It’s time once again for the Black Music Coalition’s Excellence Honourees list, the organisation’s annual celebration of Black music business talent. Presenter Ramon Dawkins, aka Rambo Is Talking, offers up his take on Black music and more...
What does it mean to you personally to be named as one of the BMC’s Excellence Honourees for 2026?
“It’s an honour. It is always a blessing to receive flowers for your hard work, especially coming from the BMC, as it’s an organisation I have been aware of since I came into the game.”
Why did you want to get into the music industry in the first place, and how did you do it?
“I got into the music industry, per se, by commentating and documenting the scene around the music. Interviewing the artists, attending listening parties, reacting to music... All of that organically catapulted me into a working industry role.”
Content is crucial to artist campaigns now – but how do you separate good content from bad? What does it need to have to cut through?
“I believe that good content needs original thinkers, and, honestly, there aren’t a lot of those around. A lot of people just see what’s working for others and try to emulate it – which can work, but never in the same way as the template. I think the best content comes from original ideas – people who are not scared to try new concepts and formats whilst still keeping it organic.”
Can you cite an example of one of your favourite projects or pieces of content you’ve worked on so far?
“My favourite is my online video interview series Rambo’s Room, mainly because it’s the most difficult. It’s the one that costs the most money, the one that requires the most time and effort, and the one that doesn’t always look how I want it to. But at the end of the day, it’s mine, and those issues are just part of the journey early on – being the talent, the producer, the guest liaison and the editor all in one. When an episode is finished and well received by the public, it is my proudest content piece.”
What’s the secret to getting a brilliant interview with an artist? And can you share an example of one of your own to show what you mean?
“My secret is to talk to these millionaire, super-famous artists like I’m just talking to one of my boys at the crib. It’s a light-hearted, casual and fun conversation that makes the artist feel comfortable and able to let loose. It’s always fun to watch an artist’s stern face turn into a smile by the end of the interview – that’s when I feel accomplished. A great example that comes up a lot for me was my interview with Central Cee; a lot of the commenters kept mentioning how they had never seen him that comfortable and chatty, and that’s always the goal for me.”
How do you see the Black music scene in the UK in 2026?
“For me, the Black music scene will always be thriving, if you know where to look. I’m always finding new artists because I listen to so many genres, from R&B, to rap to underground Alté music. Commercially, the scene is not where it was a couple of years ago, but I don’t believe that’s a bad thing – it allows artists to go back to the drawing board and release quality work independently.”
What is your ultimate ambition for the future?
“To build a home for UK culture on my own platform. I want my face to continue to be recognised as the person flying the flag for what the UK represents in music, sports and fashion. I want to be the place a rising London footballer comes to tell their story, and I want to be the place a UK mega star sits down to recount their career. Lastly, I want to be a place international audiences tap into to understand our culture.”
PHOTO: Calvin Ceile
