Lethal Bizzle
Lethal Bizzle | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Background information | |
| Birth name | Maxwell Ansah |
| Also known as | Lethal B |
| Born | 14 September 1984 Walthamstow, London, England |
| Genres | Grime, British hip hop, UK rap |
| Instrument(s) | Vocals |
| Years active | 2002–present |
| Labels | Relentless (2004) V2 Records (2005–2007) Search & Destroy (2009-present) 360 Records (2011–present) |
| Website | LethalBizzle.co.uk |
Lethal Bizzle, (born Maxwell Ansah, 14 September 1984 in Walthamstow, London, England), is an English rapper with African roots from Ghana. His songs are known to satirise modern gangsta rap; much of the humour comes from the adoption of hip-hop style and language. In December 2004, he released the single "Pow (Forward)", also known as "Forward Riddim"[1] which was banned from airplay by some mainstream radio stations.[citation needed] It entered the UK Singles Chart at number 11 in its first week on the chart in 2005,[2] and it reached number one on the UK Dance Chart. He won a MOBO for "Pow (Forward)" as 'Best Single', and was nominated at the same awards as 'Best Newcomer'. He is Dench, Therefore, he wont get Frimponged
Career
Earlier he was a part of the group More Fire Crew. In 2002, their track "Oi!" reached the Top 10 of the UK Singles Chart.[3] In early July 2005, Lethal Bizzle appeared on stage at the final Live 8 concert in Edinburgh[4] and was a part of the NME Rock N Roll Riot Tour in 2007.
He was number five in the NME Cool list 2007/2008 beating Amy Winehouse, Pete Doherty and Alex Turner.
Lethal Bizzle was signed to V2 Records, on which he released the album, Against All Oddz, in August 2005.[citation needed] The first single from it, entitled "Uh Oh! (I'm Back)", was released in the same month. He released a song with Twista, Gappy Ranks and the Kray Twinz called "What We Do", which reached #23.
In 2005, one of his songs, "Kickback" was on the soundtrack of the videogame FIFA Street 2.
He is known for his rap rivalry with Roll Deep Crew founder Wiley. However, in the final track, "Til Next Time", on his album, Against All Oddz, Lethal Bizzle and his company calls for an end to this rivalry. In Wiley's new album, Da 2nd Phaze, Wiley has added More Fire Crew's hit "Oi!" as a bonus track, as a sign showing that their feud is finished.
Bizzle's second album, Back To Bizznizz, was released on V2 Records. The first double A-side single "Bizzle Bizzle" (produced by Bizzle) and "Babylon's Burning The Ghetto" (produced by Akira The Don) was released on 16 July 2007. The song "Reflecting" on Back to Bizznizz featured his mother.
Lethal Bizzle's group, Fire Camp, were documented on the television programme Lethal B TV on Channel U TV.
He also featured on the Print Is Dead Vol 1 album by Newcastle band yourcodenameis:milo, along with various other artists.
He performed with Pete Doherty and Kate Moss at the Hackney Empire for "An Evening With Pete Doherty" and again at Glastonbury Festival 2007. As a result of this, Babyshambles featured on Back To Bizznizz.
On 16 March 2007 Bizzle was briefly featured as a live musical guest on the Top Gear special for Comic Relief entitled Top Gear of the Pops.
He played the NME stage at Reading Festival and Leeds Festival in August 2007.
On 28 September 2007 Bizzle teamed up with the UK hardcore punk band, Gallows to perform a cover of The Ruts' "Staring At The Rude Boys" on T4's Transmission programme.
In June 2008, Bizzle performed at the Download Festival at Donington Park. In July he performed at the Kendal Music Festival, and at the Reading and Leeds Festivals. He also performed at the Royal Albert Hall for the Orange Rockcorps Campaign 2008 with Busta Rhymes, Ludacris, John Legend and Feeder.
On 25 February 2009 the first single, "Go Hard" featuring Donaeo, from Bizzle's forthcoming third album, was debuted on Kiss 100.
In 2011 Bizzle released a video with Fire Camp called 'Move' which also features Scrufizzer & Lady Leshurr. He also released a solo single called 'Mind Spinning' produced by R1 Productions.
Lethal Bizzle is distantly related to Emmanuel Frimpong who plays for Arsenal FC. They have started a clothing line called Dench together. He is also cousin to British Hip-Hop artist Sway, who is cousin of former Arsenal footballer Quincy Owusu-Abeyie.
In 2012 Bizzle released the audio to the remix of his song "Leave it Yeah", which he had released in late 2011. The remix featured JME, Face.Frisco, Scrufizzer, Flow Dan, Bizzle's cousin, footballer Emmanuel Frimpong and Matt Clark
Lethal Bizzles right hand stage man (hype man) Face can now also been found forging his own musical career in new UK Dance act No F In Irony.
In 2011 he appeared on Bookaboo.
Discography
Studio albums
| Title | Album details | Peak chart positions |
|---|---|---|
| UK [5] | ||
| Against All Oddz |
|
— |
| Back to Bizznizz |
|
86 |
| Go Hard |
|
— |
| TBA |
|
— |
Compilation albums
| Title | Album details | Peak chart positions |
|---|---|---|
| UK [5] | ||
| Best of Bizzle |
|
— |
Mixtapes
- Da Bizzle Mixtape
- SKvibemakers Presents The Best Of The Bizzle
Singles
| Title | Year | Peak chart positions | Album | |||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UK | UK R&B | |||||||||||||||||||||
| "Oi!" (with More Fire Crew) |
2002 | 7 | 1 | More Fire Crew C.V. | ||||||||||||||||||
| "Pow (Forward)" | 2004 | 11 | 5 | Non-album single | ||||||||||||||||||
| "Uh Oh (I'm Back)" | 2005 | 47 | 9 | Against All Oddz | ||||||||||||||||||
| "Fire" | 34 | 9 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| "What We Do" (with Kray Twinz, Twista & Gappy Ranks) |
23 | — | ||||||||||||||||||||
| "Mind Your Head" (limited edition 7" vinyl single) |
2006 | — | — | |||||||||||||||||||
| "Mr." (featuring Face) |
2007 | — | — | Back to Bizznizz | ||||||||||||||||||
| "Bizzle Bizzle" / "Babylon Burning the Ghetto" |
99 | 28 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| "Police on My Back" | 37 | 11 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| "Go Hard" (featuring Donae'o) |
2009 | 79 | 23 | Go Hard | ||||||||||||||||||
| "Going Out Tonight" | — | — | ||||||||||||||||||||
| "Go Go Go!" (featuring Luciana) |
2010 | — | 6 | Best of Bizzle | ||||||||||||||||||
| "Pow 2011" (featuring JME, Wiley, Chipmunk, Face, P Money, Ghetts & Kano) |
2011 | 33 | 10 | |||||||||||||||||||
| "Mind Spinning" | 73 | 21 | TBA | |||||||||||||||||||
| "Look Up to the Sky" (featuring Jamal Hadaway) |
— | 31 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| "Leave It Yeah" (featuring JME & Fire Camp) |
— | — | ||||||||||||||||||||
| "Not a Saint" (Vato Gonzalez vs. Lethal Bizzle & Donae'o) |
2013 | — | — | |||||||||||||||||||
| "—" denotes that the release failed to chart or was not released in that territory | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Other songs
| Title | Year | Peak chart positions | Album | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| UK | UK R&B | |||
| "Leave It Yeah (Remix)" (featuring Frimpong, JME, Scrufizzer, Face, Frisco & Flowdan) |
2012 | — | — | Non-album singles |
| "Not a Saint" (featuring Donae'o) |
— | — | ||
References
- ^ "Biography by Cyril Cordor". Allmusic.com. Retrieved 27 February 2009.
- ^ Roberts, David (2006). British Hit Singles & Albums (19th ed.). London: Guinness World Records Limited. p. 318. ISBN 1-904994-10-5.
- ^ Roberts, David (2006). British Hit Singles & Albums (19th ed.). London: Guinness World Records Limited. p. 378. ISBN 1-904994-10-5.
- ^ Live 8
- ^ a b Lethal Bizzle at chartstats.com
External links
- Official website
- Review of 'Going Out Tonight' on the Daily Music Guide
- Interview with Lethal Bizzle at the Daily Music Guide - dailymusicguide.com
- Royal Artist Club - Official Mobile Blog
- Interview with Lethal B at http://www.britishhiphop.co.uk
- Lethal Bizzle interview by Rashmi Shastri
- Template:Myspace
- Lethal Bizzle in the Virgin Red Room