Katy B: the girl on a mission to shake up the underground

Hailed as the first lady of funky house and the last word in dubstep, Katy B is on the verge of great things. She tells us about chart success, her love affair with the underground, and why there are more exciting things out there than Damon Albarn
Katy B
Going underground ... Katy B

Your track with Benga, On a Mission, is currently in the top five. How does that feel?

I've had a lot of positive feedback, which has been great. After university I had a bit of break and went on holiday and just had a bit of time. Then when I first sang on the Benga track I didn't even think about it charting, I just loved the beat – I had no idea.

Do you feel like you're part of a second wave of dubstep?

It's getting attention right now, but there's always been a huge following for people such as Skream and Benga – they're just legends in the game. They've been working on Magnetic Man and doing that whole thing, which I really like. Producers such as Benga are above and beyond, I'm not ignorant to the fact that if Benga didn't make that beat, On a Mission wouldn't have been as succesful. But yes, now is a great time for underground British music, and that includes dubstep.

You've been called one of the "first ladies of funky" and now one of the "primary female voices in dubstep". Where do you feel most comfortable?

I like to describe myself as being part of the British underground scene and, to me, that includes everything going on right now. I sing on funky, I sing on dubstep, I sing on hip-hop, [with her band the Illarsapiens] … whatever I like I'll sing on it. Although singing on dubstep is a different experience, it can be a bit darker, and that's cool. But what I loved about On a Mission was the instrumental had a lot of energy in it, which could be why it has more commercial appeal.

Who are your musical inspirations?

I love soulful singers: Jill Scott, Faith Evans, Erykah Badu … I went to see her recently and she was amazing. At college I've always been around people playing instruments and live music, so I guess it comes from that.

You're a Brit school and Goldsmiths alumnus, what do you think of the talent coming out of those camps at the moment?

I was never under too much pressure, even though they've produced famous artists. I mean, people are still writing about Damon Albarn, but the new stuff is just as exciting. I love James Blake, he's really cool, he was in my class. I'm also into bands such as Embers.

What's your experience of being a female in the male-dominated world of urban music?

I'm not a female MC so, luckily, I'm not in competition. I have my own style, so we all get along. I guess when I'm on the bill at (showcase club night) FWD raves it is just me on a lineup with a lot of guys. Saying that, when I've done things with Geeneus (DJ/producer and director of Rinse) and Tippa, girls have come up to me afterwards and said things like: "It's so nice to see a girl on stage."

Rinse has always supported British underground music, are you proud to be a part of that?

Absolutely. I've been signed to Rinse (the label) a long time before Rinse FM got a licence, so I've known everyone a long time. I've always been a fan, and gone to raves, and listened to the radio shows. Rinse is great because it pushes undergound music across all genres. They aim to be accessible and please the normal person, so I hope I represent that. It's good having a lot of creative freedom, so I don't feel like I have to box myself into being "funky" or "dubstep" or whatever. What I love is anyone can come from anywhere, if someone's got the sickest tune, it transcends all that other stuff and it just gets recognised, away from any other politics. I just want the music to speak for itself.

Katy B's On a Mission is out now

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