In the first 10 years of the 21st century, a massive tectonic shift took place in UK music. Some of the biggest and most influential Black British albums were released in those 10 years and together they helped pave the way for Black British music to take over the way it has in recent years.
In recognition of that, BET UK have created a three-part weekly series, with each episode focusing one of those era-defining albums. The first episode of the series was broadcast last night on My5 and focused on So Solid Crew’s debut album, They Don’t Know. The second and third episodes will spotlight Estelle’s Shine and Chip’s I Am Chipmunk.
Last night’s So Solid Crew episode included interviews with Ashley “Asher D” Walters, Oxide & Neutrino, Harvey, DJ Ironik, our very own Editor-in-Chief, Joseph ‘JP’ Patterson, and more. They discussed the making of the album and iconic singles like “21 Seconds” and the title track, as well as the impact of the album that’s still felt today. In between that, we also get to see archive studio footage of Walters and the crew from back in the day.
“For me, this a landmark series because it immortalises three incredibly influential Black British albums,” said BET UK’s Editorial & Commissioning Executive, Cicelia Deane. “What So Solid Crew, Estelle, and Chipmunk did with these bodies of work was so important for the generations that followed; they opened the doors for lots of other UK Black musicians to come through and they fought battles which I’m sure made things easier for their successors.
“They broke through from the underground to the mainstream with a lot of hard work, dedication and tenacity, often against all odds. Iconic Albums lets viewers hear the true story, straight from the artists, their collaborators, and leading industry experts. BET UK are proud to have the space to let the stories be told.”
Watch the first episode in full via My5 here.
