Estelle (musician)
Estelle Fanta Swaray (born 18 January 1980) is a British singer, rapper and actress of mixed Senegalese and Grenadian descent. She is known for her eclectic blending of musical genres including R&B, soul, reggae, grime, hip hop, and dance.[3] She has collaborated with prominent American artists including John Legend, Robin Thicke, Rick Ross, Chris Brown, will.i.am, Kanye West, Akon, and Tyler, the Creator.[4][5]
Estelle
After signing with V2 Records, Estelle released her debut studio album The 18th Day (2004). A moderate critical and commercial success, it peaked at number 35 on the UK Albums Chart. She then signed with American singer John Legend's Homeschool Records, in a joint venture with Atlantic Records to release her second album, Shine (2008), which effectively tailored to international audiences by entering the US Billboard 200, as well as other worldwide charts. It was preceded by the single "American Boy" (featuring Kanye West), which peaked atop the UK Singles Chart, peaked number nine on the Billboard Hot 100, and won a Grammy Award for Best Rap/Sung Collaboration. Her third album, All of Me (2012) solely entered American and Australian charts, and was supported by the single "Thank You"—which received a Grammy Award nomination for Best R&B Performance. The album served as her final release on a major label.
Estelle has provided both the speaking and singing voice for the character Garnet in the animated series Steven Universe (2013–2019), a role she reprised in Steven Universe: The Movie (2019) and Steven Universe Future (2019–2020).[6] She has also made cameo appearances in the films Beyond the Lights (2014) and Girls Trip (2017), and appeared as Linda in the Netflix original film Fatal Affair (2020). Estelle hosts and presents The Estelle Show on Apple Music,[7] which has ran for over 500 episodes.
Early life[edit]
Swaray was born and raised in West Kensington, London.[8] Her mother's family came from Dakar, Senegal, and her father's family comes from Grenada. She was the second born of nine children. Swaray's parents were very religious when she was growing up, and secular music was not allowed in the family's home. Instead, spiritual music—particularly American gospel—and West African music were what Swaray grew up listening to. However, she would sometimes listen to hip hop when not at home.[9]
She spent her childhood listening to her parents' reggae records and her aunt's soul collection before discovering hip hop. "I got into hip hop from my uncle; he was always playing us Kool G Rap and Big Daddy Kane; he was a bad boy and my mum wasn't really happy that I was hanging out with him".[10] By the time she was in her early 20s, she had decided on a music career. She used to be a nanny before she began her music career.
Career[edit]
2000–2005: Early work and The 18th Day[edit]
Estelle got her start in London's renowned hip-hop record store Deal Real. Her fellow employees encouraged her to take a chance and get on the mic on-stage; soon she was playing numerous London clubs and appearing with the likes of Manuva and Rodney P. Local hero Skitz asked her to appear on his 2001 album, Countryman, and soon she landed on albums by artists such as The 57th Dynasty and Blak Twang. She made her solo debut in 2003 with the 12" "Excuse Me", released on the label Paradise Isle.[11]
Her career got a jump-start in the early 2000s when she happened to see Kanye West sitting in a restaurant while on a trip to Los Angeles. Estelle approached Kanye, introduced herself and asked for an introduction to John Legend. She eventually got that introduction, and Legend eventually helped produce two songs on her debut album,[12] The 18th Day, which was released in the UK in October 2004.[9] Her breakthrough track came when "1980" was released by the V2 label and reached number 14 on the UK Singles Chart. A street-level mixtape series called Da Heat and further 12"s like "Free" and "Go Gone" helped build a loyal following, and Estelle gave back to the UK hip hop scene by forming her own Stellarents label to sign new artists. The album was a modest success, debuting at No. 35 on the UK albums chart, and generating two top 20 singles. She received a MOBO (Music of Black Origin) Award in the UK for Best Newcomer.[9][11]
Artistry[edit]
Influences[edit]
For her ability to rap, sing, act and write songs, Estelle has been praised by musicians such as John Legend and Roots Manuva;[35] Estelle's taste in music encompasses Todd Rundgren, Lauryn Hill, Kanye West, Nas, Jill Scott and Jay-Z.
In league with other contemporary British sirens like Amy Winehouse, Adele and Duffy,[35] her main musical influences are Mary J. Blige and Ella Fitzgerald. In an interview, Estelle remarked: "Every three years they are talking about the 'British (musical) invasion.' It's been ongoing. It's been an invasion for the last 10 years. We are here! We crossed over. I'm like one of the first black British artists to come over here and win a Grammy. We are here!"[9]
Studio albums
