From a moment of spiritual awakening when he walked past a soundsystem as a kid, Rodney Smith went on to become one of the defining artists of British hip hop after he started listening to Rakim and realizing his voice could be used for more than toasting. His fierce debut, '99s 'Brand New Second Hand' on Big Dada, did a lot to pave the way for grime - and he's been on a roll ever since. His love for the big organic bass of homemade soundsystems and the communal spirit that ent with them shapes his music to this day. And like the music that went with the 'systems, his records have a singular aesthetic that is equally aware of its roots as it is innovative.
Click to watch the video of the artist's lecture session at the Red Bull Music Academy.
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