Hometown: London.
The lineup: Troy, Martika and MC Chronz.
The background: Considering the influence/hegemony/stranglehold (delete according to taste) exerted by urban pop in the UK charts these past couple of years, it came as something of a surprise to realise that we didn't, until JLS, have a black boy band. Did we? We can't remember there being one. And we can't remember the last prominent black British girl group, either, although we seem to recall there being an attempt to form one on last year's X Factor, but they failed to make the finals. Is there something about the demographic that is happy to accept a male one yet resists a black female outfit blending rap and R&B? Not to suggest a black girl group can't make it, the early noughties saw Mis-Teeq enjoy success with their garage-infused dance'n'soul, and we've been waiting for something as fabulous and funky as their 2001 top 5 hit One Night Stand (the full-length version with the outrageous 2step segue, not the boring radio edit) to come out of UK funky ever since, but it hasn't happened. Yet.
So there's a gap in the market now for a decent homegrown trio or quartet, one either with a distinctive UK voice or one capable of aping the best of the Americans. Ruff Diamondz have already declared themselves to be a throwback to the great hip-hop-inflected R&B girl groups of the 90s – TLC, Destiny's Child, SWV, En Vogue – while also confirming that there will be in their makeup and music a distinctive British flavour. This is called hedging one's bets. Nevertheless, here they are, including in their ranks two sweet-voiced soul girls – Troy, 21, who loves 90s US R&B and has sung on some UK funky tracks, and Martika, the Sade/Alicia Keys fan – as well as their very own grime girl in MC Chronz.
More than easy radio appeal, they're seeking credibility, offering a free mixtape that comprises their debut single proper, the Dead Prez-sampling Do It Like Me, alongside their versions of J Cole's Who Dat and Billionaire by Travis McCoy, plus snippets of Snoop Dogg's Gin N Juice over which they natter about this and that (they love the spicy chicken in Nando's, in case you wondered). Their debut album will feature production from the people behind Chipmunk and Roll Deep and they hold their crotches in their Do It Like Me video like it's going out of fashion. Which in fact it did about 15 years ago.
The buzz: "Bringing some much-needed flavour to the urban scene."
The truth: We're not being churlish – All Saints had some great moments. RD don't yet, but with the right writers/producers we won't rule it out.
Most likely to: Use "z" instead of "s" cos sibilants are for cissies.
Least likely to: Set their boyfriend'z house on fire.
What to buy: Do It Like Me is released by Polydor on 15 November.
File next to: Cleopatra, Mis-Teeq, SWV, TLC.
Links: myspace.com/rdofficial
Tomorrow's new band: Brother.
