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Estelle
Singer, rap musician, songwriter

Born into a household filled with music, it's no surprise that multitalented artist Estelle has made her mark in the music industry. The year 2008 proved to be a breakout year for the rapper, singer, and songwriter. Her album Shine soared to the top of the charts in her native England as well as in the United States, and she garnered numerous awards, including a Grammy for Best Rap/Sung Collaboration, for "American Boy," which she shared with American rapper Kanye West.

Estelle was born Fanta Estelle Swaray on January 18, 1980, in West London, England. The second of eight children, she was raised by her religious Senegalese mother, who taught African and gospel music to her children. Estelle's Grenadan father, a drummer who worked as a session musician, left the family when Estelle was young. Estelle grew up in what she called a "house like a commune" with her siblings, mother, stepfather, and extended family, and music was a large part of her life. Her grandmother, who was from Sierra Leone, was also a strong musical influence. Of her grandmother, Estelle told Lucy Cavendish of the London Telegraph, "She spoke French and she had these records of African music and I loved to listen to them." She added, "For a while we were only allowed religious music in the house. We sang gospel music at church but my auntie loved reggae and stuff, so me and my cousin used to listen to the radio with her." Despite her mother's disapproval, Estelle listened to hip-hop with her uncle and was exposed to such artists as Kool G Rap and Big Daddy Kane. Such a variety of influences, which also included jazz legend Ella Fitzgerald, helped to shape Estelle's varied style. Estelle noted on her Web site, "My mom is African, but I still have my West Indian roots. She would make African food and listen to African music, but we still had rice and peas and reggae. So I'm able to adapt."

Although Estelle studied law in college for a time, her true passion was music. She worked for a video production company and for Deal Real, London's well-known hip-hop record store. It was through the encouragement of her coworkers at Deal Real that Estelle first took the stage, and not long after that she began appearing regularly in London clubs. She appeared on the U.K. single "Domestic Science" with British rapper Skitz in 2001, and won Best Female Artist at the U.K. Hip-hop Awards—an honor she held for three consecutive years.

In the early 2000s Estelle established her own label, Steller Ents, but was picked up by the British label V2. She released the U.K. hit single "1980" in 2004, as well as the critically well-received album The 18th Day. That same year Estelle earned the Best Newcomer Award at the MOBO (Music of Black Origin) Awards. It was after the surprising success of "1980" and her debut album that her relationship with her label began to sour. Fiercely independent, she had a difficult time following the label's insistence that she pursue a rock direction. In an interview with Ash Dosanjh for London's Indepen- dent on Sunday, Estelle commented incredulously, "What about me suggests that I want to go rock? I was like, ‘You've taken someone who's made it from the underground to this level and telling them to forget the things that people are loving about her?’" She continued, "[V2] didn't get who I am. They just didn't know quite what to do with me and that's been my life story." She parted with her label and began working solo on her second album in a rented studio space.

In 2007 Estelle decided to make the move across the Atlantic to New York City. She told Cavendish, "It wasn't happening for me [in England] so I thought I'd give somewhere else a go. If your country ain't offering you a job, you have to move to another country that is." Although she settled in New York City, it was in Los Angeles that she seized the opportunity to capitalize on a little luck. Standing outside the L.A. eatery Roscoe's House of Chicken and Waffles, Estelle happened to see Kanye West inside. She had no trouble approaching West to introduce herself and tell him she was working on new songs. She mentioned John Legend, and before she knew it, she was in the studio with West and Legend. At the time Legend was forming his own label, HomeSchool, and he asked her to be the first to sign. The fortuitous meeting led to further collaborations with such artists as will.i.am, Mark Ronson, Wyclef Jean, Jack Splash, and Swizz Beats. Her sophomore album, Shine, was released in 2008 and brought her standout recognition in her native country as well as in the United States. Shine, a mix of R&B, hip-hop, reggae, and soul, earned Estelle two MOBOs—Best Female U.K. Artist and Best Song for "American Boy." That sassy tongue-in-cheek duet with West also garnered two Grammy nominations in 2009. One, for Best Song of the Year, did not win, but the other, for Best Rap/Sung Collaboration (with West), won the award.

Clearly relishing the independence she had gained in signing with HomeSchool, Estelle did not mince words when she considered the creative freedom that she was given for Shine. She told Dosanjh, "This album is Estelle as you see her, you know? No apologies, no worries, just me speaking my mind." Not resting on her laurels, Estelle was already at work on her next album in early 2009. True to her form, it will combine various influences marked with her own unique stamp. She related to Jon Bream of the Minneapolis, Minnesota, Star Tribune, "I like the feeling of going out there and completely spazzing. Right now, the direction is Coldplay, Marvin Gaye." Whatever direction she does take, audiences will appreciate a new offering from the cheeky performer.

Selected discography
The 18th Day, V2, 2004.
Shine, Atlantic/HomeSchool Records, 2008.

Sources
Periodicals
Daily Telegraph (London, England), April 3, 2008, p. 28.
Independent on Sunday (London, England), March 23, 2008, p. 24.
Mirror (London, England), May 6, 2008.
San Francisco Chronicle, March 7, 2009, p. E1.
Star Tribune (Minneapolis, MN), February 27, 2009, p. E1.
Telegraph (London, England), June 20, 2008; December 5, 2008.

Online
"Estelle," All Music Guide, http://www.allmusic.com (April 6, 2009).
Estelle Official Web site, http://www.estellemusic.com/ (April 6, 2009).

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