Mr. B The Gentleman Rhymer

Mr. B The Gentleman Rhymer
Mr. B The Gentleman Rhymer

Mr B Playing at a wedding in Oxfordshire
Background information
Origin United Kingdom
Occupations Singer, songwriter
Website Mr.B The Gentleman Rhymer on MySpace

Mr. B The Gentleman Rhymer (real name Jim Burke[1]) is a parodist who performs "chap hop" — hip-hop delivered in a Received Pronunciation accent. Mr. B raps, or "rhymes", about high society, pipe smoking and cricket while playing the banjolele. The character is described as having grown up in Cheam and attending Sutton Grammar School for Boys.[2]

Contents

Background

Mr. B The Gentleman Rhymer is an alter ego of Jim Burke, a rapper with the Britpop group Collapsed Lung.[3] Mr. B The Gentleman Rhymer started performing in late 2007, playing at cabaret clubs, and venues across the UK including the Glastonbury Festival and club NME in Paris, and performed as part of the 2010 Edinburgh Fringe Festival.[4] He has performed on radio including the Steve Lamacq show and "Introducing with Tom Robinson" for the BBC. He has also been named as a 'Band of the Month' on the Kooba Radio podcast[5].

His debut album "Flattery Not Included" was released in 2008 for the Grot Music label, which includes the track "Chap-Hop History" which is a Received Pronunciation reworking of some well known hip-hop classics. Its accompanying video has received numerous views on YouTube. Another track from the album, "Timothy", is about the unique vocal style of BBC Radio's Tim Westwood. Perhaps his best known track, "Straight Out Of Surrey", is a parody of N.W.A's "Straight Outta Compton" and purports to be "the extent of [his] cricket knowledge."

Mr B. has appeared as a guest on the Zero Day album by MC Frontalot, playing the banjolele and providing additional vocals on the track "Better At Rapping".[6]

He is currently in a feud with "chap-hop" artist Professor Elemental.[7]

Discography

  • Flattery Not Included (2008)
  • I Say (2010)

References

  1. ^ Collins, Robert (2009-08-30), The golden age of novelty rock continues, UK: The Sunday Times, http://entertainment.timesonline.co.uk/tol/arts_and_entertainment/music/article6811243.ece, retrieved 2010-07-05 .
  2. ^ Henderson, Jamie (2010-07-10), Cheam rapper set to take Fringe by storm, UK: The Sutton Guardian, http://www.suttonguardian.co.uk/news/8263187.Cheam_rapper_set_to_take_Fringe_by_storm/, retrieved 2010-07-30 .
  3. ^ Pegg, Warren (2008-06-03), Mr B The Gentleman Rhymer, The Hope, Brighton, June 5, UK: The Argos, http://www.theargus.co.uk/news/2315708.m5ec/?from=ec&to=2315708&l=mr_b_the_gentleman_rhymer_the_hope_brighton_june_5, retrieved 2010-07-06 .
  4. ^ Mr B The Gentleman Rhymer, Wychwood festival, 2010-04-26, http://www.wychwoodfestival.com/tag/mr-b-the-gentleman-rhymer/, retrieved 2010-07-06 .
  5. ^ Mr B The Gentleman Rhymer, Kooba Radio, 2011-07-01, http://www.koobaradio.co.uk/bands/band-of-the-month/2011/mr-b-the-gentleman-rhymer/, retrieved 2011-08-01 .
  6. ^ MC Frontalot, Zero Day, Album Lyrics and Credits Retrieved 2010-07-06
  7. ^ Frances Robinson, In 'Chap-Hop,' Gentlemen Rappers Bust Rhymes About Tea, Cricket, Wall Street Journal, April 4, 2011, accessed April 5, 2011.

External links


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