Amplify Dot

Ashley Charles, also known as Amplify Dot, A.Dot or Dotty, is a female rapper from South London in the United Kingdom.

She is currently an A&R consultant at the Parlophone record label.[1]

Career

In June 2001, at the age of fourteen, Amplify Dot performed a freestyle at a Missy Elliott concert at the Brixton Academy after Elliott asked if anyone in the audience could rap.[2][3] She describes this as a defining moment that led her to pursue a career as a professional artist.[4] In addition to Elliott, she cites Salt N Pepa, Lauryn Hill, The Fugees, Eminem, Jay-Z, Gregory Issacs, Freddie McGregor, Barrington Levy, Jimi Hendrix, and Carpenters among her musical influences.[5]

Amplify Dot gradually built a reputation in the UK grime and hip hop scenes, featuring on the grime track "Game Over Female Takeover" (2010), and self-releasing the mixtape Born Ready (2011)[6] and the EP Short Back and Sides (2012), which entered the iTunes Hip Hop Chart.[7] She also launched her own clothing label, Quiff Head, in conjunction with London street-wear brand House of Hoxshore.[8]

In June 2012, Amplify Dot signed a recording contract with Virgin Records and a publishing contract with Sony ATV, with Music Week reporting that she was the first female rapper in the UK to secure a major-label deal in over a decade.[9] Soon after signing to Virgin, she released the Spare Parts mixtape,[10] which she said contained tracks that were not going to make the cut for her debut album but that she was still keen for people to hear.[11] This was followed in 2013 by the Spare Parts II mixtape hosted by UK radio personality Charlie Sloth.[12] In December 2013 she presented her own radio show as part of the Xtra Talent series on BBC Radio 1Xtra and she has continued to work with the station, currently hosting the Saturday-afternoon program A.Dot.[13]

Amplify Dot has collaborated with artists and producers including Busta Rhymes, Emeli Sandé, Zane Lowe, Krunchie, Show N Prove, Chris Loco, Fraser T. Smith, Midi Mafia, Beatfreakz, Kano, Gyptian, and Ms Dynamite. She has also performed with Lioness and Lady Leshurr as part of the all-female crew 367, including on a remix of the Ms Dynamite single "Neva Soft" (2011).[14]

Discography

Singles

External links

References

  1. ↑ http://www.musicweek.com/news/read/ashley-charles-appointed-a-r-consultant-at-parlophone/061313
  2. ↑ Music Week.
  3. ↑ On the talent contest that formed part of Elliot's Brixton Academy show, see Maddy Costa, "The Missy Elliott love-in," The Guardian, 2 June 2001. Retrieved 25 February 2015.
  4. ↑ MTV Iggy.
  5. ↑ MOBO.
  6. ↑ Born Ready.
  7. ↑ Music Week.
  8. ↑ Quiff Head.
  9. ↑ Music Week.
  10. ↑ Spare Parts.
  11. ↑ MOBO.
  12. ↑ Spare Parts II.
  13. ↑ 1Xtra.
  14. ↑ "Ms Dynamite Feat. Amplify Dot, Lady Leshurr and Lioness – Neva Soft (Remix)," SME. Retrieved 25 February 2015.