Nesha,
the “Princess” of day time radio, has a show on BBC 1Xtra, weekdays from
12-2pm. She talks to us about her detestation of the congestion charge and
public transport, how to make it in the music industry and why 1Xtra has opened
the doors for hip hop and similar genres.How did you get into DJ’ing?
When I was 15, before I left high school, a mate of mine lent me a copy of Snoop’s Dogg Pound album and I fell in love with hip hop and listened to anything I could get my hands on. I loved it so much I wanted to be a part of the hip hop community; I couldn’t rap so the next best thing was to become a DJ.
You were a singer as well and released a few tracks, how did that come about?
When I was little I used to take music lessons so I always had music in my life. I sang at school in the choir but never thought of it as a career. When I was at work experience [non-music related] someone put me in touch with a guy who owned a record label and I became a session singer. When I was actually being paid to sing I realised that I was good enough to sing professionally. It’s definitely a book I wouldn’t close but I doubt I would end up doing the Beyonce thing with worldwide tours and backing dancers.
What’s the best thing about being a DJ at 1Xtra?
I get to play more British music than if I was on any other station in my genre. If I was a specialist I could play everything British but I think it’s good to show a balance and that our home grown tunes can stand up next to tracks from the States or anywhere else. At 1Xtra we are for black music and the argument is always about the name of the station not that there aren’t enough black artists being played. We have a foundation to say, “this is something to represent black culture without ruling anybody out.”
What has been your most memorable moment as a DJ?
Getting my own show on 1Xtra and being a female DJ with my own lunch time show five days a week. When I stop and think about it, it’s very humbling.
You must get sent in a lot of demos, what do you do with them?
Part of my persona is that I’m a helper. People contact me asking if they can come down for work experience, if I can give them some feedback, recommend a manager, or pass my CD to Ras Kwame. Demos aren’t that bad but if someone asks directly for help or guidance I feel very obliged to give something back. My biggest issue is with the people I can’t help for whatever reason; I wish I could wave my magic wand for everybody.
Are you given a lot of freedom in what you play on your show?
The biggest limitation is that sometimes I want to rant about the congestion charge or public transport but because it’s the BBC I’m not able to. Sometimes I just want to say that public transport is shit. Doing the show is two hours in the day where I don’t have to think about the tube until it’s time to go home I just think about my listeners instead.
What do you think the UK music scene is missing?
Respect for itself and unity. We need to be more proud and work together.
Which artists do you listen to in your spare time?
Sway, L Dot Man, Wiley, Ty, Bugz In The Attic…I’m also getting into Keyshia Cole at the moment. Love Gnarls Barkley and L Marie as well who I’m still rinsing. There’s also a new vocalist from London who I saw at Kindred Spirit called Tawiah. She’s just brilliant; I can see another Floetry story happening with her.
Do you approve of illegal filesharing and downloading?
I’m going to answer this by saying that all of the industry, life and people, need to move with the times. Artists are going to number 1 based on their download sales and I think that the labels and manufacturers need to keep up with the fact that music is going out there on the Internet. The only thing they can do is adapt. I’m always gonna love a vinyl and CD but I have three different formats that I need my music on depending where I’m going. The best thing for me is to walk into a club with my laptop with my catalogue of music ready. The only way to sort out illegal downloading is for the industry to deal with their digital business.
What advice would you give to people who want to have a career in the music industry?
The main piece of advice is to think about yourself as a person then how you would fit into the music industry. I don’t just mean if you’re more inclined to Rock you should go to Kerrang or Virgin, or if you’re into hip hop go to 1Xtra. On top of that, think of the industry as a whole. We need managers, engineers, promoters…there are no good places to rave in London anymore. The music used to be a whole community and that’s something we need to get back to in the UK. You need to know who the major players in the industry are. It’s not all about being a star; it’s about doing it for the love and passion of music.
What’s next for Nesha?
I’m going to see if they’ll let me on BBC London so I can rant about public transport and the congestion charge. I’d really like a talk show so I can get to know the listeners and find out where there heads are at.
www.bbc.co.uk/1xtra/nesha
By Rashmi Shastri - Jul 2006