Lulu James is a British

electronic Electronic may refer to: *Electronics, the science of how to control electric energy in semiconductor * ''Electronics'' (magazine), a defunct American trade journal *Electronic storage, the storage of data using an electronic device *Electronic co ...

and

soul In many religious and philosophical traditions, there is a belief that a soul is "the immaterial aspect or essence of a human being". Etymology The Modern English noun '' soul'' is derived from Old English ''sāwol, sāwel''. The earliest atte ...

singer.

Life and career

James was born in Tanzania, descended from a Maasai tribe. She moved to the

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the European mainland, continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...

when she was six years old and settled in South Shields in North East England. She enrolled on a music development course, where she met her primary producer and co-writer DomZilla. James self-released her debut EP, ''Rope Mirage'', in 2012 and subsequently signed to

Black Butter Records Black Butter Records is a British record label based in London, England. It was founded in 2010 by Olly Wood, Henry Village and Joe Gossa, with an investment of £5,000, and was named after a brand of condiments that had the same name. It was ...

, which issued her debut single, "Be Safe" / "Stuck". James toured the United Kingdom in late 2012 with labelmates

Hostage A hostage is a person seized by an abductor in order to compel another party, one which places a high value on the liberty, well-being and safety of the person seized, such as a relative, employer, law enforcement or government to act, or refr ...

Kidnap Kid Matthew 'Matt' Rupert Lancaster Relton, known professionally as Kidnap, formerly known as Kidnap Kid, is an English electronic dance music record producer and DJ from Sheffield, South Yorkshire. He was awarded iTunes US's 'Best Electronic Song ...

, and

Rudimental Rudimental are a British drum and bass band, signed to Asylum Records, Atlantic Records and Black Butter Records. The band consists of Piers Aggett, Kesi Dryden and Leon "Locksmith" Rolle. They were nominated for a Mercury Prize in 2013, and w ...

. By early 2013, she had signed to

RCA Records RCA Records is an American record label currently owned by Sony Music Entertainment, a subsidiary of Sony Corporation of America. It is one of Sony Music's four flagship labels, alongside RCA's former long-time rival Columbia Records; also A ...

and released the single "Closer". The single "Sweetest Thing" followed in late 2013, and she toured with Ellie Goulding and Annie Mac Presents. In 2014, she released the single "Beautiful People", with an EP to follow later in the year. In 2015, James served as a vocalist on house duo

Gorgon City Gorgon City are an English electronic music production duo consisting of two North London producers Kye "Foamo" Gibbon and Matt "RackNRuin" Robson-Scott. Their 2013 debut single " Real" peaked at number 44 on the UK Singles Chart. They are also w ...

's UK tour. James's musical inspirations include

India.Arie India Arie Simpson (born October 3, 1975), also known as India Arie (sometimes styled as india.arie), is an American singer and songwriter. She has sold over five million records in the US and ten million worldwide. She has won four Grammy Awards ...

, Beyoncé, James Blake, Mariah Carey, Diplo, Aretha Franklin,

Whitney Houston Whitney Elizabeth Houston (August 9, 1963 – February 11, 2012) was an American singer and actress. Nicknamed " The Voice", she is one of the bestselling music artists of all time, with sales of over 200 million records worldwide. Houston i ...

Michael Jackson Michael Joseph Jackson (August 29, 1958 – June 25, 2009) was an American singer, songwriter, dancer, and philanthropist. Dubbed the "King of Pop", he is regarded as one of the most significant cultural figures of the 20th century. Over a ...

, Gil Scott-Heron,

Amy Winehouse Amy Jade Winehouse (14 September 1983 – 23 July 2011) was an English singer and songwriter. She was known for her deep, expressive contralto vocals and her eclectic mix of musical genres, including soul, rhythm and blues and jazz. A membe ...

, and Jamie xx.

Discography

Singles

;Others *2012: ''Rope Mirage'' (EP) *2012: "Be Safe"/"Stuck" *2013: "Closer" *2013: "Step by Step" *2014: "Beautiful People" *2016: ''Colours'' (EP) *2019: "Lulu James Presents 3rdCultureKid"/"ZIM ZIMMER" ;Featured in *2013: "Why Didn't You Call?" (Gang Colours feat. Lulu James) *2014: "We Disappear" (

Jon Hopkins Jonathan Julian Hopkins (born 15 August 1979) is an English musician and producer who writes and performs electronic music. He began his career playing keyboards for Imogen Heap, and has produced but also contributed to albums by Brian Eno, ...

feat. Lulu James) *2015: "Loving You" (

Lane 8 Daniel Goldstein, better known by his stage name Lane 8, is an American musician, electronic music producer, and DJ. Currently residing in Denver, Colorado, he is signed to English deep house label Anjunadeep. Pete Tong named Lane 8 a "Future S ...

feat. Lulu James) *2017: "Tear My Heart" ( Moon Boots feat LuLu James arquis Hawkes Extended Mix

References

External links

Official website
{{DEFAULTSORT:James, Lulu 21st-century Black British women singers Black Butter Records artists British electronic musicians British soul singers Living people Maasai people Musicians from Tyne and Wear People from South Shields RCA Records artists Tanzanian emigrants to the United Kingdom 1990s births