...
and
Kid British
Kid British, often styled as KiD BRiTiSH, were an English 6-piece music group, hailing from Manchester, United Kingdom. The band was composed of Adio Marchant (vocals), Simeon McLean (vocals), Sean Mbaya (vocals/guitar/keyboard), Dominick Allen ...
also signed up for the project under the name The Young Soul Rebels. The music stars released "I Got Soul", a rewritten version of
The Killers
The Killers are an American rock
Rock most often refers to:
* Rock (geology), a naturally occurring solid aggregate of minerals or mineraloids
* Rock music, a genre of popular music
Rock or Rocks may also refer to:
Places United Kingd ...
' "
All These Things That I've Done
"All These Things That I've Done" is a song by American rock band the Killers. The song was released as the third single from the band's debut studio album, ''Hot Fuss'' (2004), on August 30, 2004. It was written by frontman Brandon Flowers and f ...
", to raise money for marginalised children in war zones. Tulisa admitted she felt privileged to record the charity song. "It's an issue that hasn't been looked at enough. And you know, even until I found out about this event, I didn't really know that much about it, and that's saying something you know. And the fact that I'm only finding out now is not really good enough. So that was every reason for me to get involved." She told BBC ''
Newsbeat
''Newsbeat'' is the BBC's radio news programme broadcast on Radio 1, 1Xtra and Asian Network. ''Newsbeat'' is produced by BBC News but differs from the BBC's other news programmes in its remit to provide news tailored for a specifically you ...
''.
The group embarked on a Christmas Party Tour beginning on 17 November 2009. They visited 10 cities across the UK performing songs from both albums ''Uncle B'' and ''Against All Odds'', as confirmed by their official MySpace page. The tour was originally to be a taster of their new album, but it was announced that the album ''
Against All Odds'' would be released a day before the tour starts.
The lead single from the group's second album titled "I Need You" was released on 9 November 2009 and charted at No. 5 in the
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart (currently titled Official Singles Chart, with the upper section more commonly known as the Official UK Top 40) is compiled by the Official Charts Company (OCC), on behalf of the British record industry, listing the top-s ...
. The album ''
Against All Odds'', was released on 16 November 2009, and charted at No. 6 in the
UK Album Chart
The Official Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales and (from March 2015) audio streaming in the United Kingdom. It was published for the first time on 22 July 1956 and is compiled every week by the Official Charts ...
. The album went platinum within approximately 2 months of release.
The second single, "
Playing with Fire" features R&B/pop musician,
Mr Hudson
Benjamin Hudson McIldowie (born 26 June 1979), better known by his stage name Mr Hudson, is an English musician from Birmingham, England. First rising to prominence in 2006 with Mr Hudson and the Library, Hudson later embarked on a solo career ...
. The song reached No. 15 in the UK Charts on album downloads alone; however, when the single was released, it fell to No. 16, reaching a new peak at No. 14 the week after.
The music video for the third single taken from the album, "
Say It's Over
"Say It's Over" is the third single from N-Dubz's second studio album '' Against All Odds'', released on 25 April 2010. The lyrics grapple with the difficulties of ending a relationship. It reached #20 in the UK Singles Chart
The UK Single ...
", was released on 5 March 2010 on
Channel AKA
Channel, channels, channeling, etc., may refer to:
Geography
* Channel (geography), in physical geography, a landform consisting of the outline (banks) of the path of a narrow body of water.
Australia
* Channel Country, region of outback Austral ...
. It was announced that the single will be released on 25 April, it reached No. 27 on album downloads alone before the single was released. In late 2009, N-Dubz announced that they will tour their current album, ''Against All Odds'' in spring 2010, making it their third tour in two years, starting on 31 March and finishing on 20 April. It included 17 shows with supporting acts
Skepta
Chief Joseph Olaitan Adenuga Jr. (born 19 September 1982), known professionally as Skepta, is a British-Nigerian grime MC, rapper and record producer. Alongside his younger brother Jme, he briefly joined Roll Deep before they became founding ...
, Talay Riley and Ultra. On 1 April 2010, they released their first book, ''N-Dubz – Against All Odds: From Street Life to Chart Life'', which they described as "the answer to the critics, there is a lot of bad press about N-Dubz at the moment and this is going to put the record straight about who we really are and what we're about!", saying they want to put "everything out there", and Fazer also adding "It's going to surprise you!". The book also gives access to a secret N-Dubz website.
2010–2011: ''Love.Live.Life'', ''Greatest Hits'' and disbandment
The group filmed a 6-part documentary, ''
Being... N-Dubz'', which premiered on 21 June 2010 on
4Music
4Music is a British music television channel owned and operated by Channel Four Television Corporation. The original incarnation was launched on 15 August 2008, and until 29 June 2022, showed a mix of music and entertainment programming. It ...
, and was later renewed for a second series in 2011.
[Dappy: 'We bullied our way in'](_blank)
The Guardian. 19 September 2011. Retrieved 20 September 2011 After much speculation, it was confirmed that
Island Records
Island Records is a multinational record label owned by Universal Music Group. It was founded in 1959 by Chris Blackwell, Graeme Goodall, and Leslie Kong in Jamaica, and was eventually sold to PolyGram in 1989. Island and A&M Records, anoth ...
had signed the group. The first release was the album ''
Love.Live.Life
''Love.Live.Life'' is the third studio album released by English hip-hop trio N-Dubz, released on 29 November 2010, as a collaboration by All Around the World and Island Records. Following the release of the album the group announced a hiatus ...
'', N-Dubz's third studio album. It was released in the UK on 29 November 2010.
Five singles were released from ''Love.Live.Life''. The first, "
We Dance On
"We Dance On" is a song performed by British hip hop
British hip hop, also known as UK hip hop or UK rap, is a genre of music, and a culture that covers a variety of styles of hip hop music made in the United Kingdom. It is generally classif ...
", had previously been released in May 2010 from the ''
StreetDance'' soundtrack. On 1 September 2010, N-Dubz announced via Facebook that their first new single from the album would be "
Best Behaviour", which was eventually released on 17 October. The music video premiered on
Channel AKA
Channel, channels, channeling, etc., may refer to:
Geography
* Channel (geography), in physical geography, a landform consisting of the outline (banks) of the path of a narrow body of water.
Australia
* Channel Country, region of outback Austral ...
and
Clubland TV
Clubland TV is a British free-to-air Dance music channel. It is based from the Clubland compilation albums. Clubland TV airs various sub-genres of dance/EDM from the 90's to the late 2010s, such as electronica, techno, trance, eurodance, house, ...
on 8 September and was uploaded on YouTube by
AATW Records later that day.
The final three singles from ''Love. Life. Live'' were "
Girls
A girl is a young female human, usually a child or an adolescent. When a girl becomes an adult, she is accurately described as a ''woman''. However, the term ''girl'' is also used for other meanings, including ''young woman'',Dictionary ...
", "
So Alive" and "
Morning Star
Morning Star, morning star, or Morningstar may refer to:
Astronomy
* Morning star, most commonly used as a name for the planet Venus when it appears in the east before sunrise
** See also Venus in culture
* Morning star, a name for the star Siri ...
". ''Love. Life. Live'' became N-Dubz' third platinum selling album.
In August 2011, it emerged that N-Dubz had parted company with Island, stating that they were "Never going to co-operate with them when they decided to change what we are". With Tulisa taking up a role as a judge on
series 8
Series may refer to:
People with the name
* Caroline Series (born 1951), English mathematician, daughter of George Series
* George Series (1920–1995), English physicist
Arts, entertainment, and media
Music
* Series, the ordered sets used i ...
of ''
The X Factor
''The X Factor'' is a television music competition franchise created by British producer Simon Cowell and his company Syco Entertainment. It originated in the United Kingdom, where it was devised as a replacement for ''Pop Idol'' (2001–2003 ...
'' and Dappy releasing his solo single "
No Regrets", N-Dubz' gig on 18 September 2011 was described as "their final gig for the foreseeable future".
In November, Tulisa confirmed that N-Dubz were undergoing a two-year hiatus as Dappy and herself pursued solo careers. A ''Greatest Hits'' album was released on 28 November 2011. In an interview with
This Morning on 24 September 2012, Tulisa said a reunion was in the works for 2013, after hers and Dappy's solo albums had been released. On 6 October 2012, during an edition of ''
The X Factor
''The X Factor'' is a television music competition franchise created by British producer Simon Cowell and his company Syco Entertainment. It originated in the United Kingdom, where it was devised as a replacement for ''Pop Idol'' (2001–2003 ...
'', Tulisa once again confirmed that N-Dubz would be reforming. On 13 April 2017, when asked on the prospect of a reunion, Fazer replied, saying "100 per cent, that’s definitely going to come really soonish. Not right now, we’ve all got individual things we’re focusing on at the minute, but obviously it’s all about timing."
2022–present: Reformation
On 16 May 2022, following an 11-year hiatus, N-Dubz announced their reformation with new single "
Charmer" and their Back to the Future Tour, a UK arena tour scheduled for November 2022. The tour sold out within minutes of release. The ''
i'' further reported the same month that the band had spent six months working on a new album with
Chip Chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) is a type of immunoprecipitation experimental technique used to investigate the interaction between proteins and DNA in the cell. It aims to determine whether specific proteins are associated with specific genomi ...
,
Wiley
Wiley may refer to:
Locations
* Wiley, Colorado, a U.S. town
*Wiley, Pleasants County, West Virginia, U.S.
* Wiley-Kaserne, a district of the city of Neu-Ulm, Germany
People
* Wiley (musician), British grime MC, rapper, and producer
* Wiley Mill ...
and
Gary Barlow
Gary Barlow (born 20 January 1971) is an English singer, songwriter, record producer, and television personality. He is the lead singer of the British pop group Take That.
Barlow is one of the United Kingdom's most successful songwriters, havi ...
.
Controversy
N-Dubz had been involved in much media criticism and publicised controversy mainly to do with
Dappy
Costadinos Contostavlos (Greek: Κωνσταντίνος Κοντόσταυλος; born 11 June 1987), better known by his stage name Dappy, is a British rapper and singer. He is the lead singer of the Camden-based hip hop and grime trio N- ...
. Since early 2010 Dappy and Fazer have both been struggling to secure U.S. visas due to their past convictions.
On 31 January 2009 Dappy and
Fazer
Fazer () is one of the largest corporations in the Finnish food industry. The company was founded by Karl Fazer in 1891, as a "French-Russian confectionery" in central Helsinki. Today, it employs over ten thousand people across Finland, Sweden, R ...
were escorted from a BA flight from
Edinburgh
Edinburgh ( ; gd, Dùn Èideann ) is the capital city of Scotland and one of its 32 Council areas of Scotland, council areas. Historically part of the county of Midlothian (interchangeably Edinburghshire before 1921), it is located in Lothian ...
to London by police after it touched down, after allegedly threatening other passengers. A source told ''The Sun'' "They were swearing at kids on the plane, being foul and threatening passengers. Cabin crew called ahead to the police, who were waiting when the plane landed. They were taken away by armed officers."
In late 2009, a feud started between Tulisa and
Elly Jackson
La Roux ( ) is an English synthpop act formed in 2008 by singer Elly Jackson and record producer Ben Langmaid. The act's debut album ''La Roux'' (2009) was a critical and commercial success, winning a Grammy Award and producing hit singles su ...
of
La Roux
La Roux ( ) is an English synthpop act formed in 2008 by singer Elly Jackson and record producer Ben Langmaid. The act's debut album ''La Roux'' (2009) was a critical and commercial success, winning a Grammy Award and producing hit singles suc ...
who stated that all the females that do
hip hop music dress up like prostitutes. Tulisa took offence saying "she shouldn't talk about people's jobs that way... it's just wrong, where was she brought up – in a barn?", calling Jackson a "twat".
Later that month it surfaced that N-Dubz's DJ Maze had allegedly raped a young fan after a show N-Dubz had done at
Butlins
Butlin's is a chain of large seaside resorts in the United Kingdom. Butlin's was founded by Billy Butlin to provide affordable holidays for ordinary British families.
Between 1936 and 1966, ten camps were built, including one in Ireland and o ...
holiday camp in Skegness. They instead had
BBC Radio 1Xtra
BBC Radio 1Xtra is a British digital radio station owned and operated by the BBC. It broadcasts black music and urban music, including hip hop and R&B and is a sister station to Radio 1. Launching at 18:00 on 16 August 2002, it had been cod ...
's Twin B as their Christmas Party Tour DJ.
On 12 January 2010, N-Dubz appeared on ''
The Chris Moyles Show
''The Chris Moyles Show'' is the title given to two differing versions of a radio programme hosted by Chris Moyles, originally broadcast as Radio 1 Breakfast from 5 January 2004 to 14 September 2012 before transferring three years later on 21 ...
'' on
BBC Radio 1
BBC Radio 1 is a British national radio station owned and operated by the BBC. It specialises in modern popular music and current chart hits throughout the day. The station provides alternative genres at night, including electronica, dance, ...
. The show received a text message from a Chloe Moody in Boston,
Lincolnshire
Lincolnshire (abbreviated Lincs.) is a county in the East Midlands of England, with a long coastline on the North Sea to the east. It borders Norfolk to the south-east, Cambridgeshire to the south, Rutland to the south-west, Leicestershire ...
complaining that Dappy was "vile" and "a little boy with a silly hat" and that N-Dubz were "losers". Dappy secretly copied Moody's phone number from the studio console and, the following day, tried calling her and sent threatening messages including: "Your
icgonna die. U sent a very bad msg towards Ndubz on The Chris Moyels
icshow yesterday Morning and for that reason u will never be left alone!!! u say sorry I will leave u alone u ****." Moody claimed that she continued to receive messages after declining to apologise but N-Dubz management later apologised on his behalf and offered free tickets to one of his concerts, although Dappy has not apologised to Moody personally. The rapper had appeared with the then-Schools Secretary Ed Balls to launch pop single "RU Cyber Safe" in November 2009, but was dropped from the campaign with Mr Balls saying: "This text message was completely unacceptable and it is right that he has not only apologised, but accepted there was no excuse for his behaviour."
In March 2010, a dispute then started between N-Dubz and
Lethal Bizzle
Maxwell Owusu Ansah (born 14 September 1984), known by his stage name Lethal Bizzle, is a British rapper from Walthamstow, London, of Ghanaian origin. He emerged in 2002 as a grime MC as part of More Fire Crew, with their grime single "Oi!" ch ...
, who claimed he had written and produced N-Dubz's hit "
I Need You" for them and so should be acknowledged in the credits for it, with Tulisa hitting back on Twitter that "he's jus triena boost his status, ...wat an unbelievable loser!" and N-Dubz later posted a video on their official YouTube channel through Twitter with the caption: "THE PROOF WE DIDNT STEAL S**T, WE MAKE OUR OWN HITS!" of when he had sent them the finished song and when they had actually finished the song, implying that their version was over 2 months older than his.
Discography
* ''
Uncle B
''Uncle B'' is the debut studio album released by British hip hop group N-Dubz. The album is dedicated to former N-Dubz manager and father of Dappy, Byron Contostavlos, who died shortly before the band were signed to their second record label ...
'' (2008)
* ''
Against All Odds'' (2009)
* ''
Love.Live.Life
''Love.Live.Life'' is the third studio album released by English hip-hop trio N-Dubz, released on 29 November 2010, as a collaboration by All Around the World and Island Records. Following the release of the album the group announced a hiatus ...
'' (2010)
Tours
Headlining
* ''Uncle B'' Tour
*
N-Dubz Christmas Party
* The Against All Odds Tour
* Love.Live.Life Tour
*
Back to the Future Tour
The human back, also called the dorsum, is the large posterior area of the human body, rising from the top of the buttocks to the back of the neck. It is the surface of the body opposite from the chest and the abdomen. The vertebral column runs ...
Supporting act
*
Clubland Live
Bibliography
* 2010: ''Against All Odds – From Street Life to Chart Life''
Awards
References
External links
*
{{Authority control
English hip hop groups
British musical trios
Musical groups from London
Musical groups established in 2000
People educated at Quintin Kynaston School
2000 establishments in England
All Around the World Productions artists
Musical groups disestablished in 2011
Island Records artists