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They’re probably one of the biggest acts of 2009, and look to get even bigger for 2010! Some call them the group that made urban music popular, others call them the Black Eyed Peas of the UK, WE call them N- Dubz! Jazz Gill caught up with the trio to see just what Fazer, Tulisa and Dappy had to say….
After a platinum selling album, sell out cross-country tour and an appearance on The Jonathon Ross show surely N-Dubz are used to being celebrities now?
Not Fazer. “Don’t take the p*ss! I’m not famous. I get offended when people say that to me. But I saw a picture that changed my life. It was us performing at the Manchester MEN Arena, with 16000 people all with their hands up singing along to our tunes. I remember when we’d perform for 70 people for £140. It’s mad to see it in a picture because you don’t ever feel the transition.”
The transition has come now and the Camden trio are genuine stars. A sudden surge of fame can be hard to deal with though, as reports of fellow urban superstar Chipmunk allegedly feeling suicidal showed.
Tulisa explained “I understand what Chippy was going through because I don’t like the fame side of it either. It’s just the thing of not being able to walk down the street in peace anymore. I know it comes with the territory but it isn’t something I enjoy.”
Fazer though approaches it differently. “I knock it on the head. We’re the bosses out here, we control everything. You got to stay on top of what you’re doing and not get caught up in it all.”
The different attitudes are only to be expected. Tulisa is the soft centre between two hard cookies (Dappy and Fazer) so much so that she can’t always stand their antics.
“Everyday I’m the mum telling them off. I don’t see the dramas on tour though. We don’t travel together, I travel separately. I get a separate dressing room down the hall from them. If we stay in the same hotel I’m on a different floor.”
The journey has been a long one for N-Dubz, despite their young age. There was no single song that made them famous; it was more a process of hard work. Their strong mindedness even saw them cancel their first deal with Polydor records.
“Polydor didn’t know how to market us; they didn’t know what audience to promote us to. So we asked them to let us go and we signed to All Around The World. They believe in us and want us to reach the same heights that we want to reach” said Fazer.
The hard work never ceases. Sales of their second album Against All Odds made it platinum but they are already planning on conquering America.
“We’re going to take the four best tracks from each album, add some new tracks and create a dynamite album. Then we will tour the world – Japan, Australia, America – and drop two singles and an album in each country. Right now we are just writing songs, trying to take urban music to a whole new level. We want to open our own record label so we can sign guys from the ends and we put them out there too. In the urban scene we’re the biggest selling artists. Not making comparisons to Tinchy and Chipmunk, because they are great artists too but at the moment no one is shifting units like N-Dubz” Fazer revealed.
The group do everything themselves, which is why you rarely catch N-Dubz out on the London club scene where so many other artists celebrate their success.
“We live in our work place. Our life isn’t like JLS’s, who have 15 people to do everything for them. They got time to go sit in clubs and drink, we haven’t” said Fazer.
The collective have never been afraid to voice opinion, which is why Tulisa so avidly rejected huge amounts of money to pose for any men’s magazines.
“It’s like prostitution. You’re selling your body for money. I don’t want girls to think it’s ok to take their kit off. There’s nothing wrong with being sexy and confident though. I’d wear a bikini and shorts for a shoot because that is something I’d wear on a beach. It’d be about confidence and loving yourself.”
So what for the future and inevitable rumours of break ups and solo projects?
Tulisa clarified how they stand. “N-Dubz will always be part of a brand, it won’t ever be over. We may branch out into other things but we will always come back to do an album together. I’d like to halve my career in two between acting and music because I enjoy it that much. What can you expect from us in the future? World domination.”
Against All Odds is out for puchase/digital download.
Check out www.ndubz.com for the latest.
Not Fazer. “Don’t take the p*ss! I’m not famous. I get offended when people say that to me. But I saw a picture that changed my life. It was us performing at the Manchester MEN Arena, with 16000 people all with their hands up singing along to our tunes. I remember when we’d perform for 70 people for £140. It’s mad to see it in a picture because you don’t ever feel the transition.”
The transition has come now and the Camden trio are genuine stars. A sudden surge of fame can be hard to deal with though, as reports of fellow urban superstar Chipmunk allegedly feeling suicidal showed.
Tulisa explained “I understand what Chippy was going through because I don’t like the fame side of it either. It’s just the thing of not being able to walk down the street in peace anymore. I know it comes with the territory but it isn’t something I enjoy.”
Fazer though approaches it differently. “I knock it on the head. We’re the bosses out here, we control everything. You got to stay on top of what you’re doing and not get caught up in it all.”
The different attitudes are only to be expected. Tulisa is the soft centre between two hard cookies (Dappy and Fazer) so much so that she can’t always stand their antics.
“Everyday I’m the mum telling them off. I don’t see the dramas on tour though. We don’t travel together, I travel separately. I get a separate dressing room down the hall from them. If we stay in the same hotel I’m on a different floor.”
The journey has been a long one for N-Dubz, despite their young age. There was no single song that made them famous; it was more a process of hard work. Their strong mindedness even saw them cancel their first deal with Polydor records.
“Polydor didn’t know how to market us; they didn’t know what audience to promote us to. So we asked them to let us go and we signed to All Around The World. They believe in us and want us to reach the same heights that we want to reach” said Fazer.
The hard work never ceases. Sales of their second album Against All Odds made it platinum but they are already planning on conquering America.
“We’re going to take the four best tracks from each album, add some new tracks and create a dynamite album. Then we will tour the world – Japan, Australia, America – and drop two singles and an album in each country. Right now we are just writing songs, trying to take urban music to a whole new level. We want to open our own record label so we can sign guys from the ends and we put them out there too. In the urban scene we’re the biggest selling artists. Not making comparisons to Tinchy and Chipmunk, because they are great artists too but at the moment no one is shifting units like N-Dubz” Fazer revealed.
The group do everything themselves, which is why you rarely catch N-Dubz out on the London club scene where so many other artists celebrate their success.
“We live in our work place. Our life isn’t like JLS’s, who have 15 people to do everything for them. They got time to go sit in clubs and drink, we haven’t” said Fazer.
The collective have never been afraid to voice opinion, which is why Tulisa so avidly rejected huge amounts of money to pose for any men’s magazines.
“It’s like prostitution. You’re selling your body for money. I don’t want girls to think it’s ok to take their kit off. There’s nothing wrong with being sexy and confident though. I’d wear a bikini and shorts for a shoot because that is something I’d wear on a beach. It’d be about confidence and loving yourself.”
So what for the future and inevitable rumours of break ups and solo projects?
Tulisa clarified how they stand. “N-Dubz will always be part of a brand, it won’t ever be over. We may branch out into other things but we will always come back to do an album together. I’d like to halve my career in two between acting and music because I enjoy it that much. What can you expect from us in the future? World domination.”
Against All Odds is out for puchase/digital download.
Check out www.ndubz.com for the latest.
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