Speech Debelle
| Speech Debelle | |
|---|---|
 |
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | Corynne Elliot |
| Born | 1983 (age 33–34) |
| Origin | London, England |
| Genres | Hip hop |
| Occupation(s) | Singer–songwriter |
| Instruments | Vocals |
| Years active | 2008–present |
| Labels | Big Dada |
| Associated acts |
Kwes Wayne Lotek Bonobo Roots Manuva |
| Website | speechdebelle |
Corynne Elliot (born 1983 in London, England), better known as Speech Debelle, is a British rapper 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, in 2012.
Debelle's single from Speech Therapy, "Spinnin" has been re-worked by Tinchy Stryder and Dionne Bromfield and was used as one of the official anthems of the 2012 Summer Olympics in London.
She has also been politically and socially active with a number of charities and movements, and hosted the BBC documentary Hidden Homeless in 2012.
Corynne Elliot was born in 1983 in London, England, and was raised by her mother in a middle-class Jamaican neighbourhood in London, south of the Thames river. She attended Harris City Academy, and at age 9 began writing poetry. While she wanted to be a singer, she disliked her singing voice when younger, so decided to try rapping at age 13. Within a week other students in her class had learned all her lyrics. At age 16, writing became an emotional outlet for her. Debelle drew inspiration from Michael Jackson and in particular the song "Human Nature", as well as Blackstreet, Mary J. Blige, TLC and reggae music. She left home after arguing with her mother at the age of 19, and for three years Debelle lived in London in either homeless hostels or with friends. While estranged from her mother at the time, she has said she did keep in regular contact. Now reconciled with her mother, Speech cites these years as formative in developing her ambition and material.
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