Thinking about booking a celebrity pop star? Take a look at N-Dubz’ Fazer.
For many younger audiences the words ‘after-dinner speaker’ will conjure an image of someone staid, boring and not relevant to their interests, but with the wide cross-section of celebrity speakers available to book these days, there’s no reason that that should be the case.
From YouTube stars to contemporary artists, celebrities of all stripes are available to make appearances at public events. This can take the form of a traditional oration, or can be made less formal by using a Q&A format or asking your celebrity guest to present an award or host the evening instead.
Pick the right guest for your event, and an after dinner speaker could even act as a draw to invitees rather than a turn off – celebrities have a magnetic draw and people are always keen to see them in the flesh, as long as you choose the right celebrity for your event.
Fazer is one member of the wildly successful British group N-Dubz and a popular figure among audiences in their 20s and 30s. Keep reading to find out more about him, and why he should be a top pick for your next event.
Early life
Born Richard Rawson in 1987, Fazer has lived in London all his life, and was raised in the Camden Town area of the city. The artist met Dappy (Costadinos Contostavlos) at a karate class and the two became firm friends, eventually forming a hip-hop group called Lickle Rinsers Crew along with Dappy’s cousin, Tulisa Contostavlos.
When the youngsters formed the group, managed by Dappy’s father, they were just 12 years old, and still attended the same high-school – Haverstock School. All of the members of what eventually became N-Dubz experienced had shared experiences of a tough childhood growing up in inner-city council estates – these included first-hand experience of drugs, gangs and violence, which added edge and authenticity to their sound.
N-Dubz
The name N-Dubz was a long time in the making, so the story goes. After the three teenagers decided to change their name from Lickle Rinsers Crew, they chose the name Hakuna Matata, a nod to The Lion King.
This was thwarted by copyright issues with Disney and they chose the name No Worries instead. This, too, however was problematic as another group was already using the name. It was shortened to N.W., then NW1 (a reference to their postcode as well as the Disney film) and eventually ended up in its present form – N-Dubz.
While a part of N-Dubz, Fazer, Dappy and Tulisa began self-releasing their own tracks. The first to find mainstream recognition was a track called Feva Las Vegas in 2007 – around this time, Fazer and the other band members also appeared in a Channel 4 drama which helped to boost their profile.
In 2008, N-Dubz released their first album, Uncle B. This was followed up by Against All Odds in 2009 and Love.Live.Life in 2010, all of which went platinum. These albums found wide mainstream success, and secured N-Dubz numerous MOBO awards, as well as fame and fortune in the UK and further afield.
The band went on hiatus in 2011 and have not released any material since then, though various members have hinted at a reunion on several occasions. Rawson has continued to release plenty of new material, under the stage name Fazer and more recently under his given name, Richard Rawson, too.
As an accomplished classical pianist, Fazer has appeared on several BBC shows including Urban Classics and Fazer’s Urban Symphony, in which he has helped to bring classical music to a wider audience.
Book Fazer for an event
If you’re planning an event which will be attended by a younger audience, then Fazer could be an excellent choice of celebrity speaker. Not only does he have experience of pulling himself up by the bootstraps from an unfavourable beginning to become a household name and a hip-hop star, but he’s an engaging and relatable character to many young people.
The former N-Dubz star is a great pick and he’s available to book through us for all sorts of events and occasions right now.
If he’s not quite what you’re looking for, you’ll find plenty of other fabulous celebrity speakers on the books at our talent agency, so get in touch and let us help you find the perfect entertainment for your event.