Singles

Speech Debelle - The Key

Craig Broad 26/03/2009

Rating: 3/5

"The Key" is the second single from Speech Debelle's highly anticipated debut album "Speech Therapy" and having already received airplay on Radio 1 it looks set to grab your ears sooner rather than later.

It is difficult to categorize Speech Debelle, ultimately it is urban rap music but there is something within this London artist that sets her apart from the rest. While many of the bigger rappers of modern day have a limited and often crude lyrical content, Speech Debelle proves through "The Key" that urban music can pull itself out of the rut it is in and once again push boundaries whilst having a positive political message to it's listener.

To add to this, there is nothing stereotypical found here within the music, while vocally, there may be rapping, the vocal tone is warm and more akin to a Norah Jones than 50cent. It mixes to great effect with the backing music which can only be described as old school jazz with stand-up bass and trumpets littering what is a classic sound.

Some people will automatically be put off by the rapping on "The Key" but if they persevere enough to appreciate the lyrics and the music style then they will find a brilliant, talented musician before them, ready to shake a genre up.