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The artist known as Ye is expected to be the subject of an upcoming documentary and a podcast from the BBC.
Word has it that Mobeen Azhar will be the host of the We Need to Talk About Kanye documentary planned by the British network. (The title is tentative, per the network.) The BAFTA-winning investigative journalist will follow the “Flashing Lights” rapper as he sets out on his campaign to become president in 2024. Azhar has been lauded for his work as the lead journalist in the documentary The Battle for Britney, which covered the battle over pop star Britney Spears’ conservatorship in detail.
The one-off documentary will be accompanied by an eight-part podcast series entitled The Kanye Story. The series is expected to feature various figures from Ye’s life from his early days until now. Both projects were ordered by the newly-minted Head of Popular Music Jonathan Rothery. UK-based company Forest Sounds will be in charge of the production, with Abacus Media Rights handling the distribution. No date has been set for the documentary, which will air on BBC Two.
The news comes as Ye is dealing with the aftermath of his antisemitic remarks & behavior, which began on Twitter last October. Since then, he has suffered multiple setbacks on the business front, including the severing of ties with Adidas. It has not stopped him from associating with far-right figures like Nick Fuentes and meeting with former President Donald Trump last Thanksgiving.
Another project featuring the multi-hyphenate entertainer done in collaboration with MRC was shelved in October. MRC studio executives Modi Wiczyk, Asif Satchu and Scott Tenley released a statement at that time, saying:“Last week he sampled and remixed a classic tune that has charted for over 3,000 years — the lie that Jews are evil and conspire to control the world for their own gain.”
Flo are crowned winners of the BBC’s Sound of 2023, an annual poll that identifies the next big thing in music.
The British R&B trio — Renée Downer, Stella Quaresma and Jorja Douglas — was formed in 2019 and signed the following year to Island Records, a division of Universal Music Group.
Their debut single, “Cardboard Box,” dropped last March and was followed in July by EP The Lead.
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Subsequent appearances on Jimmy Kimmel Live and the BBC’s Later… With Jools Holland confirmed their talent with audiences on both sides of the Atlantic.
Flo’s message is “to be strong in yourself, to be confident,” the group tells the BBC.
“There is female empowerment – but everyone who listens should feel supported, inspired, independent,” says Quaresma. “We want them to feel the way music used to make us feel.”
The Sound Of 2023 was voted on by a 130-strong music industry panel, which included former nominees Dua Lipa, Stormzy, Sam Smith and Foals.
With the Corporation’s seal of approval, Flo joins an elite circle of winners which includes Adele, Sam Smith, Haim, Ellie Goulding, Sigrid and last year’s winner, PinkPantheress.
Producer Fred Again (real name Fred Gibson) is runner-up in the 2023 list, which was open to new artists yet to achieve a top five album or more than two top 10 singles by Oct. 31 2022. Those artists who had appeared on reality TV shows within the past three years were ineligible for the competition.
The competition was open to new artists who had yet to achieve a top five album or more than two top 10 singles by Oct. 31, 2022. Artists who had appeared on TV talent shows within the last three years were ineligible.
The BBC Music Sound of 2023 top five:
Flo
Fred Again
Nia Archives
Cat Burns
Gabriels
