At the SB.TV Xmas party I caught up with Ms Dynamite. She's been on the down-low for some time, a lot of us wondering what she's been up to, but now she's ready to make a comeback.
An event host to top names in the current urban music scene such as Labrinth, Tinchy Stryder, Wretch 32 and Chipmunk, Ms. Dynamite performed several times throughout the night. She made a joint appearance, too, with Yasmin, but not with her MOBO Award-winning brother, Akala (Kingslee Daley), who also performed that evening. When I asked her whether there were any plans to work with her brother in the future she said:
"Yeah, but it's not something that we want to do right now... he's doing his thing, which I respect, and I'm doing my thing, which he respects, and we'll come together naturally when the time is right. I don't want to do it, and he doesn't want to do it, just because it's an expectation."
Since a considerable break between her last album Judgment Days back in 2005 for the sake of family time, Ms. Dynamite has been making a steady return to the music scene. Since 2010 she's featured on Katy B's second single 'Lights On,' -- her first top-ten hit since 'Dy-na-mi-tee' back in 2002 -- Magnetic Man's 'Fire,' and in August released her newest track 'Neva Soft.' In terms of what's next, Ms. Dynamite confirms that she has lots planned for the coming year; "singles, albums, loads of shows, a tour... just as much as possible, really." Whilst a date hasn't been set for a tour, she says it is sure to take place during 2012, and that she'll be performing songs from the newest album she's been working on (produced by Labrinth). Ms. Dynamite seemed reserved about revealing when the album is to be released, saying, "I don't have a specific date yet, but it's there, it's ready. We'll just see when the time feels right."
Ms. Dynamite won the Mercury Prize back in 2002 for her debut A Little Deeper, but what can be expected from the new album? "[There's] loads of energy, loads of different concepts, different sounds. It's very eclectic, lots of different stuff fused together."
Her inspiration for the new album: life. Whatever happens to her day-to-day inspires her: "whatever I see, whatever I hear or whatever I go through, and whatever I see other people go through." Her son, Shavaar, is also one of her other obvious inspirations.
A comeback that she seems quite relaxed about, Ms. Dynamite gives the impression that she's happy to just roll with it and see what happens.