Ninja Tune is an independent record label based in London, with a satellite office in Los Angeles. It was founded in 1990 by Matt Black and Jonathan More, professionally known as the electronic duo "Coldcut" The label was established as an outlet for Coldcut to explore a style distinct from from that of the mainstream music industry.
Rodney Hylton Smith, better known by his stage name Roots Manuva, is a British rapper and producer. Since his debut in 1994, he has produced numerous albums and singles on the label Big Dada, achieving commercial success with albums Run Come Save Me and Slime & Reason. He has been described as "one of the most influential artists in British music history." His most recent studio album, Bleeds, was released in October 2015.
UK rap, also known as British hip hop or UK hip hop, is a music genre and culture that covers a variety of styles of hip hop music made in the United Kingdom. It is generally classified as one of a number of styles of R&B/hip-hop. British hip hop can also be referred to as Brit-hop, a term coined and popularised mainly by British Vogue magazine and the BBC. British hip hop was originally influenced by the dub/toasting introduced to the United Kingdom by Jamaican migrants in the 1950s–70s, who eventually developed uniquely influenced rapping in order to match the rhythm of the ever-increasing pace and aggression of Jamaican-influenced dub in the UK. Toasting and soundsystem cultures were also influential in genres outside of hip hop that still included rapping – such as grime, jungle, and UK garage.
Awfully Deep is a studio album by British alternative hip hop artist Roots Manuva, released in 2005 by Big Dada.
Benedict Okwuchukwu Godwin Chijioke, better known by his stage name Ty, was a Nigerian-British rapper. He released the albums Awkward (2001), Upwards (2003), Closer (2006), Special Kind of Fool (2010) and A Work of Heart (2018). Upwards was nominated for a Mercury Prize. Ty collaborated with musicians such as Shortee Blitz, Drew Horley, Tony Allen, Roots Manuva and De La Soul.
Brand New Second Hand is the debut studio album by English hip hop musician Roots Manuva. It was released on Big Dada in 1999.
Run Come Save Me is the second studio album by English hip hop musician Roots Manuva. It was released on Big Dada in 2001.
Alternately Deep is the fifth studio album of original material by Roots Manuva. It was released on 13 March 2006 on the Big Dada label.
"Witness " is a song by British rapper Roots Manuva, released as the first single from his second studio album Run Come Save Me (2001). A hip hop song with influences of dancehall and funk music and an electronically-inspired bass line, it contains lyrical references to Roots Manuva's British cultural roots with a melody that deliberately resembles the theme song to TV show Doctor Who. Record labels Big Dada and Ninja Tune released "Witness " in various formats during July 2001.
Slime & Reason is the sixth studio album of original material by Roots Manuva. It was released on 1 September 2008 on the Big Dada label. Hip Hop Connection magazine named it Album Of The Year 2008.
Will Ashon is an English writer and novelist, former music journalist and founder of the Big Dada imprint of Ninja Tune records.
Corynne Elliot, better known as Speech Debelle, is a British rapper formerly signed to the Big Dada record label. She was the winner of the 2009 Mercury Prize for her debut album Speech Therapy. She released her second album, Freedom of Speech on Big Dada in 2012 and her third album, tantil before i breathe independently in 2017.
Speech Therapy is the debut album from British rapper Speech Debelle. It was awarded the British Mercury Prize in 2009.
Wayne "Lotek" Bennett is a music producer, songwriter and rapper from the UK. He is most famous for his work with Roots Manuva and more recently with Speech Debelle, producing her debut album Speech Therapy which won the 2009 Mercury Prize.
Leigh Ryan, better known by the stage name Plutonic Lab or sometimes as Pluto is an Australian music producer, engineer, artist & performer.
Kae Tempest is an English spoken word performer, poet, recording artist, novelist and playwright.
4everevolution is the eighth studio album by English rapper Roots Manuva. It was released on 3 October 2011 on the Big Dada label.
Dead is the debut studio album by Scottish indie group Young Fathers. It was released on Anticon and Big Dada on 31 January 2014. The album was the winner of the 2014 Mercury Prize. It peaked at number 35 on the UK Albums Chart.
Everybody Down is the debut album by English poet and spoken word artist Kae Tempest, which was nominated for the 2014 Mercury Prize. Its tracks comprise a unified story cycle with a coherent narrative arc, based upon a main character named Becky.
Bleeds is the ninth studio album by English rapper Roots Manuva. It was released on 30 October 2015 on the Big Dada label.
