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Strong, emotive and sexy, meet Manchesters Jenna G – a self confessed music fiend – has been a staple in the Urban Music scene from a young age. Known in 2009 as a prominent drum and bass artist, live performer and broadcaster, Jenna is currently back in her hometown after a four year stint in London on the BBC’s digital station 1Xtra.
She ventured into performing and presenting very early on in her musical quest on one of Manchester’s premier pirate radio stations Love Energy at the tender age of 14. It was here Jenna became inspired by underground sounds and hooked up with a group of MCs and DJs called Raggabeats Crew which spawned the hip hop group ‘Subliminal Darkness’. After four years, Jenna left the group to pursue other styles and sounds. She began a residency at a night at DryBar, called Eardrum, and appeared at various live music nights around Manchester making her a name as a vocalist and MC. Singing with the bands at underground gigs introduced Jenna G to Darren and 2D, a drum & bass DJ and producer team called Future Cut, who were looking for a singer. Not long after that meeting a track called ‘Borderline’ featuring Jenna appeared on a Future Cut EP for heavyweight label Renegade Hardware, the response to it was incredible.
The 3 creators knew there was something magic in the connection and soon after this the drum & bass trio Un-Cut was formed in 2000. Un-Cut’s debut white label – Midnight – sold out of its 10,000 copy run within weeks and drew a lot of attention from the music industry. In 2001 Un-Cut signed to EMI publishing and in June that year they signed to Warner’s M Records. Their debut album came out in July 2003 with the re-release of its debut single Midnight. After the band split, Jenna G continued singing and writing songs for EMI publishing which saw her working with So Solid’s JD, The SHapeshifters (UK), Dannii Minogue and Aleesha Dixon amongst others. It was during this time in London that she was picked up by the BBC’s black music radio station, 1Xtra.
Jenna first visited 1Xtra in the summer of 2003 with Un-Cut. She walked through the doors again in June 2004, not as an artist but as a DJ, broadcasting for a month on the Xtra Talent slot. 1Xtra was impressed by Jenna’s presenting skills and put her together with Twin B, a Ministry Records A&R man and mixtape producer from East London. The pair clicked immediately and in August 2004 Twin B and Jenna G gained a Saturday afternoon slot (12noon-2.00pm), a music show which saw grimy East London meet the soul of the north-west. After a fun year Jenna gained a solo spot as weekend breakfast host, and spent 4 years every weekend morning bringing you a jam-packed show of the best in black music, entertainment and a live listener generated request show. Guests on her film feature “Lights Camera Action” included Beyonce, Quentin Tarantino, Josh Hartnett, Common, Paul Giamatti, Simon Pegg and Eli Roth to name a few. Her exploits in press pits at premieres have caught the attention of Hugh Grant, Tenacious D, Drew Barrymore, Daniel Radcliffe, Sienna Miller, Michelle Pfeiffer and so many more!
Whilst at 1Xtra Jenna continued as an artist honing her vocal and writing talents on a number of distinguished underground tracks in a number of genres but more prolifically in Drum n Bass, the genre of her own highly successful first solo album released on the Bingo Beats record label in 2006.
‘For Lost Friends’ the world’s first album of drum’n'bass songs was an emotional roller coaster, an insight into a life of heartache, wonder, love and sex, produced with some of the biggest names in drum’n'bass, but all soaked in pure Jenna. On her debut album Jenna let her imagination and emotions run wild, antiodes to Paris Hilton, personal chants of finding inner strength and doing things for yourself. One minute she’s soaring above the earth, discovering untouched lands and unknown animal species. Next minute she’s describing how her parents want to be buried or she’s alone in a cold flat, left to fight her own demons. Then in a blink of an eye she’s in passionate, sexy lust with someone’s strong arms around her waist and gentle butterfly kisses fluttering down on her back. Tracks from the album were produced by a variety of prominent drum and bass producers such as DJ Zinc, Nu:tone, Friction, D Bridge, D KAY, and Kabuki.
Jenna has toured the album worldwide playing to soulful dnb lovers on every continent, her unique stage presence and repetoire unmatched by any other solo dnb artist. She also managed to fit in 2 years as the official vocalist for The Shapeshifters having appeared on their first album Sound Advice as songwriter and backing vocalist. The new album ‘Do Not Disturb’ which features her songwriting and vocal talents was set for release this year on EMI in 2009 having already spawned 2 UK chart entries in 2008, ‘Pusher’ & ‘New Day’. The Shapeshifters move to new label Defected prompted a different direction for the album, remixes and refixes on the new label from the unreleased follow up to Sound Advice will feature Jenna G alongside house legend Frankie Knuckles.
Not content with a nationally syndicated radio show and a few top forty hits under her belt, Jenna is again back in the studio working on her second solo album ‘The Break Up’ working alongside veteran producer Zed Bias and hot new talent Engine-Earz as well as touring the world as one of the prominent Drum and Bass MC Artists. 2009 also brings with it a new commitment as lead vocalist for The Qemists Live show. The Qemists a 3 piece dnb crew from Brighton are currently touring their debut album ‘Join The Q’ which features Jenna G, Wiley, Mike Patton, MC ID & Zoe Devlin on vocal duties. Having already cut their teeth on a two week European support slot for Enter Shikari this year The Qemists Live will be getting on the festival circuit throughout summer in the UK, Europe and Japan, keeping Jenna busy in and out of the studio right up until the end of the year when work on a second dnb album begins….
