Young Fathers

Last updated

Young Fathers
Festival des Vieilles Charrues 2018 - Young Fathers - 021.jpg
Young Fathers in 2018
Background information
Origin Edinburgh, Scotland
Genres
Years active2008–present
Labels
Members
  • Alloysious Massaquoi
  • Kayus Bankole
  • 'G' Hastings
Website young-fathers.com

Young Fathers are a Scottish progressive hip hop group formed in Edinburgh in 2008. Their second EP, Tape Two (2013), won the Scottish Album of the Year Award. In 2014, they won the Mercury Prize for their debut album Dead . A second album, White Men Are Black Men Too , followed in 2015. Their third album, Cocoa Sugar (2018), peaked at number 28 on the UK Albums Chart and earned the band their second Scottish Album of the Year Award. Their fourth album, Heavy Heavy , was released in 2023 and earned the band their third Scottish Album of the Year Award.

Contents

History

Formed in Edinburgh in 2008 by Alloysious Massaquoi, Kayus Bankole and Graham 'G' Hastings, the group started performing in nightclubs when the band members were all in their teens. [1]

In 2012, they signed to LA-based label Anticon and released their introductory mixtapes, Tape One and Tape Two , with Tape Two winning the Scottish Album of the Year Award [2] ("The SAY Award").

Young Fathers in concert 27 April 2014 Young Fathers concert Portland.jpg
Young Fathers in concert 27 April 2014

The trio then signed to Big Dada and released their debut album, Dead , which was released in 2014. The album gained critical attention and went on to win the Mercury Prize. Dead entered the UK albums chart at number 35 and topped the independent UK album chart. [3]

Following an extensive world tour the band decamped to Berlin to begin work on their second album, White Men Are Black Men Too , which was released in April 2015. [4] It peaked at number 41 on the UK Albums Chart. [5]

In June 2017 Young Fathers played in the Royal Festival Hall at the Southbank Centre as part of M.I.A.'s Meltdown Festival. [6]

Six tracks on the T2 Trainspotting soundtrack feature Young Fathers, including "Only God Knows", written specifically for the film. In a statement the director Danny Boyle described the song as "the heartbeat for the film". [7] [8]

Young Fathers' third studio album, Cocoa Sugar, was announced with the single "In My View" on 17 January 2018. The album was released on British independent label Ninja Tune on 9 March 2018. [9] The album entered the UK Albums Chart at number 28, making it the band's highest-charting album. [10] It won the Scottish Album of the Year Award for 2018. [11]

The trio released their fourth studio album, Heavy Heavy , via Ninja Tune on 3 February 2023. [12] The album peaked at number 7 on the UK Albums Chart, won the Scottish Album of the Year Award, earned the band three Brit Award nominations and was also shortlisted for the Mercury Prize.

While not an overtly political band, Young Fathers have spoken about issues such as racism and the treatment of refugees [13] Due to their support of the BDS movement, the band was dropped from the 2018 Ruhrtriennale line-up. [14]

The band were featured on the FIFA 19 and FIFA 23 soundtracks, with the songs "Border Girl" and "Rice" respectively. [15] [16]

Members

Touring Musicians

Discography

Studio albums

TitleAlbum detailsPeak chart positions
SCO
[23]
UK
[10]
UK
Indie

[10]
AUS
Hit.

[24]
BEL
(FL)

[25]
BEL
(WA)

[26]
GER
[27]
IRL
[28]
SWI
[29]
US
Sales

[30]
Dead 21351102
White Men Are Black Men Too
  • Released: 6 April 2015
  • Label: Big Dada
194162095
Cocoa Sugar 928413371737989 [upper-alpha 1]
Heavy Heavy
  • Released: 3 February 2023
  • Label: Ninja Tune
272 [upper-alpha 2] 73988465
"—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory.

Mixtapes

TitleAlbum details
Tape One
  • Released: November 2011
  • Label: Anticon
Tape Two
  • Released: 11 June 2013
  • Label: Anticon

Singles

TitleYearPeak chart positionsAlbum
UK
Sales

[10]
UK
Indie

[10]
FRA
[33]
"Straight Back on It"2008Non-album singles
"Automatic / Dancing Mantaray"2010
"Fevers Worse"
"The Guide"2013
"I Heard" [34] 196 Tape Two
"Queen Is Dead" [35] 33
"Low" Dead
"Get Up"201439
"Soon Come Soon"63Non-album single
"Rain or Shine"2015 White Men Are Black Men Too
"Shame"
"Only God Knows"
(feat. Leith Congregational Choir)
20175 T2: Trainspotting
"Lord"2018 Cocoa Sugar
"In My View"
"Toy"
"Border Girl / Cocoa Sugar"Non-album single
"Geronimo"2022 Heavy Heavy
"I Saw"
"Tell Somebody"
"Rice"2023
"—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory.

Remixes

Guest appearances

TitleOther artist(s)YearAlbum/EP
"Turn Up the Dial" Simian Mobile Disco 2009 Temporary Pleasure
"Leader" Stanton Warriors 2011The Warriors
"Voodoo in My Blood" [36] Massive Attack 2016 Ritual Spirit
"He Says He Needs Me" 3D Assassin's Creed (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)
"#UNIVERSALBASICINCOME"Massive Attack, Guy Standing 2020 Eutopia

Music videos

TitleYear
"Deadline"2012
"Rumbling"
"Sister"
"Romance"2013
"The Guide"
"I Heard"
"Queen Is Dead"
"Low"
"Get Up"2014
"Shame"2015
"Old Rock n Roll"
"Lord"2018
"In My View"
"Toy"
"Holy Ghost"

Notes

  1. Cocoa Sugar did not enter the US Billboard 200, but peaked at number 14 on the US Heatseekers Albums Chart. [31]
  2. Heavy Heavy did not enter the ARIA Albums chart, but peaked at number 23 on the Australian Digital Albums Chart. [32]

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References

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  2. Didcock, Barry (20 June 2014). "SAY Award winners Young Fathers talk friendship, hip hop and civil war". The Herald . Retrieved 17 January 2018.
  3. Ellis-Petersen, Hannah (30 October 2014). "Mercury prize 2014: Young Fathers defy the odds to win". The Guardian . Retrieved 17 January 2018.
  4. MacInnes, Paul (8 December 2015). "Best albums of 2015: No 9 – White Men Are Black Men Too by Young Fathers". The Guardian . Retrieved 17 January 2018.
  5. "WHITE MEN ARE BLACK MEN TOO". www.officialcharts.com. Retrieved 2 February 2023.
  6. Murray, Robin (19 April 2017). "Soulwax, Young Fathers To Play M.I.A.'s Meltdown". Clash Magazine . Retrieved 17 January 2018.
  7. Minsker, Evan (24 January 2017). "Young Fathers Share New Track "Only God Knows" From T2 Trainspotting". Pitchfork . Retrieved 17 January 2018.
  8. Robinson, Collin (10 January 2017). "Trainspotting 2 Soundtrack Revealed". Stereogum . Retrieved 17 January 2018.
  9. Daly, Rhian (17 January 2017). "Young Fathers announce new album 'Cocoa Sugar' and share new single 'In My View'". NME . Retrieved 17 January 2018.
  10. 1 2 3 4 5 Peaks in the UK:
  11. "Young Fathers win Scottish Album of the Year for Cocoa Sugar". BBC. 7 September 2018.
  12. Ruiz, Matthew Ismael (20 October 2022). "Young Fathers Announce New Album Heavy Heavy, Share Video for New Song: Watch". Pitchfork . Retrieved 1 February 2023.
  13. "Young Fathers: 'Everybody has a dark side. We're all complicit…'". the Guardian. 25 February 2018. Retrieved 5 September 2021.
  14. Alex Marshall (July 2018). "Unwelcome Sound on Germany's Stages: Musicians Who Boycott Israel". The New York Times . Retrieved 5 April 2020.
  15. "FIFA 19 Soundtrack: This Year's Complete Playlist". BigTop40.com. 11 September 2018. Retrieved 5 April 2020.
  16. "FIFA 23 soundtrack: Artists, songs & music on new game revealed | Goal.com UK". www.goal.com. 22 September 2022. Retrieved 22 June 2023.
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  19. "Slavery". National Library of Scotland. Retrieved 5 September 2021.
  20. "Young Fathers star: Scotland's slavery past should be taught in every school". www.scotsman.com. Retrieved 5 September 2021.
  21. "Young Fathers star shines a light on Scotland and slavery". HeraldScotland. Retrieved 5 September 2021.
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  23. Peaks in Scotland:
  24. Peaks on the ARIA Hitseekers chart:
  25. "Discografie Young Fathers Flemish". Ultratop.be. Hung Medien. Retrieved 29 March 2016.
  26. "Discografie Young Fathers Wallonie". Ultratop.be. Hung Medien. Retrieved 20 March 2018.
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  28. Steffen Hung. "Discography Young Fathers". irishcharts.com. Retrieved 20 November 2023.
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  30. "Young Fathers – Chart History: Top Current Albums". billboard.com. Retrieved 20 November 2023.
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  32. "The ARIA Report: Week Commencing 13 February 2023". The ARIA Report. No. 1719. Australian Recording Industry Association. 13 February 2023. p. 10.
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  35. "Young Fathers 'Queen Is Dead' - Okayplayer". Okayplayer. Retrieved 20 November 2023.
  36. Promonews. "Massive Attack ft. Young Fathers 'Voodoo In My Blood' by Ringan Ledwidge | Videos". Promonewstv. Retrieved 1 June 2022.