Taking place in Leeds on 4 November, this year’s MOBO Awards will recognise the recent achievements of JME, Skepta, Krept & Konan and FKA Twigs, who is set to perform live on the night. JME is up for best album with his independently released record Integrity, which goes head to head with Krept & Konan’s The Long Way Home, Wiley’s The Ascent, Jamie xx’s In Colour and Lianne Le Havas’s Blood. Other i-D favorites up for nomination include Bugzy Malone, Stormzy, Lethal B and Birmingham’s Lady Leshurr. The Godfather of Grime Wiley will be recognised for his legendary status by receiving the inaugural ‘Paving the Way’ award, in which he will lay a paving stone at Bow School, the place he credits was being the beginning of his creative birth. We’re sure this year’s awards will have some outstanding moments, so in honour of this, here are our ten favourite moments from MOBO history…
1. Lisa “Left Eye” Lopes arriving in green wig and fur, 2000
We can only imagine what awesome music Left Eye would be making if she were still alive today. The TLC rapper was one of hip hop’s most forward-thinking females, inspiring many imitators, but none have come close to capturing Lopes’s ubiquitous energy and creative eccentricities. In 2000, she hosted the event with Trevor Nelson, which also featured, um, Ken Livingstone and Donna Air. If anyone knows the value of an awkward presenter, it’s the Mobos.
2. Puffy performing I’ll Be Missing You, 1998
Why no footage of this exists online is a mystery, but Puff’s first British live TV appearance was quite the epic occasion. Taking place a few months after the death of Biggie, Diddy pulled out all the stops with a full choir, Faith on vocals and angels flying in from the heavens. That’s how we remember it anyway. He also won an award that year. Presented by M People’s Heather Smalls and Lennox Lewis, Diddy beat off Beenie Man and Missy to win Best International Act. After shouting out “All my rude boys in the house”, he invited Beenie up on stage to share the award. “That’s what it’s all about, black people working together.”
3. Craig David winning his first MOBO in a ‘Buy British’ top
Back when David was a fresh faced youth with twists and finely manicured facial hair, he beat Jamelia, Gabrielle, Damage (Ghetto Romance is still such a tune), Sonique and himself with The Artful Dodger to win Best Single for Fill Me In. The first black British musician to successfully export a subculture to the US, Craig accepted the award in a jumper that stands true today: Buy British!
4. Rihanna performing Unfaithful, 2010
Because Rihanna.
5. Mel B’s ‘tired and emotional’ hosting duties, 2014
Sarah Jane Crawford tries her best to keep up, but to be fair anyone would struggle when Mel’s been on the blue WKD’s. When forced to fill for time, the former Spice Girl sort of decides to try and get off with Sarah by telling her how lovely her lips are. Thankfully, Jerimih finally gets himself ready, and the show has a nice happy ending.
6. Lil Kim x Blu Cantrell hosting, 2003
All and every type of awesome. There’s not much footage of this hosting hotness online, apart from this small clip in which Cantrell appears ‘tired and emotional’. “This is my sister, Blu Cantrell,” exclaims Kim. “And this is Lil Kim,” slurs Cantrell.
7. Destiny’s Child Version 1.0 win, 1999
Back when DC was LaTavia, LeToya, Kelly and Michelle, the girls were presented the award for Best International R&B by Victoria Beckham. Thank god LaTavia took her time to shine while she could; she leads the thank you’s while the other three beam on beatifically. Coincidentally, in the audience that very same night was Mr. S Dot Carter. Perhaps the Mobo awards can take the credit for sowing the seeds of BeeJay’s later love?
8. R Kelly performs, 2001
Kells doesn’t like a plane, so instead he took the QE from Chicago to London. It took 6 days but it was worth it for his performance which paid tribute to the victims of 9/11.
9. When they bought Sade out of retirement, 2000
Fair play Kanya King, fair play. King bumped into Sade at Reggae Sunsplash and asked if she’d consider performing at the Mobos. For some reason, Sade said yes and put in this perfect performance of By Your Side.
10. Skepta winning for his “£80 English pounds” video, 2014
The last year has been pretty phenomenal for Joseph Junior Adenuga, and one highlight has to be his acceptance speech for winning Best Video for That’s Not Me, featuring his brother JME and directed by Tim & Barry. “Wha gwaan, shit, wow, I didn’t even get a ticket to come here today,” he began breathlessly as Jammer danced about excitedly beside him. “I said if there’s one award I want to win it’s for this video, That’s Not Me because coming from the street, you feel like ‘My man’s video cost £100k, my man’s video is a million. You get me? I have to keep up with that. That’s Not Me cost eighty English pounds. Eighty English pounds!” With JME, Skeppy and Stormzy all on the line-up this year, we hope to see more of the same please as Grime finally takes its rightful place at British music award shows.