The show was presented by comedian Munya Chawawa and Little Mix’s Leigh Anne-Pinnock, the pair didn’t disappoint, with Leigh Anne wearing multiple outfits throughout the night, giving us a glimpse into her unique fashion style whilst Munya delivered the jokes.

Bringing the stage back to life was the wonderful Bree Runway, who performed her sizzling single ‘Hot Hot’. There were also performances from Pa Salieu, Enny, Stefflon Don and Ms Banks and Ghetts.

The night was dedicated to honouring Music Of Black Origin, and the awarding reflected this, with a variation of artists winning specific categories, some for the first time. Dave was awarded Album Of The Year, having previously won Album Of The Year at last year’s Brit Awards with his album ‘Psychodrama’. Little Simz was awarded Best Female Act, which was well deserved after her monumental year and successful album ‘Sometimes I Might Be Introvert’.

When accepting her award, Simz said;

“I’m in the dream I always dreamed about. [So] anyone that’s watching this and has a dream to pursue – this is yours, always. Go and get it.”

After 15 years of being a frontrunner of the now widely successful Grime genre, last night saw Ghetts finally pick up his first Mobo award, as he won ‘Best Male Artist’. He went on to close the show with a fiery performance of his hits ‘Mozambique’ and ‘Hop Out’.

Drill was a genre acknowledged throughout the night, with the genre’s first UK number 1 ‘Body (Remix)’ by Tion Wayne & Russ Millions winning ‘Song Of The Year’. Drill’s Central Cee was awarded ‘Best Newcomer’. These wins are a huge step for Drill, showing that this is now a genre accepted by the masses and no longer associated with stereotypes of gang violence.

Words By Nadia Clasper

Photo Credit: Mobo’s Twitter

The post The Return Of The Mobo Awards appeared first on Voir Fashion.

Leigh-Anne has been a huge voice for the Black community, making her very own documentary ‘Race, Pop and Power’ throughout the pandemic. This makes her casting even more special, as ‘Boxing Day’ marks the very first British Christmas film focussing solely on Black relationships and culture in London. 

Speaking on being a part of the film, Leigh-Anne said;

“I am truly honoured to have been able to be apart of this film but also truly proud, to witness the arrival of a film that celebrates black culture, black talent and black love.”

Making this all possible was Aml Ameen, who consistently pushed for the film to be set around British Black culture. ‘Boxing Day’ will mark Aml’s directorial debut, with him stating;

“It’s a quintessentially British film but it’s a part of Britain we have never really focused on in cinema. I’m a big fan of Love Actually and Richard Curtis films and took inspiration from his work but I wouldn’t call it the ‘Black Love Actually’.”

The film’s plot is surrounding Ameen’s character Melvin – a British author based in America – who heads back to London for Christmas, bringing his fiancé Lisa (Aja Naomi King) to meet his family. Things don’t run so smoothly when the couple runs into Leigh-Anne’s character, Georgia, a successful singer who Lisa is a massive fan of, who also happens to be Melvin’s ex-girlfriend. 

What happens next is a mystery, which we can’t wait to find out! You can catch ‘Boxing Day’ in UK cinemas from the 3rd of December – a perfect time for festive films to be at the top of your watch list! 

Words By Nadia Clasper

_{Photo Credit: Leigh-Anne Pinnock Instagram}

The post Leigh-Anne Pinnock Makes Film Debut In UK’s First All-Black Cast, Christmas Rom-Com appeared first on Voir Fashion.

Kendrick Lamar 

Kendrick has become a household name between Rap and Hip-Hop lovers, with many fans branding him as the new king of Hip-Hop. Through his honest and candid lyricism, of which he speaks on topics such as police brutality, alcoholism, and growing up in Southern California, he has won over hearts. Kendrick’s most recent release is a collaboration with Baby Keem titled ‘family ties’, which we have been loving.

Kendrick is well-known for sampling and giving a nod to genres that were forerunners of Hip-Hop. Many Hip-Hop artists do this by fitting elements of Soul, R&B, Funk and The Blues into the genre. This can be done through various techniques such as Sampling, Vocal Technique and Instrumentation. 

A great representation of this is in Jay Z’s track ‘The story of O.J.’. He samples Nina Simone’s vocals from ‘Four Women’, a song which still stands poignantly today, with Simone’s soulful voice getting her message across in such a beautifully harrowing way, as she sings lyrics based on society’s inability to see and acknowledge Black Women of any shade. Jay Z used slices of her vocal phrases to fit ‘The Story of O.J’s’ narrative, a song based on how financial success doesn’t counteract race issues. 

Little Simz

With influence being such a vital part of Hip-Hop, we couldn’t not mention Little Simz, who is heavily inspired by the styles of The Notorious B.I.G., has previously spoken on her love for his lyricism sounding conversational, something which she strives to achieve in her own songs. Simz is a British Rapper, who is highly regarded for her storytelling ability and honesty within her lyrics. Earlier this year, she released her latest album ‘Sometimes I Might Be Introvert’, which has gone on to receive high praise and ratings. 

“The blues are the roots and the other musics are the fruits.” Said Blues musician Willie Dixon. This message still stands, as the Blues was the basis for many genres invented, such as; R&B, Rock n Roll, Jazz, Soul, and Hip-Hop. The music we listen to today is rooted in Blues, a genre that was born from the oppression and struggles African-American’s faced in the late 1800s.

Rico Nasty

An artist who merges Rap with the intenseness of Rock is the wonderful Rico Nasty. Rico has released multiple mixtapes, which all gained traction, leading her to release her debut album ‘Nightmare Vacation’ in 2020. The album received compliments for her high-energy delivery and experimental approach. Her most recent release is a feature on Token’s fun track ‘High Heels’. 

Ivorian Doll 

Ivorian Doll, a 23-year-old British Rapper is making moves with her music, following her 2020 release ‘Rumours’. She is repping for the Drill scene, quickly becoming well known in the genre for her witty personality and bold lyrics. 

Shaybo

Nigerian born rapper, Shaybo, has become a big success within the UK Rap and MC scene. Following her successful release with Jorja Smith earlier this year, Shaybo released her debut mixtape ‘Queen of The South’ in August. The mixtape featured another beautiful collaboration with Jorja Smith, with an accompanying video released. 

As we educate ourselves on Black Culture and history during Black History Month, we must recognise the sacrifices Blues musicians made for us to now consume and enjoy the evolution of their original compositions, and how their innovation and determination is how we came to have access to the UK’s favourite genre, Hip-Hop.

Words by Nadia Clasper

_{Photo Credit: Jorja Smith “Bussdown” Ft. Shaybo}

The post You Can’t Enjoy The Rhythm And Ignore The Blues; Voir Celebrates Black Culture In Music appeared first on Voir Fashion.