Like London Fashion Week follows New York Fashion Week, urban audiences across the pond will be tuning in to the UK’s answer to the BET Hip Hop Awards, the MOBOs! on Wednesday night, October 5th.
Here’s everything you need to know about how the MOBO’s does street, fresh, and flashy, in the Old Country. I’m not sure if it’s fortunate or unfortunate that this story does not involve Ciroc. Yet…
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The category for Best African Act is the most hotly contested in my opinion. Only because the artists on the list don’t have much in common besides having been born on the same continent. Nominees include:
– Cheikh Lo, a traditional roots singer born in Burkina Faso, and bred in Senegal
– Fatounata Diawar, traditional Malian acoustic smoothness
– D’banj out of Nigeria, whose video for the popular Mr. Endowed features a young lady draped over a vintage Rolls in a red pleather catsuit
– WizKid, also “Naija,” a young R&B crooner a la Lloyd and ‘nem. He even got his start early, at the age of 11.
This question begs an answer: “What is black music?” At least according to the UK media. The MOBOs have been a target from the beginning, with critics questioning the need to even hold a separate ceremony for black music. Jessie J’s 5, and Adele’s 4 nominations prompted the Times of London to publish an op-Ed last month calling the MOBOs “whitewashed.”
The Guardian, London’s other heavyweight daily, however, cries hyperbole. Tinie Tempah also has 4 nominations. Though he’s barely recognized of outside of the UK, inside, Tempah is Drake. This doesn’t sound like a whitewashing to me. Or do numbers only count if the Americans are also on board? Hmm.
BONUS: Do a Google search on the night ― the show will most likely be streaming live online!
