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Representing and publishing news from the best established and emerging Urban gospel scene in the UK
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With the increasingly impressive street music releases coming off the UK
industry conveyor belt, you'll be forgiven for assuming people only just
started making decent tunes in the UK.
In broad terms, the UK independent Black music industry has certainly found its
voice, and is quite content to let rip pretty much at full volume.
Tinchy Stryder's 'Number One' (featuring Dappy from N-Dubz) was the UK's number one selling single last week, achieved with relatively little major backing and no big-name artists to push it. It was all pure home grown stuff.
However, one of the major failings of players in the UK gospel industry - in my view - has been the lack of consideration both of and for classic and recent history, resulting in little appreciation for the range, growth and body of work that paved the way for much of what we currently experience.
I remember speaking to one new artist early this year who said they hadn't heard Raymond & Co's 'Playing Games' - and that was released only 4 years ago. I don't make that point to criticise. Besides, the person making the comment didn't intend malice.
It's important to ensure our history - either from last week or last century - is publicly available. That was one of the core tenets behind my setting up UKGospel.com.
To be unaware of our journey milestones up to this point will - at best - do grave injustice to the brilliant, largely thankless work that many have put in to get us here, and at worst doom us to repeat the mistakes of the past, whatever they might have been...
Anyway, soapbox moment over, but it all rather nicely brings me to the young man
whose picture is on the left. Four words for you: Dwayne Shorter, aka Tryumf.
Long before Facebook groups, status updates and Twitter feeds, there was Ghetto
Scripture, a collection of songs that Tryumf had recorded mainly for personal reasons,
but - due to increasing demand from those that heard them - he eventually released
as his debut EP.
Ghetto Scripture was also the first-ever bestseller on UKGShop.com in 2005, proving the potential of UK gospel street music not just as a niche favourite, but also as music with genuine crossover potential. Buyers ranged from hard-core Hip-hop fans to those with only a passing interest in the genre.
The following feature is a content transfer feature from 2005 from UKGospel.com Version 1, and I'm glad
- and proud - it's finally got new life breathed into it again here on UKGospel.com Version 1.5
This is one story people still need to know. Tryumf: I salute you, sir...
Yinka Awojobi
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UKGospel.com
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Behind The Beat - Ghetto Scripture (Original publication date: 23 December 2005)
Anyone who knows me well - or knows of my work through here -
knows I'm a huuuuge fan of Tryumf.
I was feeling his Incense Rhythm project back in the day, have
always been deeply appreciative of his distinct production style
(something very difficult for independent artists to pull off in these
days of Farrell and Timbaland clones)...
I have particular affinity for his deft use of words - again something uniquely his, as his flow successfully mixes the deeply sacred and the undoubtedly street, to create something that is - in my view at least - representative of some of the best work in contemporary UK gospel.
But the truth of the matter is that sometimes you get so wrapped up in what you think is really good that it comes as a bit of a disappointment (or indeed a shock) when other people don't quite see what you see.
However Tryumf's debut CD, Ghetto Scripture, has topped the UKGospel.com MP20 (the most 20 played twenty tracks on UKGPresents.com) for two months straight, and - I've just checked the figures for December - it's also looking like he's going to be there or thereabouts again...
And there's more: anyone who studies the interesting dynamic between retail and radio in Black music (particularly outside of the mainstream) can identify with the fact that what people listen to and what they actually buy are usually two different things.
Again Tryumf seems to be unique, as Ghetto Scripture is doing well on UKGShop.com, and will be coming in as one of the best sellers on the store for 2005.
...I tell you, it's a good feeling when people see what you see.....
Anyway, time to justify the 'BEHIND THE BEAT' title of this update piece.
You may recall something I did with Lain a while ago, which was to ask him to take me on a track-by-track journey through the creative process behind his album, Brother Soul (another one that's done VERY well on UKG Shop in 2005).
I found it a very interesting experience, coming into the very personal and creative world of an artist.
Tryumf emailed me his Behind The Beat piece last night, and while I've always considered Ghetto Scripture to be an incredibly honest and intensely personal journey, his story of the project revealed just how much it actually was.
Sometimes all I need to do as a writer is step aside and let my subject tell their story.
This is definitely one of those times...
How Good Has 2005 Been For Tryumf...?
It's been a good struggle. The struggle has made me stronger and through the trials I've seen many triumphs!
What Have You Been Up To Since The Launch Of 'Ghetto Scripture'?
Been giggin' all over the gaff and selling CD's at the gigs, sending out promos to DJ's, just straight grinding.
How Has It Gone? What Has The Response Been Like...?
Fantastic, CD's shifted more than expected, KISS FM, Choice FM, Galaxy Radio and others have played the tracks on their shows and there is a buzz stirring in the US with stations like Holy Culture Radio, Radio Y, 88.3FM (Miami), Dj Fresh, Kingdom Radio...
It's been one of 2005's best sellers on UKGShop.com, too.
That's pretty amazing when you consider the fact that so many are picking up this cd with limited marketing behind it. People just seem to be responding to the music as they hear it.
What's your take on why it seems to connect with so many people...?
Cause it's real.
All of the tracks on the album show you different stages of my Christian walk: love, lust, anger, defeat, triumph, and these are things we all experience at some point, but how we deal with it is what sets us apart.
And You've Now Upgraded The Packaging On It As Well! Why?
Initially this album was just a CD I burned for a friend who wanted to listen to my stuff, then his friends heard the CD and started asking for copies.
After that the CD became very popular in my church and people started saying I should have it for sale,
I only made them one at a time (hence it was just an EP) but the demand became so great that I had to go into mass production, so I added a bonus track on the CD to make it an album instead of a EP. After this batch has shifted I will repackage the
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Founder, UKG/ UKGospel.com group of sites.
I really didn't want my picture here, but I'm bowing to pressure.
Freelance journalist, all-round nice guy.
Has a weird obsession with international gospel music.
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