The blackest Brit Awards to date finally held mirror up to the UK’s racism – and it left people squirming
Once upon a time, not long ago, this post-Brit Awards article would have been so predictable that it could have been written before the event even took place. Robbie Williams (or someone of his ilk) would have swept the awards and been the toast of the evening; Simply Red, Steps, One Direction, and other darlings would have been everywhere. And a couple of cheery Simon Cowell moments would also need to be included.
Cheap knock-offs of music created and inspired by black people (ie pop, rock‘n’roll, soul and hip-hop) would have dominated the evening but black people, for the most part, would be nowhere.
Last night, the predictability of the Brits was absolutely shattered. Black people – indeed black Britons – were not in the background as usual, we were front, back and centre. And perhaps most refreshingly, it was not just black faces singing and dancing: it was black politics. Case in point: Dave.
The grime star gave perhaps the best performance ever at the Brits Awards. And it was absolutely everything we could have asked for: poetic, soulful, thoughtful and political. And absolutely unapologetically black. This was not normal for any award show you can think of. Even hip-hop awards shows would have requested that he perform something more uptempo and more “fun”. The fact that he was granted the space not only to perform an updated version of “Black” but also to highlight serious political issues (Grenfell, Windrush, the London Bridge terror attacks), and label the nation’s prime minister a racist – on prime-time ITV – is unbelievable.
Unlike many a yesteryear and unlike the Grammys, the Brits were not, for the most part, rewarding good marketing of music but good music itself. Actual serious artistry. The Grammys, for example, always reward what is expedient or popular (ie well-marketed music backed by a well-oiled machine) what is good and acclaimed (by peers, actual committed fans of the genre, and critics alike) often gets ignored. Hence when Dave won Album of the Year for Psychodrama, I could not believe my eyes or ears.
Not to dwell on him but Dave is in a hip-hop lineage of socially conscious rappers who often go unheralded in the mainstream: Nas, Ice Cube, Tupac, Immortal Technique, Talib Kweli, Phonte. Seeing him attain the highest musical honour in British music speaks to the fact that the Brits (today) are much more credible and an indicator of quality than the Grammys.
Tyler the Creator, not the most political of artists at the best of times, took to the stage to offer an act of coldly served revenge worthy of House of Cards. Five quick years after being denied entrance to the UK by Theresa May, then home secretary, he won a Brit award for Best International Male and dedicated the award to her. “I want to give a special shout-out to someone who I hold dear to my heart, who made it where I couldn’t come to this country five years ago,” he said to the crowd. “I know she’s at home pissed off. Thank you, Theresa May.” Lesson: be careful who you piss off on your way up (to use Tyler The Creator’s language) for they may well piss on you on your way down.
“To be the best male, I have got the most incredible females in my team” said Stormzy as he picked up the Best Male award. Those words should ring in the ears of any right-thinking CEO or leader in this nation and beyond. Much more succinct and effective than any case for diversity I have ever heard (or made): if you want to win and win big in modern Britain you have to have a diverse team around you.
Unlike the Baftas, where Joaquin Phoenix decided to right the wrongs of the world, at the Brits it was marginalised people (principally black people) speaking up for themselves and other marginalised people. It would have been refreshing to see the burden of political representation shared with artists from more privileged backgrounds – but even in a celebration as diverse as the 2020 Brits some status quos were preserved.
British popular (and underground) music is, for the most part, now black on both sides. And politically black too. It was a delight to see the Brits reward this. Long may it continue.
Nels Abbey is a writer based in London. His first book, ‘Think Like a White Man’, a satire on being black in the corporate world, is out now
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