“I came, I saw, but then I failed to conquer so I went home and sulked about it.”

At least that’s what Dappy, of UK hip-hop trio N-Dubz would say if he was honest. For the record I'm an N-Dubz fan and would recommend anyone gives them a listen to hear something new. N-Dubz have released 3 albums in the UK, sold over 1 million records, won 4 MOBOs and are one of the most unique products on the UK hip-hop scene BUT signing with Def Jam in 2010 and trying to break the US market simply hasn’t worked.

N-Dubz went from this underground self-funded viral...

To this Def Jam funded, pop-ified, glossy US market penetrating attempt (which did not chart on billboard)...

Back to this frustration venting freestyle...

Dappy sums the situation up pretty well around the 1.30min mark..

“I’m spontaneous, I don’t care fam, I said no to the Def Jam chairman, you can’t blame me, they can’t change me, matter fact f**k this guy I got bare fans”

.. agreed N-Dubz have bare fans (US translation = ‘a lot of fans’) but Dappy does care and definitely wasn’t the one to say ‘no’. Newly appointed Def Jam chairman Barry Weiss was the one to terminate the contract after their failed attempt at breaking the US.

Bottom line = sometimes it works; Leona Lewis (US Billboard #1 Platinum), Jay Sean (US Billboard #1 Platinum), Tinie Tempah (US Billboard #12 Platinum) and sometimes it doesn’t; N-Dubz (please don't mention the US Billboard to Dappy).

Joe Nazareth - SeventhOfAugust