Pa Salieu has been announced as the winner of BBC Music Sound of 2021. The BBC have described him as; “Britain’s most exciting musical talent thanks to his adventurous, infectious tracks with hard-hitting lyrics about life and death on the “frontline” in Coventry.”
Pa Salieu was among the talented artists announced on the longlist last month such as Alfie Templeman, Berwyn, Bree Runway, Dutchavelli, Girl in Red, Greentea Peng, Griff, Holly Humberstone and The Lathums.
Fresh, inventive, unique. Rapper Pa Salieu has won the BBC’s #SoundOf2021.
Read more about @King_Salieu‘s story here: https://t.co/MV4CXtxgKf pic.twitter.com/a2MjGqATF0
— BBC News Entertainment (@BBCNewsEnts) January 7, 2021
He was selected by a panel of expert artists including Billie Eilish, Stormzy, Jorja Smith, Wolf Alice, AJ Tracey, YUNGBLUD, Foals, and Charli XCX. He joins previous winners who have gone on to have amazing careers such as Sam Smith, HAIM, Adele and most recently Celeste.
Speaking about the win, Pa Salieu said; “I was just really happy to even be included on the list alongside some amazing artists, a few of who I know personally. They’re all crazy talented, so to be the winner of something like this so early in my journey just feels mad.”
Madness! I have won bbc sound of 2021 so early on in my career it’s madd!! Love to my team all the judges on the panel and my bbc family!! Greatness only! 2021 we go level up!!@BBCR1 #Soundof2021 pic.twitter.com/QZNitVczXc
— PA SALIEU (@KING_SALIEU) January 7, 2021
This comes less than a year and a half after the rapper had been shot in the head outside a pub in his home city in 2019. Thankfully he recovered and then went on to release his debut mixtape Send Them To Coventry, which was named after the saying for deliberately ostracising or marginalising someone.
Speaking about the shooting, Pa Salieu explains that it could have been a very different story; “If I died last year, If I actually died – in their eyes, I would be a criminal. ‘Gang related. Drive-by shooting.’ Trust me, the whole perception would be different right now. You would have never heard of me. If you do hear of me, it’s, ‘That’s that kid that died.’ ‘Gun crime.’ ‘These foolish youths.’ No.”
“Police used to say I’m in a gang. I wasn’t in a gang. I was never in a gang. Because I used to try to survive? I got caught with a knife when I was 17? What, because I’m paranoid of the streets? I got shot in the head. People get killed every day for no reason where I’m from. I don’t expect no-one to understand.”
BBC DJ Annie Mac spoke about PA Salieu’s win saying; “I’m delighted for Pa Salieu winning the prestigious Sound of 2021. As a man whose childhood was split between The Gambia and Coventry, he has a unique perspective on Britain. His songs are exquisitely produced, with enough restraint for Pa’s voice to shine through and have the space to tell the stories of his life. They are stories of friendship and family, of violence, exclusion and racism and they act as timeless evidence of British street life at the turn of new decade.”
