N-Dubz

N-Dubz

N-Dubz are a British hip hop group from London, based around Camden Town. They were previously signed to Polydor Records before joining All Around the World Records. They have had six top 40 hits on the UK Singles Chart, the most successful being "I Need You" which charted at number five.

Their debut album Uncle B was released on 17 November 2008 and debuted at number eleven on the UK Albums Chart. It was announced via their official MySpace and various websites that it has since been certified platinum for shipments of over 300,000 in the UK. Uncle B has since sold around 600,000 copies. Their second album Against All Odds was released on 16 November 2009 which debuted at #6. It went platinum within approximately two months of release.

2000–2007: Early life, group formation and Polydor Records

All of the members of N-Dubz were born in Camden Town, North London and each attended several different schools, meeting together for the first time at when they were about 13 at Haverstock School and coming together as group for the first time at about this age under the management of Dino Contostavlos's father, Byron Contostavlos (formerly of Mungo Jerry), who died on 12 April 2007. They had a hard upbringing, living on a tough estate and experienced a lot first-hand as teenagers, including violence, depression, drug abuse, extreme financial difficulty, bullying, and gang culture.

Performing as the Lickle Rinsers Crew, they released the singles "Bad Man Riddim" and "Life Is Getting Sicker by the Day", which became hits on English pirate radio stations.

After Lickle Rinsers Crew, they then became NW1, after the area they hail from, making their first music video in 2005 for the track "Everyday Of My Life" which received airplay on Channel U, recording more demos as NW1 such as "Don't Feel Like Moving", "Girl On Road" and "Livin Broke". Their first single to be released was "You Better Not Waste My Time" available for download only until their 2006 self-released single, "I Swear", won them their first mainstream notice. It wasn't until 2007's "Feva Las Vegas" (also self-released) that the group appeared on the UK charts, peaking at #57. Each member appeared on the second series of Channel 4's Dubplate Drama after they began to get noticed as a group.

After winning a MOBO for Best Newcomer, the group signed to Polydor Records and re-released their first single "You Better Not Waste My Time" on the label, which debuted at #26 on the UK singles chart. In mid 2007, Dappy released "Love for my Slum" with fellow UK artist Baker Troble. This song was number one on Channel U for many weeks, and was a big hit with the UK underground rap scene, however was heavily criticised by the media for a scene in which Dappy is stood outside a block of expensive luxury flats with a "rich kid" who is trying to look like a gangster. The Independent wrote "His lyrics combine jealousy with anger: 'You got too much to lose / You're in a great position... You wouldn't last a minute where I'm from / You'd go missing / So appreciate what you got / 'cos I'm still wishing.' And then he grabs the rich kid by his coat, pulls him toward him, and punches him in the face. The silent boy falls instantly to the pavement...", they then went on to put "Do scenes like these suggest that music videos are encouraging their viewers to indulge in criminality?". Dappy appeared on the television show Never Mind the Buzzcocks on 29 November 2007, on Phill Jupitus's team, and wore a trademark "Dappy hat", also giving one to Simon Amstell to wear as part of the gag. Despite vowing he would not return to the show he appeared for a second time on the guest team on 4 December 2008 and for a third time, on Phill's team, which was broadcast on 18 November 2009.

2008–09: All Around the World records and Uncle B

In May 2008, a song entitled "Ouch" surfaced along with a music video. The video for "Ouch" attracted over 4 million viewers on networking site YouTube, in just over a month after release. On 6 August 2008, it was announced that the group had left Polydor Records and had signed to All Around the World records. The label predominantly specializes in dance music, however, they have occasionally released hip hop records such as Ice Cube's You Can Do It. The press release stated that the label would be releasing "Ouch" as the group's first single on the label in September 2008. The group's first album, Uncle B, was released on 17 November 2008. The album includes "You Better Not Waste My Time", "I Swear", "Feva Las Vegas", "Love for My Slums", "Ouch", "Defeat You" and "Papa Can You Hear Me?". Strong Again was touted as the third single to be released from the Uncle B album on 16 February 2009 and a music video was made, before the physical CD released of the song was cancelled for unknown reasons. The song charted for five weeks in the UK Singles Chart, peaking highest at number 24. Group member Dappy was featured in Tinchy Stryder's 2009 #1 single tentatively titled "Number" 1, the video also featured cameo appearances from all N-Dubz's members. Due to the success of their debut album, the group embarked on their first headlining tour Uncle B Tour. The tour was originally planned for 16 dates but due to high demand 5 extra dates were added. The tour was supported by Tinchy Stryder with whom N-Dubz collaborated on his #1 single "Number 1". The tour sold out within days.

Tulisa's illness

During one performance, Tulisa fainted on stage. Multiple news sources have reported that it was due to suspected swine flu. Jonathan Shalit, the group's manager, stated that Tulisa "was taken ill on the flight out to Greece on Thursday" and that "her bandmates are all very worried about her.". The group were due to perform at Radio 1's Big Weekend on 10 May 2009, but their participation was placed in doubt while Tulisa was hospitalised. It was later confirmed that Tulisa had tested negative for swine flu and the group did perform.

The song "Wouldn't You" was then announced to be the seventh, and last, single to be released from the Uncle B debut album. The song was released digitally on the 25 May 2009 and peaked at #64 in the UK.

2009–present

Dubplate Drama series 3

Tulisa and Dappy reprised their roles in the third and final series of the Channel 4 show Dubplate Drama, the story for the third series was mainly set around Laurissa's (Tulisa) relationship with her music manager and lead singer of an R&B group while tackling a drug addiction to cocaine. Dubplate Drama finished with Laurissa kicking her addictions and leaving in a taxi for a new life with her child.

"I Got Soul"

N-Dubz appeared with other artists, including Tinchy Stryder and Pixie Lott, to record a charity song for War Child. The Noisettes, Chipmunk, MPHO, Ironik and Kid British also signed up for the project under the name The Young Soul Rebels. The music stars released "I Got Soul", a rewritten version of The Killers's "All These Things That I've Done", to raise money for marginalised children in war zones. Tulisa has admitted she felt privileged to record the charity song. "It's an issue that hasn't been looked at enough. And you know, even until I found out about this event, I didn't really know that much about it, and that's saying something you know. And the fact that I'm only finding out now is not really good enough. So that was every reason for me to get involved." She told BBC Newsbeat.

Christmas tour

The group embarked on a Christmas Party Tour beginning on 17 November 2009. They visited 10 cities across the UK performing songs from both albums Uncle B and Against All Odds, as confirmed by their official MySpace page. The tour was originally to be a taster of their new album, but it was announced that the album, Against All Odds would be released a day before the tour starts.

Against All Odds

The lead single from the group's second album titled "I Need You" was released on 9 November 2009 and charted at #5 in the UK Singles Chart.

The album Against All Odds, was released on 16 November 2009, and charted at #5 in the UK Album Chart. The album went platinum within approximately 2 months of release.

The second single, "Playing with Fire" features R&B/pop musician, Mr Hudson. The song reached #15 in the UK Charts on album downloads alone, however, when the single was released, it fell to #16, it reached a new peak at #14 the week after.

The music video for the third single taken from the album, Say It's Over was released on 5 March 2010 on Channel AKA. It was announced that the single will be released on April 25, it reached #27 on album downloads alone before the single was released.

Against All Odds Tour

In late 2009 N-Dubz announced they will tour their current album, Against All Odds in Spring 2010, making it their 3rd tour in two years, starting on the 31st March and finishing on the 20th April. It would include 17 shows with supporting acts been Skepta, Talay Riley and Ultra. On 1 April 2010, they released their first book, "N-Dubz - Against All Odds: From Street Life to Chart Life", which they described as "the answer to the critics, there is a lot of bad press about N-Dubz at the moment and this is going to put the record straight about who we really are and what we're about!", saying they want to put "everything out there", and Fazer also adding "It's going to suprise you!" The book gives access to a secret N-Dubz website.

Controversy

N-Dubz have been involved in much media criticism and publicised controversy mainly to do with Dappy. In December 2008 Dappy pleaded guilty to two accounts of assault at Chelmsford Magistrates Court, Essex after reportedly spitting in a girl's face while drunk on a night out. He received four weeks' imprisonment, suspended for 12 months, to run concurrently and 100 hours community service. He was also ordered to pay £50 compensation to the girl and her friend and £300 costs.

On Thursday 29 January 2009, Dappy was arrested and bailed after he was accused of making death threats with a gun. He denied the allegation. His home in Camden was raided following the incident by police looking for a firearm. Three days later on Saturday 31 January he and fellow N-Dubz performer Fazer were escorted from a BA flight from Edinburgh to London by police after it touched down, after allegedly threatening other passengers. A source told the Sun "They were swearing at kids on the plane, being foul and threatening passengers. Cabin crew called ahead to the police, who were waiting when the plane landed. They were taken away by armed officers."

In late 2009, a feud started between Tulisa and Elly Jackson of La Roux who stated that all the females that do hip hop music dress up like prostitutes. Contostavlos took it as a direct offense mentioning what Jackson says in various interviews and saying "she shouldn't talk about people's jobs that way... it's just wrong, where was she brought up - in a barn?", even going so far as calling Jackson a "twat".

In November 2009 it surfaced that N-Dubz's DJ Maze had allegedly raped a young fan after a show N-Dubz had done at Butlins holiday camp in Skegness. They instead had BBC Radio 1Xtra's Twin B as their Christmas Party Tour DJ.

On Tuesday 12 January 2010 N-Dubz appeared on the Chris Moyles Show on BBC Radio 1 along with Fazer and Tulisa. The show received a text message from a Chloe Moody in Boston, Lincolnshire complaining that Dappy was "vile" and "a little boy with a silly hat" and that N-Dubz were "losers". Dappy secretly copied Moody's phone number from the studio console and, the following day, tried calling her and sent threatening messages including: "Your [sic] gonna die. U sent a very bad msg towards Ndubz on The Chris Moyels [sic] show yesterday Morning and for that reason u will never be left alone!!! u say sorry I will leave u alone u ****." Moody claimed that she continued to receive messages after declining to apologise however N-Dubz management later apologised on his behalf and offered free tickets to one of his concerts, however Dappy has not apologised to Moody personally. The rapper appeared with Schools Secretary Ed Balls to launch pop single RU Cyber Safe last November, however Mr Balls has now dropped the band saying: "This text message was totally unacceptable. There is no excuse."

In March 2010 a feud then started between N-Dubz and Lethal Bizzle, who claimed he had wrote and produced N-Dubz's hit I Need You for them and so should be acknowledged in the credits for it, with Tulisa hitting back on Twitter that "he's jus triena boost his status, ...wat an unbelievable loser!" and N-Dubz later posted a video on their official YouTube channel through Twitter with the caption: "THE PROOF WE DIDNT STEAL S**T, WE MAKE OUR OWN HITS!" of when he had sent them the finished song and when they had actually finished the song, proving that their version was over 2 months older than his.

N-Dubz hit the headlines again in early April 2010 on the front page of The Sun and other newspapers after Dappy and Fazer were caught firing at passers-by and fans, with toy paint ball guns, outside the O2 Academy in Newcastle, with Dappy hitting a girl on the bottom, who called the police. The guns were confiscated and Northumbria Police confirmed: 'We were called to the court car park at the rear of the 02 Academy in Fenkle Street just before 8pm on Saturday following complaints pellets were being fired from a coach at the location. Officers spoke to two persons who had been firing plastic toy guns at each other which discharged small 6mm pellets.'

Just days later the trio were then involved in a brawl in Manchester, where they were 'enjoying a well-deserved night out' at the Coliseum club, when Dappy was reportedly threatened with a knife by a group of guys who were wanting to fight him. Dappy and Fazer were allegedly busy signing autographs and taking photos with fans when the men approached Dappy and began shouting and pushing him around. N-Dubz's spokesperson confirmed: "There was an incident. Security took the decision that it was best for the band to leave the club to avoid any trouble."

Dappy was then shamed again, live on GMTV on 28th April 2010 after he was on that day's front pages with CCTV pictures of him, snorting the since banned recreational drug Mephedrone in an Essex nightclub. He tried to apologise, insisting "It's just not a thing to be doing. I've learnt my mistake. I'll never do such things again", going on to say, "I was just a bit tipsy and it just fell into the wrong place at the wrong time", and also issued a public apology.

Just a day later Dappy was kicked out of Alton Towers theme park hotel in Staffordshire, for allegedly smoking Cannabis. Contostavlos and his two other companions, who were suspected to be Kaye Vassell and fellow hip-hop musician Fearless, after guests complained about a "funny smell" coming from his room, according to reports. An Alton Towers spokesperson told Sky News: "We can confirm a guest was asked to leave."

Discography

Main article: N-Dubz discography

• Uncle B (2008)
• Against All Odds (2009)

Tours

• 2009: Uncle B tour
• 2009: N-Dubz Christmas Party
• 2009: Clubland Live
• 2010: The Against All Odds Tour

Books

• 2010: 'N-Dubz: Against All Odds - From Street Life to Chart Life'

Awards

Year	Award	Category	Result
2007	MOBO Awards	Best UK Newcomer	Won
2008	Urban Music Awards	Best Group	Nominated
		Best Music Video (Ouch)	Nominated
2009	O2 Silver Clef Awards	The Digital Award	Won
	MOBO Awards	Best UK Act	Won
		Best Album (Uncle B)	Won
2010	BRIT Awards	British Single (Number 1)	Nominated

External links

• Official website
• N-Dubz at UMTV.co.uk
• Template:MySpace
• N-Dubz at Bebo
• N-Dubz at YouTube
• N-Dubz at Twitter