In honour of Black History Month, GRM Daily are shining a light on nine individuals in the music industry who are paving the way for black talent and breaking glass ceilings with their success.
Posty
Our CEO Posty co founded GRM Daily in 2009. Posty told The Guardian in 2017, “I wanted to be able to check out British content every day, so I waited around hoping someone would do it, but no one did, so I jumped in.”
GRM Daily began as a website that just posted music related videos every day, and has now evolved into a brand with interests in gaming, fashion, television and film. GRM Daily’s business expansions outside of the website include a radio show on Rinse FM which you can catch bi-weekly on Fridays between 16.00- 19.00, the annual Rated Awards show, the burgeoning record label: GRM Records, and the GRM Agency which forges links between brands and the culture. GRM Daily continues to provide a platform for UK rap, afro-bashment and grime to thrive; all genres which are deeply rooted and stem from black British culture.
By creating an opportunity providing platform and making massive strides in the world of business, Posty proves to be a role model and a game changer.
Jamal Edwards
Jamal Edwards founded SB.TV in 2006 and began posting freestyles and self-shot grime videos to his YouTube channel. As the channel grew more popular, the team began to expand and SB.TV diversified to also include artists from other genres including pop and American hip-hop. The channel now interviews stars from all over the globe across music, film, television and sport.
Jamal appeared in a television advert for Google Chrome in 2011 that illustrated his self-motivated and self-determined rise to success. Jamal ran a social media hub at Buckingham Palace and he was awarded an MBE for his services to music in 2014.
Rashid Kasirye
Link Up TV was co-founded by Rashid Kasirye in 2008 who would go out with friends and shoot footage which he would later upload. Link Up TV has grown since its humble beginnings and the platform continues to push the culture forward and allows new artists the space to release music.
Link Up TV continue to make significant inroads with their original content, whether its 24 hours with, The Lyric Quiz, or Hardest Bars.
Austin Daboh
Austin Daboh is currently Head of Shows and Editorial for Spotify in the UK following an over a decade long career in the music industry that includes working for BBC 1Xtra. Hailing from South London, Austin Daboh’s work for Spotify includes curating the Who We Be playlist and subsequently turning the playlist into a live music event, which recently picked up an award for being the best live event of the year.
This year’s show will see Who We Be return to London, and the event will take place at Alexandra Place. It will bring together transatlantic stars like French Montana and Tory Lanez combined with some great homegrown talent with the likes of Not3s, AJ Tracey, Craig David, Ghetts, Lethal Bizzle, Raye and NSG.
On his creation of the Who We Be playlist, Austin told Clash music, that he wanted to “create a playlist that is the crème de la crème of UK rap, grime, afro-bashment and also the best of U.S. rap as well.”
Austin Daboh’s work for Spotify continues to champion British urban music and provide a space for the music of grime, rap, afro-bashment and drill artists to be celebrated and discovered and for this, we salute Austin Daboh.
Twin B
Twin B’s voice will be familiar to most following his lengthy career as a DJ and radio host. Twin B formerly hosted the 1Xtra Breakfast show and he can now be heard on the station as a late night DJ. The Plaistow native says he got into his career by, “DJing about a bit… and loving new black music”.
Twin B alongside Richard Antwi released Wretch 32’s Black and White album in 2011 through their label Levels. In its first year, Levels sold over 1.5 million records.
Twin B is currently co-head of A&R at Atlantic Records and he continues to celebrate achievement in the culture. He recently spoke to Official Charts about Dave and Fredo debuting on the charts at number one with their track “Funky Friday”.
On the win, Twin B said, “for Dave to now have huge chart success is really special and exciting for all of us fans of British MC culture and music!”
Richard Antwi
Another unsung hero of the music industry is the late music lawyer Richard Antwi who helped to launch the mainstream careers of many including Wretch 32, Tinie Tempah and Yasmin.
Described as “a warrior for many UK artists” by R&B singer Estelle, Antwi can be credited as an early of the careers of many artists in the scene through his work at his label Levels co-founded with Twin B as well as through his other endeavours.
In his honour, the University of Westminster created the Richard Antwi scholarship that provides full payment of fees for one student each year on their MA Music Business Management course as well as supported living costs and work experience.
Through his past work and the new scholarship, Richard Antwi continues to support new talent in the music industry.
Julie Adenuga
The co-host of this year’s Rated Awards continues to make strides in the industry as a rare solo female voice advocating for UK music on an international platform.
Beginning her radio career in 2010 on Rinse FM, Julie went on to present on television for Channel AKA and is now a host of Beats 1 radio for Apple music which is accessible globally.
Julie was named on Forbes’ acclaimed 30 under 30 list. On Julie, Forbes magazine said, “one of three anchors on Apple Music’s Beats 1 radio station and the only one Under 30- this British-born DJ has emerged as a global tastemaker. Among her credentials: Bringing British music, including its homegrown rap offshoot, grime, to international attention.”
A.Dot
A.Dot aka Dotty has changed the game from both behind the camera and in front.
A.Dot hosts the 1Xtra Breakfast show and became the first woman in the show’s history to host the programme solo. In 2017, she became the most successful morning host in the show’s history.
She also hosted the BBC One prime time music performance and sketch show Sounds Like Friday Night with Greg James.
Dotty acts as tastemaker through her radio presence, her role as an ambassador for the PRS Music Foundation and her past work as an A&R for Parlophone Records.
Dotty has continued to make strides in the industry that supports urban culture as well as continuing to break glass ceilings for black women.
Michael ‘Buck’ Maris
When he’s not appearing in UK cinema like Anuvahood and Anti-Social, Michael Maris aka Buck doubles as manager to one of the biggest artists in UK music, Giggs.
On his relationship with Buck, Giggs told The Source in 2016, “the way he handles shit is great. I wonder if he’s done this in another life, cos he doesn’t just randomly jump at stuff. He’s careful and not driven just by money.”
With Giggs moving from strength to strength in his career including his recent Wamp 2 Dem project reaching Number 2 on the UK Albums Chart and his increasing global fan base, it is also important to acknowledge the behind the scenes work of Buck that goes into supporting and enabling the growth and success of Giggs.