Estelle

Singer

• Born: January 18, 1980
• Place of Birth: London, England

Contribution: Estelle is a British singer, rapper, and recording artist. Her single "American Boy," which she recorded with American hip-hop artist Kanye West, won a Grammy Award for best rap/sung collaboration in 2008.

Background

Estelle Fanta Swaray was born on January 18, 1980, and raised in the West London district of Hammersmith. She was the second of nine children born to a Senegalese mother and a Grenadan father, who worked as a session musician. Estelle's parents divorced when she was young, leaving her to assist her mother in raising her younger siblings. Estelle's mother later entered into another marriage, which also eventually ended in divorce. Estelle began singing at a young age in the choir of her mother's Pentecostal church, and music would prove a refuge from familial troubles.

Estelle's fascination with hip-hop began as a teenager. Her uncle was a major influence in her immersion into the genre, often playing young Estelle and her siblings music by hip-hop legends such as Kool G Rap and Big Daddy Kane. She began writing and recording her own music at age thirteen. By nineteen she was performing in local clubs with rappers such as Roots Manuva and Blak Twang.

Estelle's mother instilled a strong desire for success in her children. Estelle had a strict upbringing and was an accomplished student, graduating from high school with advanced marks in communications. At age eighteen, with an eye toward launching a career in the music industry, Estelle began working at the record store Deal Real in Soho and writing for the music website Darker than Blue.

Career

Estelle utilized the contacts she had established in London's hip-hop scene to launch her music career. In 2001 Estelle and two other emcees, Wildflower and Tempa, were featured rapping on DJ Skitz's "Domestic Science," from his album Countryman. Blak Twang then featured Estelle on his single "Trixsta" off the 2002 album Kik Off, and she gained further prominence when she was featured on 3SL's single "Touch Me Tease Me," which reached number sixteen on the UK Singles Chart in 2002. Estelle attracted the interest of several record labels, but as she was unwilling to change her style or her sound at the request of record executives she released mixtapes to her own label, Stellar Ents, which was ultimately signed to V2 Records in 2003.

Estelle's debut album, The 18th Day, was released in October 2004. Fueled by the success of the singles "1980" and "Free," the album achieved widespread critical acclaim and commercial success throughout the United Kingdom. The 18th Day earned Estelle a MOBO Award for best newcomer, establishing her as one of England's up-and-coming hip-hop stars.

The success of her debut album went unrecognized by her management at V2 Records. The label's executives continued to try to exert control over Estelle's image and sound before they would agree to a second album, so she ultimately left England for the United States.

Estelle would once again rely on interpersonal networking to land a record deal for her second album. A chance encounter with hip-hop superstar Kanye West at a Roscoe's Chicken restaurant in Los Angeles would lead to a later meeting between Estelle and singer-songwriter John Legend. After a series of meetings with Legend regarding the scope of her new project, Estelle became one of the first artists to sign with Legend's new label, Homeschool, an Atlantic Records subsidiary. Homeschool ultimately bought out Estelle's old contract from V2.

With Legend acting as executive producer, Estelle's sophomore album, Shine, was recorded with an impressive array of industry heavyweights. In addition to production collaboration with hip-hop stars will.i.am and Wyclef Jean, the album also featured performances by Legend, CeeLo Green, and Kanye West. The album's hit single, "American Boy," featuring West, was one of the most popular songs of 2008, reaching number nine on the Billboard Hot 100. The song received Grammy Award nominations for song of the year and best rap/sung collaboration, winning in the latter category. The resounding success of Shine propelled Estelle to international fame.

The success of Shine was somewhat dampened when Estelle discovered that her management team had unfairly compensated her for the album's large profits, leaving Estelle with less than 20 percent of the album's earnings. This betrayal led her to take a six-month hiatus from writing and recording. Estelle would ultimately draw on themes of personal strength for tracks on her third album.

Estelle's 2012 follow-up effort, All of Me, was released in February 2012 and received mixed reviews from the international music press. The album struggled commercially without the momentum of a crossover hit single, a fact that critics were quick to point out. Despite mixed reviews, the song "Thank You" charted on the Billboard Hot 100 and earned a Grammy Award nomination for best R&B performance in 2013.

In August 2013 Estelle signed a joint deal with Homeschool and Atlantic Records to start her own imprint, called New London Records. It was through that independent label that she released her fourth album, True Romance, in 2015. It featured the single "Conqueror," which proved to be her biggest hit since "American Boy," helped by her performance of the song as a guest star on the television drama Empire.

In 2017 Estelle first announced plans for her next album, focusing on the reggae genre. The record was finally released in September 2018 with the title Lovers Rock.

In addition to her musical career, Estelle has lent her voice to several television, film, and video game projects. These include various incarnations of Steven Universe, for which she has voiced the character Garnet on the television show (2013-20), a TV movie (2019), and multiple video games between 2015 and 2022. Estelle has also voiced characters for the children's animated show We Bare Bears.

Impact

Estelle became a rare example of a contemporary performer who coupled raw talent with tremendous self-confidence to forge a highly independent path to success in the entertainment industry. Her frequent collaborations, both on her own albums and guest appearances on the recordings of such established stars as Busta Rhymes and Robin Thicke, established Estelle as a significant figure in the world of hip-hop and beyond.

Personal Life

Estelle divided her time between Brooklyn, New York, and Los Angeles, California.

Bibliography

Batey, Angus. "The Guardian Profile: Estelle Swaray." Guardian. Guardian News and Media, 16 Oct. 2008. Web. 26 Aug. 2013.

De Wilde, Gervase. "Estelle: The Day I Ambushed Kanye." Telegraph. Telegraph Media Group, 3 Apr. 2008. Web. 26 Aug. 2013.

Duedren, Nick. "'I Was Angry, So Angry': How Heartbreak, Betrayal and Su Pollard Helped Estelle Find Pop Success." Independent. Independent.co.uk, 12 Feb. 2012. Web. 26 Aug. 2013.

Egere-Cooper, Matilda. "Estelle: Britain's Hip-Hop Queen Is Making Her Second Bid for Power." Independent. Independent.co.uk, 7 Dec. 2007. Web. 26 Aug. 2013.

Estelle. "Estelle Opens Up About New Album and Kanye." Interview by Sierra Porter. The Atlanta Voice, 7 Apr. 2019,www.theatlantavoice.com/articles/estelle-opens-up-about-new-album-and-kanye/. Accessed 19 Dec. 2019.

"Estelle." IMDb, www.imdb.com/name/nm1678063/.

Accessed 18 Sept. 2024.

Raphael, Amy. "Hammersmith Homegirl Estelle Back for More Global Glory." London Evening Standard. Evening Standard, 20 Jan. 2012. Web. 26 Aug. 2013.

Samuels, Adrienne P. "Estelle Excels in Her US Debut." Ebony Aug. 2008: 48–50. Print.

Trilling, Daniel. "A Woman of Conviction." New Statesman. New Statesman, 18 Dec. 2008. Web. 26 Aug. 2013.