Tuesday marks the 67th birthday of the late Benjamin Zephaniah – revolutionary poet, playwright, musician and fearless voice for social justice – following the inaugural Benjamin Zephaniah Day held over the weekend at Brunel University. But while he is widely celebrated for his work in literature and activism, Zephaniah’s influence on music remains relatively overlooked.
Emerging from the dub poetry scene, Zephaniah channelled personal experiences of systemic racism and state violence into intelligent spoken word. Albums such as Rasta combined politically charged poetry with dub rhythms and studio effects, laying the cultural groundwork for UK genres such as trip-hop, jungle and dubstep. We revisit his unique collaborations in electronic music, hearing from the artists who had the honour of working with him.
