| BURBAN | |
|---|---|
| Stylistic origins | R&B • Hip Hop • Grime • Garage • Bhangra • Indian Folk • Bollywood |
| Cultural origins | 2010s-Present, London, United Kingdom |
| Mainstream popularity | National emergence |
| Regional scenes | |
| London, Luton, Birmingham, Manchester | |
BURBAN is a sub-culture (standing for "Brown Urban") and an attempt to unify Urban musicians of Asian descent. The idea has caused a split amongst the bigger artists and critics due to the ambiguity of the term itself. The common misconception of BURBAN is that it is a musical genre of Asian origin, which is incorrect. BURBAN is a sub-culture of Hip Hop/R&B music, focused on artists of Asian background. The reason behind this was to abolish the term Urban Desi, which commonly pigeon-holed 'Hip Hop' artists as 'Desi' artists.
Contents |
It was up until a string of 2011 Mela performances which saw a new-breed of talented musicians coming together for various shows and performances. After years of stigma being associated with the term 'Urban Desi' and the confusion of it supposedly being a genre - which was used by the majority of national media - a select few artists decided to destroy, recreate and bring in the new revolution, the new term for the sub-culture: BURBAN. However the 'B' stands for Brown and seems prejudice to the fact that music is for all. Most asian artists that have progressed refuse to be labeld Burban, and settle for Urban Asian or Urban, A handfull of artists have decided to rebrand themselves by the word Burban.
The 2011 Brit Asia Awards ceremony was the birth place, and official confirmation of the BURBAN movement. A performance by rapper Shizzio got the entire theatre talking with a monumental showcase with no fewer than fifteen artists, including notable Grime acts Big Narstie, Jammer and Shabba D. Shizzio opened his performance with a video statement by Dave Courtney, followed by his debut song, Tigerstyle produced 'I Swear'. After his opening verse, he then brought on rappers Menis & RKZ to guest verse, and finished it off with French rapper Desi Boome. He then performed a twist to Imran Khan's hit, Amplifier, with Kan D Man who sang his single Nach Ke Vekah. Finally, a continued all-star cast finished Shizzio's record Come Get Some, with Drilla Kid, Swami Baracus, Kazz Kumar, Raxstar, Kee, Metz & Trix, PSG, Jammer, Shabba D and Big Narstie performing, before a final bow with the entire crew on stage. Most artists have failed to get the fame they have craved for, and thus as a last resort trying to create a new brand with the same music. Artists such as Drilla Kid, Metz and Trix, Kazz Kumar
The level of support for "BURBAN" artists has traditionally been questionable, prompting the need for a rebranding. However, there have been notable champions: presenters from Buzz Asia including Doni Brasco and Amy K, Sumit of The Hip Hop Chronicle UK; DJ's such as Dreypa, Fricktion; the BBC Asian Network's Bobby Friction, Nihal, DJ Kayper and Kan D Man. In 2011, there has been a wider circle of support growing. Journalists such as Asjad Nazir (of Eastern Eye) have been including features and interviews on artists from the scene; credible websites such as SuperCritic.tv have begun to critically assess the music; TV channels, such as Brit Asia, have playlisted various artists, and have given interview shows to musicians such as Shizzio. Whilst the impact on the charts has been negligible, there have been notable successes in newer forms of media - for example, Raxstar's video for "Jaaneman" gained over a million YouTube hits.