Edinburgh-based hip-hop trio Young Fathers were awarded the 2014 Barclaycard Mercury Prize for their album “Dead,” the BBC is reporting. The award honors the best British or Irish record of the past 12 months. The accolade comes with a $32,000 prize.
“We always wanted to make something bigger than the city we were living in,” said band member Graham “G” Hastings, as quoted by the BBC.
The news organization quoted Simon Frith, chairman of this year’s judging panel, as saying, “Young Fathers have a unique take on urban British music, brimming with ideas — forceful, unexpected and moving.”
Out of the list of this year’s nominees, “Dead” was the second-lowest-selling album, having moved only 2,386 copies since its February release, the BBC reported. Only fellow nominee “In Each and Every One,” by experimental jazz artist Polar Bear, sold less.
Young Fathers met at a hip-hop club as teenagers and began making music together. The trio incorporate a diverse mix of influences into their compositions.
In addition to Mr. Hastings, the other members of the group are Alloysious Massaquoi and Kayus Bankole. According to the BBC, Mr. Massaquoi is a native of Liberia, Mr. Bankole was born in Scotland to Nigerian parents, and Mr. Hastings is from the Drylaw area of Edinburgh.
• Eric Althoff can be reached at twt@washingtontimes.com.
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