Born on 11 June: Robert Birch (Stereo MC’s) is still "Connected"

Most often known as Rob B, he was born near Nottingham, England, and has been honing his flow for 40 years.

Robert Birch is the co-founder of Stereo MC’s, alongside Nick Hallam (aka The Head). Together, once settled in London, they immediately launched their own label, Gee Street, in 1985. There’s nothing like it for keeping their creative freedom...

Their first album, "33‑45‑78" (1989), was recorded with extremely modest means but, thanks in particular to Rob B’s raw and gritty flow, it quickly made its mark. Inspired by hip hop, infectious beats and electronic experimentation, their music stood out from everything else around at the time in England.

Their second album, "Supernatural" (1990), sent “Elevate My Mind” into the American charts. It became the first English hip-hop single to make such a transatlantic crossing. Two years later, in 1992, their third album "Connected" and its eponymous global hit shot the collective into another stratosphere. They even won two Brit Awards, the UK equivalent of the Grammies. The music of Stereo MC’s has always involved a collage, concocted in a great cauldron where beats, repetitive loops and improvisations blend together… “We were a kind of hybrid at the time. The rap purists didn’t like us because we weren’t pure rap. Nor were we an indie band or a rock band. We were a bit of everything. No one could really define us,” the singer says with a hint of pride. Hallam and he, still as close as ever, consider themselves like brothers. Very satisfied with their independence, they've long since rejected the frantic pace of the industry. They record whenever it feels right. Since 1989, they’ve only produced seven albums—and are all the better for it. Their last, "Emperor’s Nightingale", already dates back to 2011 and hasn't even found its way onto streaming platforms. “We prefer to get back to basics, 12‑inches, DJ sets, collaborations, a few concerts, and maybe another album. We’ll see.” Tailored for dancefloors, their latest experiments with the German electro collective Terranova and Canadian Fred Everything abandon the traditional template entirely. Their fabulous singer Charlotte Caffey wasn’t even invited to the festivities…

(MH with Stéphane Massart – Photo: © Etienne Tordoir)

Photo: Robert Birch with Stereo MC’s on stage at the W Festival in Ostend (Belgium) on 26 August 2022