Ms. Dynamite

Career

Niomi Arleen McLean-Daley, born on 26 April 1981 in Crawley, West Sussex and raised in Kentish Town, North London, is a British singer and rapper known as Ms. Dynamite. Her father is Jamaican and her mother is Scottish, and she is one of twelve siblings, including rapper Akala. She has won the Mercury Music Prize, two Brit Awards, and three MOBO Awards. She was appointed MBE in 2018 for services to music.

2001–2004: A Little Deeper

Her career began as Lady Dynamite, with vocals on the underground UK garage track "Booo!", which gained airplay on London pirate radio before a proper single release. While working at RAW FM, DJ Sticky discovered her at a West End club. Major labels showed interest, and she signed with Polydor Records through Bigga Beats management, meeting producer Salaam Remi who helped develop her sound. Her debut album, A Little Deeper, came out in 2002, featuring hits "It Takes More" and "Dy-Na-Mi-Tee".

It earned the Mercury Music Prize that year, and she donated the £20,000 prize to the NSPCC. The album was released in the US in 2003 to critical praise.

That same year, she performed on Saturday Night Live as the musical guest, hosted by Queen Latifah, and signed a reported £1m Pepsi promotion deal. She had already performed at the 2002 Commonwealth Games closing ceremony in Manchester. In 2005, she sang "Redemption Song" with her brother Akala at the Live 8 concert in Hyde Park.

2005–2006: Judgement Days

After taking time off for the birth of her son Shavaar, she returned in September 2005 with her second album, Judgement Days. It featured more socially conscious lyrics, including the double A-side "Judgement Day"/"Father" and the Tony Blair critique "Mr Prime Minister". Reviews were less positive than for her debut, though "Judgement Day" reached number 25 on the UK Singles Chart. In 2006, she was convicted of assaulting a police officer and ordered to complete 60 hours of community service.

2007–present: Hiatus and career wind-down

Following a break, she guest-hosted on BBC Radio 1Xtra and announced a third album, Democracy, for 2009, with the single "Bad Gyal", but the project was postponed as she focused on motherhood and other work. She appeared on ITV1's Hell's Kitchen in 2009, finishing fourth, and later as an expert adviser on BBC Two's Goldie's Band: By Royal Appointment. She collaborated on Katy B's "Lights On", which peaked at number 4 in 2010, and on Magnetic Man's "Fire".

Her 2011 single "Neva Soft", produced by Labrinth, did not lead to a full album. She was a featured vocalist on DJ Fresh Versus Jay Fray's "Dibby Dibby Sound" in 2013 and on David Guetta and Showtek's "No Money No Love" in 2014. In 2020, she appeared on CLIPZ's single "Again" alongside Ms Banks and JayKae.

Personal life

Ms. Dynamite was engaged to her former bodyguard Dwayne Seaforth, with whom she had son Shavaar in 2003; the couple separated two years later.

Personal life

Ms. Dynamite became engaged to Dwayne Seaforth, who was previously her bodyguard. She gave birth to their son, Shavaar, in 2003. The couple separated two years later.

Did You Know?

• She performed Bob Marley's 'Redemption Song' alongside her brother Akala at the Live 8 concert in Hyde Park on 2 July 2005.
• She was appointed Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in the 2018 Birthday Honours for services to music.